STAT means now. Everything else means consult a specialist.
Surgical removal or destruction of tissue, organs, or tumors—the medical profession's fancy way of saying 'we're taking that out' or 'we're burning it away.' Often used in procedures to zap arrhythmias, tumors, or other unwanted biological guests.
The medical term for baldness that makes you sound way more sophisticated when explaining why your hairline is staging a hostile takeover of your forehead. It's the fancy way dermatologists say 'sorry, your follicles filed for bankruptcy.'
A neurological condition affecting communication, sensory processing, and social interaction across the lifespan. Modern medicine recognizes it as a neurodevelopmental difference, not a deficit—though the internet has its own... creative definitions.
A benign tumor of glandular tissue. It's like your gland decided to throw a growth party, but at least it didn't invite cancer.
A localized collection of pus surrounded by inflamed tissue. Your body's way of walling off infection like a biological maximum security prison.
Programmed cell death; cells literally committing suicide when they're supposed to. Nature's way of saying 'your time is up.'
A minimally invasive procedure where doctors thread a catheter into your blocked arteries and physically widen the narrowed passages—basically the medical equivalent of using a plunger on your cardiovascular system. Often followed by stent insertion to keep things open.
Acute = sudden onset, dramatic, demands immediate attention. Chronic = long-term houseguest that won't leave and requires ongoing management. Medicine's version of uninvited guests.
A protein produced by your immune system that's basically a molecular bounty hunter, trained to recognize and neutralize specific invaders.
A compound or organism that performs similar functions to another despite completely different evolutionary origins—nature's version of 'same job, different résumé.'
The study of disease origins and the detective work of figuring out 'who done it' to your health. From determining bacterial culprits to environmental triggers, it's medicine's version of a crime investigation.
Fatty tissue—your body's biological storage unit for excess calories, serving as insulation and energy reserves. It's not malicious; it's just doing its job a little too well.