Category: S

A technique used by a physician to remove earwax. A syringe is used to gently squirt warm water into the ear canal. The water flows along the canal until it bounces off the eardrum. As the water flows back along the bottom of the ear canal, it carries out earwax. The removal of built-up earwax…

The secretion of fluid by the sweat glands: perspiration. Sweating occurs naturally when the sweat glands (sudoriferous glands) situated in the top layers of the skin discharge sweat through tiny openings in the surface. Sweating is necessary to remove certain waste products from the body, including urea; it is also essential in the regulation of…

An agreement between an infertile couple and a woman who agrees to bear the couple’s baby and give it to them at birth. Surrogate mothers are sought by some women who are unable to become pregnant because they have had hysterectomies or repeated miscarriages or because their reproductive systems are otherwise unable to produce a…

Knobby lumps that form just below the knees of surfers or on the upper surface of their feet. Surfer’s nodules are caused by the repeated or constant friction and pressure of the hard, rough surfboard on these areas. Surfers who may spend many hours in a kneeling position on their surfboards tend to develop these…

A facility that offers a combination of housing, personal services, and health care to older or disabled people with diseases or conditions that lie between the acute (short-lived and relatively severe) and chronic (persisting for a long period) stages.  

A sore or wound in the mucous membrane lining the stomach.  

A noninvasive examination of the stomach to diagnose problems such as tumors or ulcers. Stomach imaging is generally done as part of an upper gastrointestinal (gi) series. In this procedure, a series of X rays is taken using the contrast medium barium, which coats the lining of the stomach, making it visible.  

Metal devices used to connect surgically severed tissue and close incisions. Staples are made of a variety of materials, including titanium, stainless steel, and silver. They are particularly advantageous in situations where ordinary suturing (stitches) is difficult or when time is of the essence and the surgeon must work quickly for safety reasons. Some staples…

A term describing the group of arthritic diseases that involve the spine, including ankylosing spondylitis. Reiter syndrome, psoriatic arthritis, scleroderma, and Crohn disease are other conditions that may affect the spine.  

A common name for multiple personality disorder, an emotional condition in which a person feels two or more distinct identities that surface regularly, control the individual’s action, and know little about the other identities. The identities are in conflict with one another. Split or multiple personality is known medically as dissociative identity disorder. It is one…