STAT means now. Everything else means consult a specialist.
Formally admitted to institutional psychiatric or medical care, either voluntarily or by legal mandate; the clinical euphemism for 'placed under professional observation and care.'
When blood pressure and circulation decide to go haywireābasically your cardiovascular system having a meltdown.
A consequence or complication that shows up after a disease resolvesāthe unwelcome gift that keeps giving.
Remission means the disease is undetectable; cure means it's genuinely goneāan important distinction doctors wish patients understood.
A disease that gets better and worse in cyclesābasically playing emotional roulette with your health.
A sign or symptom uniquely characteristic of a diseaseāthe smoking gun that makes diagnosis obvious.
A substance that kills bacteria or inhibits their growthāhumanity's favorite chemical weapon against microscopic invaders.
The percentage of people in a group who die from a particular causeābasically medical math about inevitable human demise.
Abnormally low blood pressureāwhen your cardiovascular system decides to work in slow motion.
The surgical art of cutting something outātumors, tissues, problematic genesāwith a scalpel and the sincere hope that what remains functions better than what left. Basically, subtraction as medicine.
In evolutionary biology, your reproductive success scoreāmeasured not in gym visits but in viable offspring that survive to breed. That gaudy peacock's tail? Terrible for dodging predators, excellent for fitness, which explains why he has so many descendants despite being a walking target.
The classification and naming of diseasesātaxonomy for the things trying to kill you.
To examine by listening, usually with a stethoscopeāthe method that makes everyone think doctors are contemplative.
To examine by touchāthe doctor's way of pressing on you while maintaining professional composure.
Magnetic Resonance Imagingāusing powerful magnets and radio waves to create images without radiation, perfect for hypochondriacs.
Excessive urine productionāwhen your kidneys decide to practice their dilution strategy to an extreme.
Complete Blood Countāa laboratory test that counts every type of blood cell to determine if your immune system is throwing a party or having a meltdown.
An objective indication of disease that the physician observes or measuresāthe evidence that proves the patient isn't imagining it.
The complete absence of sexual desire; what you've got when your libido took an indefinite vacation and forgot to leave a forwarding address.
An obscure protein in your blood plasma that acts as hemoglobin's personal bodyguardābinding to free hemoglobin to prevent oxidative damage and keep your blood chemistry from rusting from the inside out. It's the unsung hero of hemolysis prevention.
A medical spy camera on a stickāflexible or rigidādesigned to peek inside your body's various cavities and hollow organs without making a bigger mess. It's your doctor's way of eavesdropping on your insides.
Anything remotely related to digestion or the digestive systemāas in 'peptic ulcer,' that burning sensation caused by stomach acid throwing an absolute tantrum against your stomach lining. It's the body's passive-aggressive way of complaining.
Computed Axial Tomographyāserial X-rays reconstructed by computer to create cross-sectional images, essentially a CT scan by its former name.
When your blood performs a disappointing job of oxygen deliveryācourtesy of too few red blood cells or hemoglobin skipping work. The result: paleness, fatigue, and the sudden discovery that climbing stairs is now a cardio event.