H Glossary

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H

h2-blockers - Medicines that reduce the amount of acid the stomach produces by blocking histamine2, which signals the stomach to make acid.

hammertoe - A permanent sideways bend in the middle toe joint.

hay fever - See rhinitis.

headache - Primary - includes tension (muscular contraction), vascular (migraine), and cluster headaches not caused by other underlying medical conditions.

headache - Secondary - includes headaches that result from other medical conditions. These may also be referred to as traction headaches or inflammatory headaches.

heart attack - Also called myocardial infarction; damage to the heart muscle due to insufficient blood supply.

heart block - Interrupted electrical impulse to heart muscles.

heart valve prolapse - A condition of the heart valve in which it is partially open when it should be closed.

heart-lung machine - A machine that performs for the heart during open heart surgery.

heartburn - A painful, burning feeling in the chest caused by stomach acid flowing back into the esophagus. See also Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD).

helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) - A spiral-shaped bacterium found in the stomach. H. pylori damages stomach and duodenal tissue, causing ulcers. Previously called Campylobacter pylori.

hematology - The branch of medicine that deals with diseases of the blood and blood-forming organs.

hemochromatosis - A disease that occurs when the body absorbs too much iron. The excess iron is stored in the liver, pancreas, and other organs, and may cause cirrhosis of the liver. Also called iron overload disease.

hemorrhoidectomy - An operation to remove hemorrhoids.

hemorrhoids - Swollen blood vessels in and around the anus and lower, which cause itching, pain, and sometimes bleeding.

hepatic - Related to the liver.

hepatic coma - See hepatic encephalopathy.

hepatic encephalopathy - A condition that may cause loss of consciousness and coma. It is usually the result of advanced liver disease. Also called hepatic coma.

hepatitis - Irritation of the liver that sometimes causes permanent damage, caused by viruses, medicines or alcohol. Hepatitis has the following forms:

• Hepatitis A - A virus most often spread by unclean food and water.
• Hepatitis B - A virus commonly spread by sexual intercourse, blood transfusion, from mother to newborn at birth, or by using a needle that was used by an infected person. Hepatitis B is more common and much more easily spread than the AIDS virus and may lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer.
• Hepatitis C - A virus spread by blood transfusion and possibly by sexual intercourse or sharing needles with infected people. Hepatitis C may lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer. Hepatitis C used to be called non-A, non-B hepatitis.
• Hepatitis D (Delta) - A virus that occurs mostly in people who take illegal drugs by using needles. Only people who have hepatitis B can get hepatitis D.
• Hepatitis E - A virus spread mostly through unclean water. This type of hepatitis is common in developing countries and has not occurred in the United States.

hepatologist - A doctor who specializes in liver diseases.

hepatology - The field of medicine concerned with the functions and disorders of the liver.

hernia - The part of an internal organ that pushes through an opening in the organ's wall.

hiatal hernia - A small opening in the diaphragm that allows the upper part of the stomach to move up into the chest and causes heartburn from stomach acid flowing back up through the opening. See also diaphragm.

high blood pressure - Blood pressure that is above the normal range.

high density lipoprotein (HDL) - The "good" cholesterol that promotes breakdown and removal from the body of cholesterol.

hip - The region on each side of the pelvis made up of three sections: ilium, ischium, and pubis. The upper part of the femur (upper leg bone) fits into the hip via a ball-and-socket joint. The socket is a cup-shaped bone of the pelvis called the acetabulum and the ball is the head of the femur.

Hirschsprung's disease - A birth defect in which some nerve cells are lacking in the large intestine. See also megacolon.

histamine - A chemical present in cells throughout the body that is released during an allergic reaction and one of the substances responsible for the symptoms of inflammation.

hives - See urticaria.

Holter monitor - A portable ECG machine.

hormone - A substance in the body that regulates certain organs.

hormone therapy - The use of hormones, medications, or surgery to suppress (block) or mimic hormones and alter the growth of hormone sensitive cancer.

hospice – Literal meaning "a place of shelter." Today it refers to supportive care of a terminally ill patient.

HRT (hormone replacement therapy) - Use of the female hormones estrogen and progestin (a synthetic form of progesterone) to replace those the body no longer produces after menopause.

human chorionic gonadotropin - Hormone produced by the placenta during early pregnancy.

human papillomaviruses (HPVs) - Viruses that can cause warts. Some HPVs are sexually transmitted and cause wart-like growths on the genitals. HPV is a major risk factor for cervical cancer.

hydrochloric acid - An acid made in the stomach that works with pepsin and other enzymes to break down proteins.

hydrogen breath test - A test for lactose intolerance that measures breath samples for too much hydrogen.

hyperplasia, endometrial - Excessive growth of cells in the endometrium.

hypertension - High blood pressure.

hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) - A bulge in the ventricle that causes impeded blood flow.

hypoglycemia - Low levels of blood sugar.

hypothalamus - Small structure at the base of the brain that regulates many body functions, including appetite and body temperature.

hypoxia - Abnormal oxygen content in the organs and tissues of the body.

hysterectomy - Surgical removal of the uterus.

hysterosalpingography - X-ray examination of the uterus and fallopian tubes that uses dye and is often performed to rule out tubal obstruction.

hysteroscope - Visual examination of the canal of the cervix and the interior of the uterus using a viewing instrument (hysteroscope) inserted through the vagina.

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