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Browse our complete A-Z directory of healthcare terms and entities.
Showing 51 entries starting with "O" of type "Conditions"
Guides you through decision about weight-loss surgery. Covers health problems like high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes that can be caused by obesity. Lists reasons for and against surgery. Includes an interactive tool to help you make your decision.
Objects (foreign bodies) inserted into the ear usually do not cause significant damage. But objects that are inserted forcefully can damage the ear canal or penetrate the eardrum. Problems with objects in the ear most commonly occur in children younger than age 5 and in people who have problems with thinking and...
Young children are more likely than older children or adults to put small objects—such as beads, dried beans, popcorn, plastic toy pieces, foam rubber, or small batteries—up their noses. If the child doesn't tell you about it, your first clue may be a bad-smelling green or yellow discharge or blood (epistaxis) from one...
Briefly discusses obstetric panel, a group of blood tests used to check the health of women during early pregnancy. Includes links to info on tests such as antibody screening, blood type, complete blood count, HIV, rubella, and hepatitis B.
Occlusion is how the upper and lower teeth fit together (how they align). This is also known as "bite." Perfect bites are rare. Most people have some form of malocclusion ("poor bite"). With an overbite, the upper teeth stick far out over the lower teeth. With an underbite, the upper teeth are positioned behind the...
Learn how one older adult started and stayed with a fitness program.
What is olecranon bursitis? Bursitis is an inflammation of small sacs of fluid (bursae) that help joints move smoothly. Olecranon bursitis, which affects the olecranon bursa at the back of the elbow, is sometimes called Popeye elbow. This is because the bump that develops at the back of the elbow looks like the cartoon...
In open carpal tunnel release surgery, the transverse carpal ligament is cut, releasing the median nerve. The size and shape of the incision may vary.
Covers open surgery to release pressure on the median nerve to relieve carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms in your hand. Looks at how the surgery is done, how well it works, and what to expect after surgery. Includes info on risks.
Discusses surgery that involves an incision to repair hernias in the groin. Covers why surgery is done and how well it works. Covers risks. Covers things to think about when having hernia repair surgery (herniorrhaphy).
In an open lymph node biopsy, your doctor makes a small cut in the skin to remove one or more lymph nodes. These are examined under a microscope.
Open surgery is done to repair an abdominal aortic aneurysm. It is called an open surgery because the abdomen is opened so the doctor can see and work on the aorta. Open surgery is the traditional method of repair. To repair the aneurysm, a doctor uses a man-made tube (called a graft) to replace the...
Learn how to take care of yourself and what activities to avoid after open-heart surgery.
Covers opioid pain relievers, also called opiates or narcotics, to treat low back pain. Lists generic and brand names such as codeine (Tylenol 3) and hydrocodone (Vicodin). Looks at why they are used and how well they work. Includes possible side effects.
Covers opioid drugs to treat osteoarthritis. Lists generic and brand names such as hydrocodone (Vicodin) and oxycodone (OxyContin). Looks at why they are used and how well they work. Includes possible side effects and a warning against stopping use abruptly.
Here's information to help you work with your doctor so you can take prescribed opioids safely.
Opportunistic infections occur in people whose immune systems have been weakened by a disease, such as AIDS. An opportunistic infection may cause serious, even life-threatening, illness. Opportunistic infections that are common in people who have AIDS include Pneumocystis pneumonia, tuberculosis, and toxoplasmosis...
The optic nerve carries electrical impulses from the eye to the brain, which converts the impulses into the things that you see.
Opticians are skilled technicians who fill optical prescriptions and fit people with glasses or contact lenses. Opticians, unlike ophthalmologists and optometrists, are not licensed to test vision, write medicine prescriptions, or diagnose or treat eye diseases. Opticians can: Fill prescriptions for eyeglasses and...
Several oral devices have been tested to treat people with snoring, including a tongue-retaining device that is worn while sleeping. It pushes the tongue and jaw forward, improving airflow. Changing the position of the lower jaw enlarges the airway and decreases the chance that it will collapse when you inhale. This may...
Oral cancer is the growth of abnormal cells in any part of the mouth or lips. Most oral cancers start in the lining of the lips or mouth in the thin, flat cells called squamous cells. Symptoms for oral cancer include sores or lumps that appear on the lips or in the mouth. Sometimes white...
Oral cavity, pharyngeal, and laryngeal cancers may be referred to as head and neck squamous cell cancers. Head and neck squamous cell cancers most commonly arise from the mucosal surfaces lining the oral cavity, pharynx, and larynx. Pharyngeal squamous cell cancers are further categorized into nasopharyngeal...
Screening is looking for cancer before a person has any symptoms. This can help find cancer at an early stage. When abnormal tissue or cancer is found early, it may be easier to treat. By the time symptoms appear, cancer may have begun to spread. Scientists are trying to better understand which people are more...
Oral complications are common in cancer patients, especially those with head and neck cancer. Complications are new medical problems that occur during or after a disease, procedure, or treatment and that make recovery harder. The complications may be side effects of the disease or treatment, or they may have other...
Oral surgeons (also called maxillofacial surgeons) are dentists who specialize in surgery of the mouth and jaw. Oral surgeons treat and reconstruct areas of the face, head, or neck after an injury or surgery. They prepare the jaw for denture construction, and they treat temporomandibular (TMD) joint problems. Also, they...
Organ transplant is surgery that replaces a diseased organ (such as a kidney, liver, heart, lungs, pancreas, or intestine) with a healthy organ from a donor. Donated organs come from both living donors and people who decided to donate an organ upon their death. After an organ transplant, a person will need to make...
Orthodontics is a special type of dentistry for crooked teeth or a poor bite (malocclusion). Dentists who do orthodontic treatment are called orthodontists. They may remove teeth or use devices such as braces to move the teeth or jaw into the right position.
Orthopedic surgery is used to treat tight muscles and spasticity related to cerebral palsy. An incision is made in the skin over the affected muscle. Parts of the muscle are then cut to release the tightness.
Osteoarthritis is a condition in which the cartilage that protects and cushions the joints breaks down over time. Eventually, the bones-formerly separated by the cartilage-rub against each other. This results in damage to the tissue and bone and causes painful joint symptoms. Osteoarthritis is common in the joints of...
Osteoarthritis is a condition in which the cartilage that protects and cushions joints breaks down over time. Eventually, the bones, formerly separated by cartilage, rub against each other. This results in damage to the tissue and bone, which causes the painful joint symptoms of osteoarthritis. The joint space in this...
In osteoarthritis, the cartilage that protects and cushions the joints breaks down over time. As the cartilage wears down, the bone surfaces rub against each other. This damages the tissue and bone, which then causes pain. Osteoarthritis is common in the knee joints.
Covers exercises that are helpful for a person with osteoarthritis. Includes aerobic, strength, and flexibility exercises, and tips to motivate yourself. Includes things to avoid. Looks at why it is important to exercise and gives tips on how to exercise.
The risk of getting osteoporosis increases with age as bones naturally become thinner. After age 30, the rate at which your bone tissue dissolves and is absorbed by the body slowly increases, while the rate of bone building decreases. So overall you lose a small amount of bone each year after age 30. In women,...
Guides you through decision to take bisphosphonate medicines for osteoporosis. Lists medicine names like alendronate (Fosamax) and risedronate (Actonel). Lists risks and benefits. Includes interactive tool to help you make your decision.
Dramatic improvements in survival have been achieved for children and adolescents with cancer. Between 1975 and 2010, childhood cancer mortality decreased by more than 50%. For osteosarcoma, the 5-year survival rate increased over the same time from 40% to 76% in children younger than 15 years and from 56% to...
Osteotomy ("bone cutting") is a procedure in which a surgeon removes, or sometimes adds, a wedge of bone near a damaged joint. This shifts weight from an area where there is deformed or damaged bone to an area where there is more or healthier bone. In Paget's disease, bone tissue breakdown and rebuilding frequently...
Covers surgery (osteotomy) to remove a wedge of bone near a damaged joint. Looks at why it is done and what to expect after surgery. Covers physical therapy. Includes info on how well it works and the risks of surgery.
An ostomy is a surgical procedure in which an opening is created in the body for the discharge of body wastes. The term ostomy is used to describe both the procedure and the opening that is created during the procedure. An ostomy is done when the digestive system or urinary system is unable to remove...
If the herpes simplex virus (HSV) invades a part of the body other than the genital area, it may cause disease in that part of the body. In general, complications are rare. And they usually occur with the first-time (primary) genital herpes outbreak. Some of these complications include: Meningitis, an infection of the...
Example(s): Cardura (doxazosin),Minipress (prazosin),Hytrin (terazosin),Catapres (clonidine) (hydralazine) (minoxidil)
Use this form if your doctor recommends a special treatment, such as radiation or physical therapy. General questions What is the name of the treatment? Why do I need this treatment? What might happen if I delay or avoid this treatment? Are there any other treatment options? If so, describe them: What is the next...
Otitis media with effusion is fluid in the space behind the eardrum (middle ear). This condition occurs when a blockage of the tube that connects the throat and middle ear (eustachian tube) prevents fluid from draining normally out of the middle ear space and prevents air from entering the middle ear. Fluid in the...
An outbreak of an illness occurs when there is an increase in the number of people who live in the same area and are infected around the same time by an organism such as a virus or bacteria. A community may have an outbreak of the flu or measles as that specific organism spreads through...
This PDQ summary addresses the staging and treatment of ovarian epithelial cancer, fallopian tube cancer (FTC), and primary peritoneal cancer (PPC). Regardless of the site of origin, the hallmark of these cancers is their early peritoneal spread of metastases. The inclusion of FTC and PPC within the ovarian epithelial...
Incidence and Mortality Germ cell tumors of the ovary are uncommon, but aggressive, tumors, which are seen most often in young women or adolescent girls. These tumors are frequently unilateral and are generally curable if found and treated early. The use of combination chemotherapy after initial surgery has dramatically...
Incidence and Mortality Tumors of low malignant potential (i.e., borderline tumors) account for 15% of all epithelial ovarian cancers. Nearly 75% of these tumors are stage I at the time of diagnosis. These tumors must be recognized because their prognosis and treatment is clearly different from the frankly malignant...
Ovarian torsion is a condition in which an ovary twists or turns on its supporting ligament, cutting off its blood supply. Women with this condition have pain that begins suddenly and steadily gets worse. Ovarian torsion can occur during pregnancy. It is most common during the first trimester of pregnancy but may occur...
Cancer prevention is action taken to lower the chance of getting cancer. By preventing cancer, the number of new cases of cancer in a group or population is lowered. Hopefully, this will lower the number of deaths caused by cancer. To prevent new cancers from starting, scientists look at risk factors and protective...
Note: Separate PDQ summaries on Ovarian, Fallopian Tube, and Primary Peritoneal Cancer Prevention; Ovarian Epithelial, Fallopian Tube, and Primary Peritoneal Cancer Treatment; Ovarian Germ Cell Tumor Treatment; and Ovarian Low Malignant Potential Tumor Treatment are also available. Evidence of Lack of Mortality Benefit...
Know the benefits and side effects of a medicine before taking it. Use medicines only if nondrug approaches are not working. Follow these over-the-counter medicine precautions. Carefully read and follow all directions on the medicine bottle and box . Or let your doctor know why you think you should take the medicine in...
Medicines you can buy without a prescription are called nonprescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medicines. They may be taken to treat minor health problems at home. Examples of over-the-counter medicines are acetaminophen, aspirin, antacids, decongestants, antihistamines, and laxatives. It's important to talk to your...