Glossary - T
Displaying glossary terms beginning with the letter T: 1 - 50 of 104 in total
- T lymphocyte (T cell)
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A white blood cell that is produced in the bone marrow and is part of the body's immune system. Also called a T cell.
- tachycardia
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An abnormally fast heartbeat, usually above 100 beats per minute.Related health topics: Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
- tamoxifen
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A drug used by women to prevent breast cancer or its recurrence.
- tamsulosin
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A drug used to treat symptoms of an enlarged prostate gland. It relieves constriction of the urethra and improves urine flow by relaxing the smooth muscle tissues in the capsule that surrounds the prostate. Unlike other drugs in this class, tamsulosin does not decrease blood pressure.
- tangles
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Also called neurofibrillary tangles?twisted strands of proteins that are found inside the dead or dying nerve cells of people with Alzheimer's disease.
- tardive dyskinesia
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Involuntary writhing movements of the arms, legs, and tongue caused by high doses of antipsychotic drugs over long periods of time.
- tarsal coalition
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An inherited condition in which two bones of the foot are fused together; can result in rigid flat feet.
- tartar
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A hardened layer of plaque that builds up on teeth. Also called calculus.
- TDD
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Abbreviation for telecommunications device for the deaf?machinery that allows a person who is deaf or hard of hearing to send and receive typed messages over the telephone.
- telecommunications devices for the deaf (TDD)
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Machinery that allows a person who is deaf or hard of hearing to send and receive typed messages over the telephone.
- tempo
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When applied to exercise, the count for key movements in an exercise.
- temporal arteritis
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Also called cranial arteritis and giant cell arteritis?inflammation and damage to blood vessels supplying blood to the head and neck.
- temporal lobe
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One of the four major subdivisions of the two hemispheres of the brain's cerebral cortex. The temporal lobe plays a role in hearing, long-term memory, and behavior.
- tendinitis
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Inflammation of a tendon, usually caused by injury; may cause pain and restrict movement of the muscle attached to the tendon.
- tendon
- tendonitis
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Alternative spelling of tendinitis?inflammation of a tendon, usually caused by injury; may cause pain and restrict movement of the muscle attached to the tendon.Related health topics: Marfan's Syndrome, Muscular Dystrophy
- tenosynovitis
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Swelling and inflammation of the protective sheath covering the tendons, which decreases the sheath's production of synovial fluid.
- TENS
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Abbreviation for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation?the use of low-voltage electrical current (through electrodes placed on the skin) to provide pain-suppressing stimulation.
- tension headache
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A headache, usually mild or moderate in intensity, not accompanied by other symptoms; pain is usually felt throughout the head, across the forehead, or in the back of the head.
- terazosin
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A drug used to treat symptoms of an enlarged prostate gland. It relieves constriction of the urethra and improves urine flow by relaxing the smooth muscle tissue in the capsule that surrounds the prostate.
- testosterone
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A male hormone that stimulates bone and muscle growth and sexual development in men; also produced in lesser amounts in women, promoting sex drive and muscle growth.
- thalamus
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A brain structure that relays sensory information to other parts of the brain; also plays a role in memory consolidation.Related health topics: Osteoporosis, Prostate Cancer
- theta waves
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A pattern of brain waves on an electroencephalogram (EEG) characteristic of light, stage 1 sleep.Related health topics: Stroke Overview
- thiazolidinediones
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A class of oral medication that improves sensitivity to insulin.
- thoracic
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Pertaining to the chest.
- thrombolysis
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Breaking up a blood clot.
- thrombolytic agents
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Agents or medications that dissolve blood clots and restore blood flow through a blocked artery; used to treat myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, and pulmonary embolism. Also called clot busters. Examples include tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and streptokinase.
- thrombosis
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Formation of a blood clot in a blood vessel or chamber of the heart.
- thrombus
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A blood clot that forms inside a blood vessel or chamber of the heart.
- thunderclap headache
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A sudden, excruciating headache that may be the result of bleeding in the head.
- thymus
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A specialized organ of the immune system located in the upper-middle chest where T cells mature.
- thyroid gland
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A two-lobed gland located in the front of the neck below the larynx (voice box). It secretes hormones that help regulate the body's metabolism and calcium balance.
- thyroid hormone
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Two iodine-containing hormones called thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). They help regulate the body's metabolism and calcium balance.Related health topics: Hypothyroidism
- thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)
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A hormone secreted into the bloodstream by the pituitary gland that stimulates the thyroid gland. Doctors measure levels of TSH to determine whether a person's thyroid hormone levels are normal.
- thyroidectomy
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A surgical procedure to remove all or part of the thyroid.
- thyroiditis
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Inflammation of the thyroid gland. Types of thyroiditis include Hashimoto's thyroiditis, subacute thyroiditis, and postpartum or silent thyroiditis.
- thyrotoxicosis
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The presence of too much thyroid hormone in the body. This may be caused by an overproductive thyroid, inflammation of the thyroid, or taking too much thyroid hormone.
- thyroxine (T4)
- tibia
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The large bone of the calf, or shinbone.
- ticlopidine
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An antiplatelet drug that prevents the formation of blood clots.
- tincture
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An herbal product made by soaking an herb or other plant material in a mixture of water and alcohol to extract certain ingredients believed to be medicinal or beneficial.
- tinea pedis
- tinnitus
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A ringing in the ears or some other sound that has no external cause.
- tissue
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A group of cells that are specialized to do a certain job and are joined together to form a body structure, such as muscle or kidney.
- tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA)
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A clot-dissolving enzyme produced naturally in the blood vessels and artificially produced as a medication; used to break down blood clots in the treatment of heart attack, ischemic stroke, and pulmonary embolism.
- tissue plasminogen activator (tPA)
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A clot-dissolving drug sometimes used to halt a heart attack or stroke. tPA must be used within a few hours after symptoms begin.
- tolerable upper intake level (UL)
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The highest amount of a nutrient deemed likely to have no harmful health effects for almost all healthy people when taken consistently.
- tolerance
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The process through which the body becomes less responsive to a psychoactive substance or rewarding behavior. Over time, people who develop tolerance need larger doses to get the same effect they first got with smaller doses.
- toll-like receptors
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One class of pattern-recognition receptors, found on the surfaces of the cells of the innate immune system.
- tonic
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An agent believed to invigorate a specific body organ.