Category: F

The restorative material used to fill a dental cavity caused by tooth decay or to replace part of a chipped or broken tooth. Dental fillings are placed in partially decayed or broken teeth after the decay has been removed, and the teeth have been cleaned and prepared by a dentist. The fillings may be composed…

Multiple painful, benign lumps and cysts in the breasts. Pain and lumpiness in the breasts occurs and increases toward the end of the menstrual cycle, when the cysts tend to enlarge. The size of the lumpy areas commonly fluctuates, and lumps may appear and disappear rapidly. Fibrocystic breasts are most common among women between the…

Methods used by doctors to check a baby’s heart rate and assess the baby’s health before birth. There are two types of fetal monitoring: internal and external. No known risks are associated with external fetal monitoring. A minor risk of infection exists with internal fetal monitoring.  

The ritual cutting of parts of a girl’s genitalia. A traditional practice in parts of Africa and Asia, female genital mutilation (FGM) marks a girl’s achievement of womanhood. Two types of ritual cutting involve clitoridectomy, or removal of the clitoris. The immediate and long-term health consequences of this mutilation include excessive bleeding and shock at…

A screening test to detect the presence of nonvisible (occult) blood in the feces. Blood in the feces can be a sign of serious disorders of the digestive system, including colitis, Crohn disease, and colorectal cancer. A screening test for disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, including anemias that may be caused by gastrointestinal blood loss,…

Surgery involving an incision made into the fascia, or fibrous connective tissue, that encloses the muscles. The goal of the procedure is to relieve the pressure on the muscles that are causing pain. The surgery may be used to treat muscle swelling, often in the lower legs, from intense athletic activity. The procedure is generally…

A focusing (refractive) error of the eyes that makes it difficult to see close objects clearly; also known as hyperopia. In most cases of farsightedness, the eyeball is shorter from front to back. An error of refraction in which, with accommodation completely relaxed, parallel rays come to a focus behind the retina. Affected individuals can…

Also known as family practice, the medical specialty that provides continuing and comprehensive care for a person or family. Its broad scope of care encompasses all organ systems and diseases and prevention of illness for people of any age and either sex. A family physician is a doctor who is educated and trained in family…

A genetically inherited bleeding disorder characterized by inadequate amounts of clotting factor VIII in blood plasma. Factor VIII deficiency is the cause of the bleeding disorder known as hemophilia A. Factor VIII, also known as antihemophilic factor (AHF), is a substance involved exclusively in blood coagulation (clotting). Factor VIII deficiency is inherited as a sex-linked…

A bleeding disorder characterized by inadequate amounts of the plasma protein factor VII, an important clotting protein; also known as extrinsic factor deficiency. Factor VII deficiency may be either inherited or acquired via a vitamin K deficiency. Symptoms include bleeding into joints and muscles, excessive menstrual bleeding and bruising, and bleeding from the mucous mem¬…