Natural Medicine and Health Glossary - A guide to terminology.

NATURAL MEDICINE AND HEALTH GLOSSARY "N"

Term	Synonyms	Definition
Narcolepsy		A disorder that causes excessive sleepiness during the day and frequent and uncontrollable episodes of falling asleep.
Narcosis		A state of stupor often induced by drugs or other agents.
Narcotic		An addictive substance that blunts the senses; can cause confusion, stupor, coma, and death with increased dosages.
Narcotic analgesics		A type of painkiller that blocks the transmission of pain signals in the brain; often cause tolerance (the need for higher amounts of the drug to produce the same effect) and drug dependence.
Nares		Nostrils.
Nasal prongs		Plastic tubes inserted into the nostrils to provide a measured increased supply of oxygen.
Nasal septum		The section of the nose that divides the left and right nostrils; made of cartilage and bone and covered by a mucous membrane.
Nasofrontal duct		Channel connecting the frontal sinus with the cavity of the nose.
Nasogastric tube	NG tube	A thin, plastic tube that is inserted through the nose, down the esophagus, and into the stomach; used to drain, wash, or take samples from the stomach, or to feed very sick patients who cannot eat.
Nasopharynx		The passageway connecting the back of the nose to the top of the throat.
Natal		Pertaining to birth.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases	NIDDK	One of the 17 institutes that make up the National Institutes of Health, an agency of the Public Health Service.
Natural childbirth		A technique of giving birth that stresses relaxation techniques so that the use of pain-relieving drugs can be minimized; also called prepared childbirth.
Natural Medicine
Natural methods of family planning		The methods of planning a family that focus on a woman's time of ovulation, either so that pregnancy can be avoided or conception is likely.
Naturopathy		Medical practice that uses herbs, homeopathy and various methods to return the body to a healthy state by stimulating innate defenses, never supplanting them with drugs. Several accredited schools award degrees for training, and many jurisdictions require examinations and licensure to ensure competence.
Nausea		An unpleasant sensation in the stomach, often followed by vomiting.
Nebulizer		Device used to spray medicine or humidity into your lungs; an atomizer.
Neck dissection		Surgery to remove lymph nodes and other tissues in the neck.
Necrobiosis lipoidica diabeticorum		A skin condition usually on the lower part of the legs. The lesions can be small or extend over a large area. They are usually raised, yellow, and waxy in appearance and often have a purple border. Young women are most often affected.
Necrosis		Changes due to death of cells or organs.
Needle aspiration		The use of a thin, hollow needle and syringe to remove body fluid for examination.
Needle biopsy		Insertion of a special needle into tissue to remove a core of tissue for a pathologic analysis.
Neonatal	Neonate	Referring to the newborn, usually the first four weeks of life.
Neonatal jaundice		Yellow discoloration of the skin and whites of the eyes (sclerae), caused by excessive amounts of the breakdown product bilirubin, because of physiological immaturity of the liver.
Neoplasia		Abnormal new growth of cells.
Neoplasm		New and abnormal growth that may be benign or malignant; a tumor.
Neovascularization		The term used when new, tiny blood vessels grow in a new place, for example, out from the retina.
Nephrectomy		The surgical removal of a kidney.
Nephritis		Inflammation of the kidney.
Nephroblastoma		A fast-growing cancer of the kidneys that occurs most commonly in children under 4 years of age.
Nephrolithotomy		The surgical removal of a kidney stone.
Nephrologist		A doctor who sees and treats people with kidney diseases.
Nephron		The microscopic structure in the kidney in which blood is filtered and urine is formed.
Nephropathy		Disease of the kidneys caused by damage to the small blood vessels or glomeruli.
Nephrosclerosis		The replacement of normal kidney structures with scar tissue.
Nephrostomy		The surgical placement of a tube into the kidney to drain urine.
Nephrotic syndrome		The symptoms that result from damage to the filtering units of the kidney.
Nephrotomogram		A series of special x-rays of the kidneys. The x-rays are taken from different angles. They show the kidneys clearly, without the shadows of the organs around them.
Nerve		A bundle of nerve fibers through which nerve impulses pass.
Nerve block		The dulling of sensation in an area of the body by injecting a painkiller into or around a nerve leading to that section of the body.
Nerve cell		The basic unit of the nervous system; transmits chemical messages throughout the body.
Nerve compression		Pressure on a nerve, which can cause nerve damage and muscle weakness.
Nerve conduction studies		Demonstration of the presence and measurement of the speed of transmission of electrical impulses induced at a distance along a nerve, as a means of investigating the intactness of nerve supply and function.
Nerve growth factor		A substance that occurs naturally in the body and enhances the growth and survival of cholinergic nerves.
Nerve root		A sheaf of nerve fibers entering and leaving a segment of the spinal cord.
Nervine		A substance which strengthens and tones the nerves and nervous system.
Nervous system		The nervous system is the body tissue that records and distributes information in the body using electrical and chemical transmission. It has two parts. The "central" nervous system is comprised of the brain and spinal cord. The "peripheral" nervous system is the nerve tissue that transmits sensation and motor information back and forth from the body to the central nervous system.
Neuralgia		Pain along the course of a nerve caused by irritation or damage to the nerve.
Neural tube		A structure in early fetal life that develops into the brain, spinal cord, spinal nerves and spine.
Neural tube defect		A birth defect resulting in improper development of the brain or spinal cord.
Neuralgia		Pain along the course of a nerve.
Neurasthenia		Nervous exhaustion.
Neuritis		The inflammation of a nerve, often characterized by pain, numbness, or tingling; also used to describe nerve damage and disease from causes other than inflammation.
Neuroblastoma		A cancerous childhood tumor located in the adrenal glands or the sympathetic nervous system.
Neurofibrillary tangles		Abnormal spiral filaments on nerve cells in the brain; characteristic of Alzheimer disease.
Neurofibromatosis		A genetic condition which affects the nervous system, muscles, bones and skin.
Neurogenic		Originating from damage to the supplying nerves.
Neurogenic bladder		Loss of normal bladder function due to damage of the nervous system.
Neurogenic bowel		Loss of normal bowel function due to damage of the nervous system.
Neuroleptic		An antipsychotic substance.
Neurological		Concerning the nervous system.
Neurologist		A doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the nervous system.
Neuroma		A noncancerous tumor occurring in nerve tissue.
Neuromuscular		Pertaining to the nerves and muscles.
Neuron		A nerve cell.
Neuropathy		Group of symptoms caused by abnormalities in sensory or motor nerves. Symptoms include tingling and numbness in hands or feet, followed by gradually progressive muscular weakness. The three major forms of nerve damage are: peripheral neuropathy, autonomic neuropathy, and mononeuropathy. The most common form is peripheral neuropathy, which mainly affects the feet and legs.
Neurosis		Relatively mild emotional disorders (such as mild depression and phobias).
Neurosurgeon		A doctor who specializes in surgery on the brain and other parts of the nervous system.
Neurotransmitter		Chemicals that act as messengers between cells in the brain and nervous system.
Neurotoxins		Chemicals that attack and damage nerve cells.
Neurotransmitters		Chemicals that transfer messages from one nerve cell to another or from a nerve cell to a muscle cell.
Neutrophil		A type of white blood cell.
Neutrophils		The larger and physiologically most numerous class of infection-fighting white blood cells, characteristically even more numerous in generalized bacterial infections.
Neutrophils, segmented		Neutrophils are the larger and physiologically most numerous class of infection-fighting white blood cells, characteristically even more numerous in generalized bacterial infections; segmentation signifies cell division, so a high segmented neutrophil count implies vigorous response.
Nevus		A marking on the skin; can be present at birth (birthmark) or develop later (such as a mole).
Newborn respiratory distress syndrome		A disorder in which premature babies lack surfactant, a substance that stops the lungs from collapsing .
Niacin	Vitamin B3, B3	A vitamin important in many chemical processes in the body.
Nicotine		An addictive chemical found in tobacco.
Night terrors		A form of nightmare causing abrupt awakening in terror; occurs mostly in children.
Nipple discharge		Fluid coming from the nipple.
Nitrates		A group of drugs that widen blood vessels; used to treat insufficient blood supply to the heart (angina pectoris) and reduced pumping efficiency of the heart (heart failure).
Nitrosoureas		A group of anticancer drugs that can cross the blood-brain barrier. Carmustine (BCNU) and lomustine (CCNU) are nitrosoureas.
Nocturia		Urination or a sleep-disturbing need to urinate during the night
Nocturnal emmission	Wet dream	The ejaculation of semen during sleep, which is normal in adolescent males.
Node		Small round tissue or structure.
Nodule		A small lump of tissue that is usually abnormal; can form under the skin or protrude.
Nondisjunction		An error that occurs during the division of sex chromosomes, causing either too much or too little genetic information to be placed in an egg or sperm when it is formed.
Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma		Any cancer in lymphoid tissue (found mostly in the spleen and lymph glands) that is not Hodgkin's disease.
Non-insulin-dependent diabetes	Type II diabetes mellitus	A type of diabetes mellitus that occurs mainly in those over 40 who are overweight; it is usually treated with diet changes and drugs that increase production of insulin by the pancreas.
Noninvasive		A term that is used to describe medical procedures that do not enter or penetrate the body; also refers to noncancerous tumors that do not spread to other sections of the body.
Noninvasive blood glucose monitoring		A way to measure blood glucose without having to prick the finger to obtain a blood sample. Several noninvasive devices are currently being developed.
Noninvasive cancer		A growth made up of cells that are cancerous in appearance, but which has not spread into neighboring tissues. Noninvasive breast cancers are known as ductal carcinoma in situ and lobular carcinoma in situ.
Nonketotic coma		A type of coma caused by a lack of insulin. A nonketotic crisis means: very high levels of glucose (sugar) in the blood; absence of ketoacidosis; great loss of body fluid; and a sleepy, confused, or comatose state. Nonketotic coma often results from some other problem such as a severe infection or kidney failure.
Nonmelanoma skin cancer		Skin cancer that does not involve melanocytes. Basal cell cancer and squamous cell cancer are nonmelanoma skin cancers.
Nonnarcotic analgesic		A drug that relieves pain by blocking the production of chemicals that stimulate pain-sensing nerves.
Nonpalpable breast abnormalities		Changes in breast tissue that can be seen on mammograms but which cannot be felt.
Nonseminoma		A classification of testicular cancers that arise in specialized sex cells called germ cells. Nonseminomas include embryonal carcinoma, teratoma, choriocarcinoma, and yolk sac tumor.
Nonsmall cell carcinoma		Epidermoid carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and large cell carcinoma are grouped under this general classification.
Nonsmall cell lung cancer		A general classification for squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and large cell carcinoma.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs	NSAIDs	Medications that are not cortisone related, used to reduce inflammation.
Non stress test		Short-term continuous fetal monitoring with tocography to assess the health and resilience of a viable fetus.
Norepinephrine	Noradrenaline	See Epinephrine.
Normal saline		Salt solution at the same concentration as in the body fluids.
Normal sinus rhythm		Regular rhythm of the heart, at regular rates (depending whether resting or mildly exercising), originating in electrical control by the usual (sino-atrial node) pacemaker of the heart.
Norwalk virus		A virus that causes acute gastroenteritis.
Nosocomial infection		An infection acquired in a hospital.
NPH Insulin		A type of insulin that is intermediate-acting.
NSAID		See Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug.
Nuclear atypia		Pathological variation in the histological appearance of the central portion of body cells.
Nuclear heart scanning		Imaging procedures used to show heart function and blood flow; involves injection of radioactive material into the bloodstream.
Nuclear scans		Pictures of the inside of the body taken after slightly radioactive material is swallowed or injected into the bloodstream.
Nucleic acids		The substances found in every living organism that provide the instructions for development; includes DNA and RNA.
Nucleotide bases		The molecules that form nucleic acids
Nucleus		Center portion of cells essential for cell growth, nourishment and reproduction.
Nucleus Basalis of Meynert		A small group of cholinergic nerve cells in the forebrain and connected to areas of the cerebral cortex.
Numbness		The lack of sensation in a part of the body because of interruption of nerve impulses.
Nurse-midwife		A registered nurse who specializes in the care of a mother and child during pregnancy, labor, and delivery.
Nutrients		Substances supplied by food that provide nourishment for the body.
Nutrition		A combination of processes by which the body receives and uses the substances necessary for its function, for energy, and for growth and repair of the body.
Nutritionist		A professional who plans diet programs for people with special health needs to ensure proper nutrition.
nx		Unknown degree of lymphnode involvement in a malignant process.
Nyctophobia		The fear of night.
Nystagmus		Repetitive, abnormal movement of the eyeballs.

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