Medical Glossary

Hi everyone, here is a basic medical glossary for as many terms as I could find in the play. It's in alphabetical order! I have included a second post called "Drug Index" for all of the drug information (prescription and recreational) separately.

Addiction Disorder - A condition involving use of a substance, such as a drug or alcohol, or engagement in such behavior, such as gambling, in which a person has strong cravings, is unable to stop or limit the activity, continues the activity despite harmful consequences, and experiences distress upon discontinuance

Beta-blockers - A drug that blocks beta receptors, thus counteracting the excitatory effects of norepinephrine and other beta-antagonists released from sympathetic nerve endings. Beta-blockers are typically used to treat angina (chest pain), hypertension (high blood pressure), arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), and migraine (specific type of headache that targets one half of the head often with disturbed vision and nausea)

Blood Pressure - The pressure exerted by the blood against the walls of the blood vessels, especially the arteries. It varies with the strength of the heartbeat, the elasticity of the arterial walls, the volume and viscosity of the blood, and a person's health, age, and physical condition (see diastolic, systolic)

Death - The cessation of all vital functions of the body, including the heartbeat, brain activity (including the brain stem), and breathing

Diastolic - The normal rhythmically occurring relaxation and dilation of the heart chambers, especially in the ventricles, during which they fill with blood

Fatigue - Physical or mental weariness resulting from effort or activity; The decreased capacity or complete inability of an organism, organ, or part to function normally because of excessive stimulation or prolonged exertion

Hallucination - Perception of visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, or gustatory stimuli in the absence of any external objects or events and with a compelling sense of their reality, resulting from certain mental or physical disorders, or as a response to a drug

HIV - Human Immunodeficiency Virus are two species of Lentivirus (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. They cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive

Pulse - The rhythmical throbbing of arteries produced by the regular contractions of the heart, especially as palpated at the wrist or in the neck

Systolic - The rhythmic contraction of the heart, especially of the ventricles, by which blood is driven through the aorta and the pulmonary artery after each dilation or diastole

Tinnitus - Noise such as buzzing, ringing, or whistling, heard in the ear without an external stimulus and having multiple causes including infection, trauma, and drugs

Trauma - Severe emotional or mental distress caused by an experience

Tremor - An involuntary trembling or shaking, as of the hands; A state or feeling of nervousness, worry, or excitement

Twitch - To move sharply or spasmodically