SpinalNet - Glossary O

Glossary O

Scroll down this list to find the medical term and its explanation, or click on the link below to jump straight to that section. Click on the table above to choose another letter .

Oa Om

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Oa Om
Obese	Describes someone who is excessively fat. The term is usually used to describe people who are over 20% heavier than the recommended weight for their height/build.
Occupational therapists	Person whose job involves making a programme of activities that are designed to help an individual cope better with daily tasks and functions – especially following an accident or injury. They also provide advice on adaptations to the home that may help with daily functioning.
Oedema	Swelling due to build-up of fluid within a body tissue.
Oesophagus	The muscle-walled tube, sometimes called the gullet, which connects the back of the mouth to the stomach.
Oestrogen	Hormone that controls female sexual development.
Oliguria	An abnormal reduction in the volume of urine produced.
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Oral contraceptives	Method of preventing pregnancy that is supplied as a drug which can be taken by mouth.
Organ	A structure in the body that is responsible for carrying out a particular job. For example, the heart (pumps blood around the body), the kidneys (filter the blood), the lungs (provides the body with oxygen).
Organism	Any living thing. It may be a single cell, such as bacteria, or many cells, such as in plants and animals.
Orgasm	Feeling of intense pleasure that occurs at the climax of sexual activity.
Orthosis Plural: Orthoses	Any type of physical support for the body, which may be used for a broken bone, deformity or paralysis. For example, braces (e.g. minerva brace, halo brace) and splints used to hold the spine in place after a fracture.
Osteoarthritis	Disease of the joints, caused by the wearing away of the smooth tissue (cartilage) that covers the ends of the bones, or by abnormal bone growth at the joint.
Osteoporosis	A medical condition that involves weakening of bones, so they become brittle and prone to breakages.
Out-patient	Patient that is assessed or treated by a hospital on a visiting basis, i.e., they are not resident within the hospital.
Ovaries	Pair of female reproductive organs that produce eggs (ova) and produce female hormones. The ovaries are located in the abdomen, one on each side of the womb (uterus).
Overactive closure mechanism	When referring to the bladder, this means that the valves that prevent urine flowing out of the bladder work too much, and stop the urine from leaving the bladder.
Oxygenated	Referring to a substance that is rich in oxygen, e.g., the blood.
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