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Medical Dictionary Terms Beginning with H
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Heart block
Heart block: A block in the conduction of the normal electrical impulses in the heart.more detail info...
Heart failure
Heart failure: Inability of the heart to keep up with the demands on it and, specifically, failure of the heart to pump blood with normal efficiency. When this occurs, the heart is unable to provide adequate blood flow to other organs such asmore detail info...
Heart murmur
Heart murmur: An unusual heart sound which may be innocent or reflect disease.more detail info...
Heart rate
Heart rate: The number of heart beats per unit time, usually per minute. The heart rate is based on the number of contractions of the ventricles (the lower chambers of the heart). The heart rate may be too fast (tachycardia) or too slow (bradycardia).more detail info...
Heart transplant
Heart transplant: The worldÆs first heart transplant was done in 1967 by the South African surgeon Christiaan Bernard (1922- ).more detail info...
Heart valves
Heart valves: There are four heart valves. All are one-way valves. Blood entering the heart first passes through the tricuspid valve and then the pulmonary valve. After returning from the lungs, the blood passes through the mitral (bicuspid) valmore detail info...
Heart, artificial
Heart, artificial: A manmade heart. An artificial heart was temporarily implanted in 1969 by Denton Cooley in Houston, Texas. Complete replacement of the heart by an artificial heart was done in 1982 by William DeVries at Salt Lake City, Utah. Bmore detail info...
Heart, left
Heart, left: The heart is composed functionally of two heartsùthe right heart and the left heart. The left heart consists of the left atrium which receives oxygenated blood from the lung and the left venticle which pumps it out to the body undermore detail info...
Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National
Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National (NHLBI): One of the National Institutes of Health in the U.S., the NHLBIÆs mission is to ôprovide leadership for a national research program in diseases of the heart, blood vessels, lungs, and blood anmore detail info...
Heart, right
Heart, right: The heart is composed functionally of two heartsùthe right heart and the left heart. The right heart consists of the right atrium which receives deoxygenated blood from the body and the right venticle which pumps it to the lungs.more detail info...
Heartburn
Heartburn: Heartburn has nothing to do with the heart. It is an uncomfortable feeling of burning and warmth occurring in waves rising up behind the breastbone (sternum) toward the neck. It is usually due to gastroesophageal reflux, the return of stomacmore detail info...
Heart-lung machine
Heart-lung machine: A machine that does the work both of the heart (pump blood) and the lungs (oxygenate the blood). Used, for example, in open heart surgery. Blood returning to the heart is diverted through the machine before returning it to themore detail info...
HeberdenÆs disease
HeberdenÆs disease: There are two HeberdenÆs diseases. One is angina pectoris, chest pain that is often severe and crushing, due to an inadequate supply of oxygen to the heart muscle. The other HeberdenÆs disease is osteoarthritis of the small jomore detail info...
HeberdenÆs node
HeberdenÆs node: A small fixed bump on the finger, usually at the last joint of the finger, HeberdenÆs node is a calcified spur of the joint (articular) cartilage and is associated with osteoarthritis. Named for the English physician William Hebmore detail info...
Hecht syndrome
Hecht syndrome: Inherited disorder transmitted as an autosomal dominant trait in which short tight muscles make it impossible to open the mouth fully or keep the fingers straight when the hand is flexed back. The small mouth creates feeding problems. Tmore detail info...
Heel bone
Heel bone: Formally called the calcaneus. A more or less rectangular bone at the back of the foot. The words ôcalcaneusö and ôcalciumö come from the same source.more detail info...
Heel spur
Heel spur: A bony spur projecting from the back or underside of the heel that often makes walking painful. Spurs at the back of the heel are associated with inflammation of the Achilles tendon (Achilles tendinitis) and cause tenderness and pain atmore detail info...
Helicobacter heilmannii
Helicobacter heilmannii: A bacteria that infects most cats, dogs and pigs and, in them, causes stomach inflammation (gastritis). H. heilmannii is not usually transmitted from animals to people. But people who have been infected by H. heilmanniimore detail info...
Helicobacter pylori
Helicobacter pylori: Bacteria that cause stomach inflammation (gastritis) and ulcers in the stomach. This bacteria is the most common cause of ulcers worldwide. It is often referred to as H. pylori. H. pylori infection is usually acquired from conmore detail info...
Hemangioma
Hemangioma: A birth irregularity where a localized tissue mass grows rich in small blood vessels. Capillary hemangiomas are composed nearly entirely of tiny capillary vessels. Cavernous hemangiomas are composed of blood-filled &lakes& and chamore detail info...