Medical Terminology For Meniere’s Disease Sufferers
ASEPSIS means “without (a = without) any infection“. All surgery should be done under “aseptic” conditions. Sepsis means some infectious microorganism is causing harm to the person. Antibiotics and cleansing are the normal treatments.
DEHYDRATION (de = removing), (hydro = water) means water is being drawn out of…usually the body due to heat. In summer this can lead to very critical health situations. Children, esp. babes, become dehydrated very quickly. Elderly people may also have difficulty breathing and functioning, but are less likely to “speak” out.
Fluids must be offered very frequently. Cool, not ice, water is best. The skin is a route by which most dehydration occurs. Cool, natural fiber clothing and headgear are very desirable. Refrain from going out of doors if at all possible in the heat of the day.
DERMATITIS means an inflammation of the skin, without any infection. This can be caused by lotions, sun, heat, drugs, insect bites, etc. and it should be treated by a doctor if it persists. The area should be kept clean and dry, otherwise the skin may break down and become infected.
ELECTROCARDIOGRAM is a physical record, usually a strip of paper, that has recorded a rhythm of the heart beat. (ELECTRO = electrical impulse CARDI = heart OGRAM = record.) Usually done for perceived problems in the heart muscle. An impulse is followed from beginning to end of a cycle. Problems are detected by the absence of movement or the erratic movement of the pen.
ENTERITIS means an inflammation of the intestines. That could come from food, water-borne organisms, or something which is irritating the fine mucosal lining. The result is that a person would usually have diarrhea and cramps. Hand washing is crucial in preventing the spread of the offending “bug”.
Food poisoning is frequently a result of poorly stored or unrefrigerated food. In the elderly and in young children this can cause a lot of fluid loss, resulting in dehydration. Fluids must be offered frequently and in ways and of a type that the person will take it.
The body normally heals itself after a few days. A physician or health care professional should see someone with prolonged symptoms. Adjusting meals into small servings and checking the tolerance is wise.
GASTRITIS is an inflammation of the lining of the stomach, as opposed to the intestines (enteritis). The causes could be the same as enteritis, but the symptoms will be related to nausea and vomiting. Again dehydration could be a real factor, so fluids are really important and must be replaced.
The natural ageing process also causes gastric distress. Until full healing is restored, it would be best to offer small frequent meals that are easily digested. Spicy foods generate a lot of extra gastric juices, which in turn slow down the healing.
PARALYSIS para = beyond, lysis = loosening. So someone with paralysis has a condition where muscles are very loose and usually have no “tone”, or ability to move on their own, but they are loose as opposed to being stiff. That allows you to move them gently.
Paralysis usually occurs because of damage to the brain or spinal cord. It means the person cannot move one or more of their extremities. Brain damage from a stroke or cerebrovascular accident (CVA) frequently causes hemiplegia, which means paralysis on one side of the body. This is often caused by a blood clot.
Many health care professionals constantly talk about reducing stress in your life. This is the reason. A change in the circulation can push a blood clot loose and through to the brain, resulting in damage: either permanent or temporary. Tiny strokes are called TIA’s (transitory ischemic attacks) and can leave momentary paralysis.
Spinal cord injuries can result in QUADRAPLEGIA = paralysis from the neck on down or PARAPLEGIA …from the waist to the down.
HEMIPLEGIA means that one SIDE of the body has some sort of paralysis (muscles with no tone or ability to move on their own). The cause could be a stroke or accident. It could be half of the face or half the body. This can be temporary or permanent.
This is swimming season and many, many people will not check for dangers before diving into waters. Many of those divers will end up with paralysis as their spinal cord could be damaged or severed. There is a lot of research going on to restore functionality to the limbs, but right now, it is all experimental.
BLOOD PRESSURE is the pressure of the blood flowing through your veins. It’s like a garden hose. If there is only a trickle (low blood pressure), it can’t perform much. If it’s too fast (high blood pressure), it can blow a hole in the wall of the vein (tube). And can blow through debris in the form of clots.
It’s usually lowest in the morning as you have been resting all night. As the day progresses, it gets higher. If you have to monitor it, choose roughly the same time each day and the same machine and the same clothing. Rest a few minutes when you get to the machine. Do not compare readings from mornings to afternoons, or machine to machine.
There are two readings: the first “systolic” is the pressure of the blood when the heart muscle contracts. The second, lower, “diastolic” is the reading when the heart rests: between heartbeats.
HYPERTENSION means elevated, or high blood pressure (high tension). Over 140 “over” 90, 140/90, but some doctors allow higher reading. Salt may increase the reading, so cut back if possible. If you are already on medication for hypertension and it’s still “high”, let the doctor know and they would probably adjust or changes something.
Hypertension may wear out your arteries like you wearing out the garden hose under pressure. High blood pressure increases your chance for heart attacks, strokes, kidney, and eye problems.
HYPOTENSION means a low blood pressure and it would be consistent readings less than 90/60 consistently. If you are very athletic, your body may have adjusted to these lower readings. If you are ever hospitalized, do yourself a big favour. Tell someone your BP will naturally be lower.
HEMATURIA means blood in the urine. Irritants in the bladder could cause this. Unless you have eaten beets in generous quantities in the last day, a physician MUST check this out. It could be one of the early warning signs of prostate problems and must not be overlooked. Blood anywhere outside of the vessels, is a reason for concern.
MYALGIA (mya(o) = muscle, algia = pain) This is muscle pain throughout the body which is often accompanied by generalized tiredness. It’s good not to overdo exercising or sports without knowing how to handle the results. Exercise is good till it gets overdone and then free radicals are developed.
PYOGENIC (py/o/= pus, genus = producing) is a pus producing situation. This could be a wound or an insect bite that has gotten infected. Regardless, it needs to be treated and healed. It also cannot be allowed to stay open as the pus can dry, become airborne on air currents.
It is then transported to someone else. If that person has an open area, the attached disease-causing micro-organisms will infect that person under certain conditions.
PSYCHOLOGY is the science that studies the functions and behaviors of the mind especially in relation to social and practical applications. This would include the mental, motivational, and behavioral characteristics and attitudes of an individual or of groups.
If you were having a problem with moderate depression, or anxiety, or some past trauma, you would dealing with a psychologist. They would be helping you cope and readjust your life activities to meet your particular needs.
PSYCHIATRY is that branch of medical science that deals with the causes, treatment and prevention of mental, emotional and behavioral disorders: more along the lines of treating diseases. If you were thought to have a mental disorder, such as Alzheimer’s Dementia or Huntingdon’s Chorea, you would be dealing with a psychiatrist.
This would be a medical condition. This health care professional would have many years of additional medical training after becoming a medical doctor.
To give one more example…if you were someone with severe depression, you would be looked after in the hospital psychiatric ward by a psychiatrist, and prescribed medication and activities, all supervised by that psychiatrist.
That would eventually get you to the point where you felt well enough to go home and take back some of your routines. It would then probably be suggested that you work with a psychologist to learn some helpful coping skills and behaviors that would help you stay well and happy.
THROMBOSIS is the abnormal condition by which a blood clot is formed inside a vessel. This is not normal and shows some circulatory problem. The blood clot is called a THROMBUS. An EMBOLISM is the blood clot (thrombus) that has strayed from it original “mooring” (by the force of the blood pressure or trauma) and is now circulating in the body through the circulatory system.
When it gets lodged in a vessel smaller than its own size, it will plug that vessel and cause the area beyond it to die for lack of oxygen and nutrition. It’s like a branch line of the New York underground “subway system” being plugged up with a massive dump truck. The truck blocks off all traffic to the area beyond the blockage.
Prevention is key! Exercise, good nutrition, and nutritional supplementation, (maybe including folic acid), is very helpful and proactive for high-risk people. This condition is preventable and correctable with care and attention.
- If you would like a copy of our Meniere’s Disease Study Guide, please click here. This guide is a step by step journey exploring your symptoms and what may be causing them.
- If you would like more information on the system that David, and numerous others, have used, please click here; What Finally Worked.
- If you have any health questions or concerns, please feel free to Contact Us and we will be happy to share our knowledge and ideas with you.
Karin Henderson, Retired Nurse
(604) 463-8666 – Pacific Standard Time