Medical dictionary

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Obesity: excessive body fat. Further info.
Obstetrics: the branch of medicine that deals with pregnancy and childbirth.
Obstipation: severe constipation.
Occipital: the back of the skull.
Occiput: the lower back part of the head.
Occlusion: blockage.
Occult: concealed.
Ocular: eye-related.
Oculogyric: involving circular eye movements.
Oculomucocutaneous: mucous membrane and skin around eyes-related.
Odour: smell.
Oedema: swelling due to fluid.
Oesophagitis: indigestion caused by acid leaking back out of the stomach.
Oesophagus: the tube through which food and drink pass down to the stomach (gullet).
Oestrogen: one of the female sex hormones produced by the ovaries.
Oligoelement: trace element.
Oligomenorrhoea: infrequent periods.
Oliguria: abnormally small urine output.
Omentum: peritoneum which hangs from the stomach and protects the intestines.
Oncogenes: genes carrying the potential to cause cancer.
Oncologist: a specialist in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
Oncolytic: cancer treatment-related.
Oophorectomy: removal of an ovary.
Ophthalmic: eye-related.
Ophthalmological: eye treatment-related.
Opiate (niet: opioid): opium-like drug.
Opisthotonos: spasm.
Opportunistic: disease usually excluded by body defences.
Optic: eye-related.
Oral: involving the mouth.
Oral contraceptives: pills which usually consist of synthetic oestrogen and progesterone that are taken for three weeks after the last day of a menstrual period. They inhibit ovulation, thereby preventing pregnancy.
Orbit: bony socket that surrounds each eye.
Orbital: eye socket-related.
Orchitis: testicle inflammation.
Organ: two or more kinds of tissues that perform special body functions together.
Orofacial: mouth and face-related.
Oropharynx: the part of the pharynx which is located behind the mouth.
Orthopaedics: branch of medicine concerned with the study and treatment of the musculoskeletal system.
Orthoses: devices or aids to prevent, correct or control deformities.
Orthostatic: upright posture-related.
Orthotic devices: special devices, such as splints or braces, used to treat problems of the muscles, ligaments, or bones of the skeletal system.
Osgood Schlatter's disease: technically known as osteochondritis of the tibial tubercle, it is a knee problem in athletic young people (particularly adolescent males) which causes pain and tenderness over the tibial tubercle. It is usually resolved by refraining from kicking or running for around six months.
Osmosis: the phenomenon of the passage of certain fluids and solutions through a membrane or other porous substance.
Ossicle: small bone.
Ossification: bone formation.
Osteoarthritis: osteoarthritis (OA) is the commonest form of joint disease in which there is damage to the surface of the joint and an abnormal reaction in the underlying bone. 'Osteo' means bone and 'arthritis' means joint damage and inflammation.Further info.
Osteoarthrosis: another term for osteoarthritis.
Osteoblast: a bone-forming cell.
Osteochondritis:inflammation or defective growth of part of a bone. There are several examples of this condition (formerly known as osteochondrosis) but with different causes and at different sites of the body. See also Freiberg's infraction or disease (foot), Kohler's disease (foot),Osgood Schlatter's disease (knee),Perthes' disease (hip),Scheuermann's disease (one or more vertebrae).
Osteocyte: a bone cell.
Osteodystrophy: defective bone formation.
Osteolysis: bone dissolving.
Osteomalacia:softening of the bones in adults due to a deficiency of vitamin D; (similar to rickets in childhood although rickets also impedes growth); caused by poor diet, lack of sunshine or both.
Osteomyelitis: inflammation of thebone marrow due to infection - abscesses form in the marrow and due to the rigidity of the bone mass the pus cannot escape and therefore travels along the length of the bone. Osteomyelitis can follow compound fractures. Acute osteomyelitis is most common in children causing severe pain, swelling and tenderness with accompanying high fever and general illness. Chronic osteomyelitis can develop from the acute stage, gradually develop undetected over a period of time or be caused by chronic infections such as tuberculosis. Antibiotics are very effective as a treatment.
Osteonecrosis: can be a reason for orthopaedic surgery to the hip (especially young people). It indicates the death of certain types of tissue either without a blood supply or a poor supply of blood; e.g. in the cartilage or bone. Thus osteonecrosis means death of bone.
Osteopathy: treatment of joints and soft tissue using muscle relaxation and joint articulation techniques.
Osteopenia:describes bone that is thinner than average but less likely to fracture than in osteoporosis.
Osteophyte: overgrowth of new bone in osteoarthritis joints, also known as 'lipping' or 'spurs'.
Osteoporosis: literally 'porous bone'. It is a condition where a person gradually loses bone material and their bones gradually become less dense and more fragile, resulting in the likelihood of more fractures or breaks. Simply expressed it is a reduction in bone mass.Further info.
Osteotomy: cutting a bone.
Ostomy: an operation that makes it possible for stools to leave the body through an opening made in the abdomen.
Otitis: ear inflammation.
Otitis externa: inflammation of the external auditory canal.
Otitis media: inflammation of the middle ear.Further info.
Otorhinolaryngology: E.N.T.
Otorrhoea: weeping ear.
Otosclerosis: progressive deafness.
Otoscope: an instrument used to inspect the eardrum.
Ototoxic: damaging hearing.
Ovarian: ovary-related.
Ovulation: the development and release of an egg from the ovary.
Ovum: egg.
Oxidation: a chemical reaction resulting from exposure to oxygen or other electron-seizing atoms or molecular combination of atoms.
Oxytocic: drug used to induce a pregnant woman to go into labour
Oxytocin: a hormone that stimulates uterine contractions during labor and postpartum.

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