Natural Medicine and Health Glossary - A guide to terminology.

NATURAL MEDICINE AND HEALTH GLOSSARY "F"

Term	Synonyms	Definition
Facial palsy		The inability to move the muscles of the face, usually on only one side, due to inflammation of a nerve.
Facet, medial		A bony prominence on the vertebral arch which forms a joint with similar projection on the upper or lower aspect of an adjacent vertebra.
Facetectomy		Surgical removal of a facet.
Failure to thrive		Describes a baby who grows and gains weight slower than expected.
Faint		Brief loss of consciousness due to insufficient blood to the brain; syncope.
Fallopian tubes		Structures between the ovaries and the uterus through which the egg travels to the uterus.
Fallot's Tetralogy		The commonest form of cyanotic congenital heart disease, comprising high pulmonary valve stenosis, ventricular septal defect, dextroposition (displacement to the right) of the aorta, and right ventricular hypertrophy.
Falope ring		A device placed on the fallopian tube to block it, for purposes of sterilisation.
False labor		Irregular pains and contractions that give a pregnant woman the illusion that labor has begun.
Familial		The term describing a disorder or characteristic (such as male pattern baldness) that occurs within a family more often than would be expected.
Familial hyper- cholesterolemia		An inherited form of high blood cholesterol levels.
Familial polyposis		A rare, inherited disease in which many growths (polyps) occur in the colon. There is a very high risk of developing cancer of the colon among those who have this disease.
Fascia		Sheet of thick-fiber tissue which surrounds the body beneath the skin. Fascia also encloses muscles. Inflammation of the fascia is referred to as fasciitis.
Fasciitis		An inflammation of the layer of connective tissue that covers, separates, and supports muscles.
Fast		To abstain from all or some foods.
Fasting Blood Glucose Test		A diagnostic test for diabetes that is done at a laboratory or doctor's office. The procedure involves testing a blood sample, which is usually taken in the morning before eating, for glucose. A level >140 mg/dl is generally considered diagnostic for diabetes (except in newborns and some pregnant women).
Fasting plasma glucose		A test for sugar levels obtained from blood samples taken after an overnight fast.
Fat		One of three nutrients that supply calories to the body. Included are vegetable oil, lard, margarine, butter, shortening, mayonnaise, and salad dressing. See carbohydrates and protein.
Fat necrosis		Lumps of fatty material that form in response to a bruise or blow to the breast (or surgery or radiation therapy).
Fat-soluble		Dissolves in fat.
Fats		One of the three main classes of foods and a source of energy in the body. Fats help the body use some vitamins and keep the skin healthy. They also serve as energy stores for the body. In food, there are two types of fats: saturated and unsaturated. Saturated fats are solid at room temperature and come chiefly from animal food products. Some examples are butter, lard, meat fat, solid shortening, palm oil, and coconut oil. These fats tend to raise the level of cholesterol, a fat-like substance in the blood. Unsaturated fats, which include monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats, are liquid at room temperature and come from plant oils such as olive, peanut, corn, cottonseed, sunflower, safflower, and soybean. These fats tend to lower the level of cholesterol in the blood. See : Carbohydrate; protein.
Fatty acid		One of the substances that make up fats. Fatty acids are either saturated, monounsaturated, or polyunsaturated.
Fatty acids		Substances that occur in foods; different fatty acids have different effects on cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
Febrifuge		A substance which combats fever.
Febrile		Characterized by fever.
Fecal occult blood test		A test that uses a piece of chemically sensitive paper to detect blood in a stool sample; used to screen for possible signs of cancer in the large intestine or rectum.
Feces		Body waste discharged from the bowels; stool.
Femoral artery		The main artery that supplies blood to the leg.
Femoral pulse		An arterial pulse which can be felt in the groin.
Femur		Thighbone.
Fertile		Able to conceive and bear offspring.
Fertility		The ability to become pregnant.
Fertility drug		A drug used to treat infertility that contains hormones or substances associated with hormones.
Fertilization		Process of conception in which the sperm penetrates the egg (ovum).
Fetal alcohol syndrome		A combination of defects in a fetus as a result of the mother drinking alcohol during pregnancy.
Fetal distress		Change in fetal activity or heartbeat, or meconium-stained amniotic fluid, indicating the fetus is in potential jeopardy.
Fetal monitoring		The the use of an instrument to record or listen to a fetus' heartbeat during pregnancy and labor.
Fetal tissue transplant		An experimental procedure in which cells are taken from an aborted fetus and placed into the brain of a person with a brain disease such as Parkinson's.
Fetus		An unborn offspring after the first eight weeks of gestation.
Fever		A fever is a body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degrees F. (37 degrees C.). It is usually measured with a thermometer.
Fiber		As applies to food, a substance that resists digestion and passes through the system essentially unchanged. Fiber adds bulk to the diet and aids in elimination.
Fiberoptic bronchoscope		A thin, flexible instrument used to view the air passages of the lung
Fiberoptics		Thin, flexible instruments that transmit light and images, allowing structures inside of the body to be viewed
Fibrillation		Rapid and irregular contraction of heart muscle, causing irregular heartbeat.
Fibroadenoma		A noncancerous tumor commonly found in the breast.
Fibrocystic breast disease		A benign condition of the breast characterized by lumps that vary with the menstrual cycle.
Fibroid		A non-cancerous tumor of connective and muscular tissue, usually of the uterus.
Fibroma		A noncancerous tumor of connective tissue.
Fibromyalgia		A common rheumatic syndrome indicating widespread pain in fibrous tissues, muscles, tendons, and other connective tissues, resulting in painful muscles without weakness. Fatigue may also be present. Diagnosis of fibromyalgia includes a history of a least three months of widespread pain, and pain in at least 11 of 18 tender-point sites.
Fibrosarcoma		A form of bone cancer that occurs mainly in middle-aged and elderly people. It usually starts in the pelvis.
Fibrosis		The abnormal formation of connective or scar tissue .
Fibrovascular		Consisting of scar tissue and blood vessels.
Fibula		The smaller of two bones that run from the knee to the ankle.
Fibular head		Upper end of the outer bone of the lower leg, felt as a prominence of the outer part of the knee, just below the kneecap.
Fifth disease		A childhood infection caused by a virus, which often starts as a rash on the cheeks and spreads.
Fine motor		Small movements.
Fine-needle aspiration		The use of a slender needle to remove fluid from a cyst or clusters of cells from a solid lump.
First stage of labour		The period between the onset of regular, usually painful, contractions of the uterus and full dilatation (to 10 centimeters) of the cervix.
Fissure		A groove or slit on the body or in an organ
Fistula		An abnormal passageway from one organ to another or from an organ to the body surface.
Fitness		The measure of a person's physical strength, flexibility, and endurance.
Fixative		A substance which slows down the rate of evaporation of the more volatile components in a perfume combination.
Fixed oils		Lipids, fats or waxes often made from seeds of plants.
Flaccid		Soft, limp, without tone.
Flatulence		Excessive gas in the stomach or intestine.
Flavonoid		Any of a group of plant pigments found in many foods that are thought to help protect the body from cancer.
Floaters		Small spots that float across the field of vision, caused by debris floating in the gel-like substance that fills the eye.
Florets		The small individual flowers in the flower heads of the Compositae plant family.
Flu		See Influenza
Fluid extract		A liquid solution (usually alcoholic solution) of a chemical or drug of plant origin.
Fluke		A parasitic flatworm that can infest humans.
Fluorescein angiography		A method of taking a picture of the flow of blood in the vessels of the eye by tracing the progress of an injected dye.
Fluoride		Element found in nature that helps prevent tooth decay.
Fluoroscopy		Use of x-rays to see images on a screen as opposed to x-ray film.
Fluorouracil	5-fluorouracil, 5-FU	An anticancer drug.
Flutter		Very rapid, regular beating of a heart chamber.
Folic acid	Folate	A vitamin essential to the production of red blood cells; plays an important role in the growth a developing fetus.
Follicle		Small tubular gland or sac in the skin or ovary; or, a collection of cells in a lymph node.
Follicle-stimulating hormone	FSH	A hormone that stimulates the development of eggs in the ovaries.
Follicles		Shafts through which hair grows.
Folliculitis		The inflammation of hair follicles due to a bacterial infection, causing boils or tiny blisters containing pus.
Fomentation		A piece of soft cloth or linen soaked in an herbal preparation and applied warm to a wound or affected area.
Fontanelle		The soft spots on a baby's head where the bones of the skull have not fused together. At birth a baby has a fontanelle on both the top and back of the head.
Food exchange		A grouping of foods by type to help people on special diets stay on the diet. Each group lists food in serving sizes. A person can exchange, trade, or substitute a food serving in one group for another food serving in the same group. The lists put foods in six groups: starch / bread meat vegetables fruit milk fats Within a food group, each serving has about the same amount of carbohydrate, protein, fat, and calories.
Food guide pyramid	Food pyramid	A model to guide healthful eating developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Food poisoning		Stomach pain, diarrhea, and/or vomiting caused by eating contaminated food.
Foot care		Taking special steps to avoid foot problems such as sores, cuts, bunions, and calluses. Good care includes daily examination of the feet, toes, and toenails and choosing shoes and socks or stockings that fit well. People with diabetes have to take special care of their feet because nerve damage and reduced blood flow sometimes mean they will have less feeling in their feet than normal. They may not notice cuts and other problems as soon as they should
Forceps		Surgical instrument used for grasping or compressing tissue.
Forceps delivery		The use of an instrument that cups the baby's head (called an obstetric forceps), to help deliver a baby.
Foreign body		An object in an organ or body cavity that is not normally present.
Foreskin		The skin covering the end of the uncircumcised penis; prepuce.
Fractional urine	Block urine	Urine that a person collects for a certain period of time during 24 hours; usually from breakfast to lunch, from lunch to supper, from supper to bedtime, and from bedtime to rising.
Fracture		A break in the bone or cartilage. It usually is a result of trauma. It can, however, be a result of disease of the bone, such as osteoporosis, or an abnormal formation of the bone in rare congenital (from time of birth) diseases, such as osteogenesis imperfecta. Fractures are classified by their character and location. Examples of classification include "spiral fracture of the femur", "greenstick fracture of the radius", "impacted fracture of the humerus", "linear fracture of the ulna", "oblique fracture of the metatarsal", "compression fracture of the vertebrae", and "depressed fracture of the skull". A "comminuted fracture" is a fracture in which bone is broken into a number of pieces. (This should be distinguished from the "compound fracture" as described below). Fractures are also named by the trauma event that caused the bone breakage. Examples include "boxer's fracture" of the metacarpal bone of the hand, "blowout fracture" of the bones behind the eye, and "stress fracture" of the bones of tibia. Some fractures are also named by conditions associated with the bone breakage.
Fraternal twins	nonidentical twins	Two offspring of one pregnancy developing from two separate, fertilized eggs.
Free radical		An atom or molecule produced as a by-product of oxidation (the cellular process of burning fuel) that bears an unpaired electron and is potentially harmful to the body. Free radicals are neutralized in the body by antioxidants. See Oxygen free radical.
Free radicals		Highly reactive molecules with an unpaired free electron that combines with any other molecule that accepts it. Free radicals are usually toxic oxygen molecules that damage cell membranes and fat molecules. To protect against possible damage from free radicals, the body has several defenses. The most important appears at present to be anti-oxidant substances, such as superoxide dismutase, selenium, vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc and others.
Frontal lobe		The largest area of the brain that lies in the front of the cranial cavity and is important for control of voluntary movement or activity, and cognition and feelings.
Frostbite		Damage to the tissues from exposure to temperature below 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 degrees C). An initial pins and needles sensation is followed by numbness. After that, the skin appears white, cold and hard, and finally becomes red and swollen.
Frozen section		A thin slice of frozen biopsy tissue that is looked at under a microscope for a preliminary diagnosis. Although not 100 percent reliable, it is a quick way to prepare biopsy tissue so that it can be examined to see if cancer is present.
Fructose		A sugar found in fruit, corn syrup and honey.
Full dilatation		Complete (10cm) opening of the cervix in preparation for the extrusion of the fetus.
Fulminant		Describes a disorder that begins suddenly and worsens quickly.
Fundal height		The distance from the top of the pregnant uterus to the pubic bone; measured to help estimate fetal age.
Fundus		The top part of the uterus.
Fundus of the Eye		The back or deep part of the eye, including the retina.
Funduscopy		A test to look at the back area of the eye to see if there is any damage to the vessels that bring blood to the retina. The doctor uses a device called an ophthalmoscope to check the eye.
Fungicidal		A substance which prevents and combats fungal infection.
Fungus		Organism of plant origin that lacks chlorophyll; some fungi cause disease.

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