A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | L | M | N | O | P | R | S | T | U | V | W
- palliative
- Something that helps manage symptoms of, but does not cure, a disease
- paresthesias
- Unusual sensory symptoms of tingling, numbness, or other abnormal feelings of sensation
- Parkinson's disease
- Condition in which cells that produce dopamine degenerate, causing tremor, muscle stiffness, and loss of motor function
- pathology
- Field concerned with examination of tissues removed for the purposes of diagnosing disease and guiding patient care
- PCP (primary care physician)
- Large subset of physicians who do not provide specialized care, including internists, pediatricians, and general practitioners
- peripheral nerves
- Nerves outside the brain and spinal cord
- peripheral nervous system
- Peripheral nerves and muscular structures
- photophobia
- Visual aversion to light, as experienced with migraine headache
- plain film
- Basic x-ray with no contrast agents
- platelets
- Coagulating blood cells
- polysomnography
- Sleep study, in which numerous physiological monitors are attached to the patient to record nighttime breathing, brain activity, and physical activity
- positive airway pressure
- Technique for treating obstructive sleep apnea in which forced air, fed through a mask, is pumped into the nose and mouth, and which keeps the airway open during sleep
- prophylactic
- Medications or treatments that are preventative in the treatment of disease
- ptosis
- Drooping of the eyelids due to weakness of the muscles that normally keep the lids open
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- radiculopathy
- Irritation and inflammation of one of the nerve roots in the vicinity of the spinal column
- REM (rapid eye-movement sleep)
- Stage of sleep that is characterized by significantly decreased muscle tone, rapid eye movements, and dreaming; stage 5 sleep
- restless legs syndrome
- Common neurological disorder that causes pulling, tearing, and jerking sensations in the legs when a person is at rest
- rheumatoid arthritis
- Chronic inflammatory disease that causes the body's immune system to attack the joints
- rigidity
- Stiffness in the limbs or body due to dysfunction of the basal ganglia and related structures
- rods
- Photoreceptor cells in the retina that are primarily responsible for peripheral vision and vision in dim light
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