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Anxiety Disorder
(ang-ZY-eh-tee dis-OR-der)
A condition in which a person has excessive worry and feelings of fear, dread, and uneasiness. Other symptoms may include sweating, restlessness, irritability, fatigue, poor concentration, trouble sleeping, trouble breathing, a fast heartbeat, and dizziness. The symptoms can get worse over time and affect a person’s day-to-day life. Anxiety disorders may be caused by a medical problem, a traumatic or stressful event, certain medicines, or other factors. There are many types of anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and phobia-related disorders.
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Aphasia
(uh-FAY-zee-uh)
Total or partial loss of the ability to use or understand language; usually caused by stroke, brain disease, or injury.
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Apheresis
(a-feh-REE-sis)
A procedure in which blood is collected, part of the blood such as platelets or white blood cells is taken out, and the rest of the blood is returned to the donor. Also called pheresis.
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Aplastic anemia
AY-PLAS-tik uh-NEE-mee-uh
A condition in which the bone marrow is unable to produce blood cells.
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Apoptosis
(A-pop-TOH-sis)
A type of cell death in which a series of molecular steps in a cell lead to its death. This is one method the body uses to get rid of unneeded or abnormal cells. The process of apoptosis may be blocked in cancer cells. Also called programmed cell death.
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Appetite
(A-peh-tite)
A desire to satisfy a physical or mental need, such as for food, sex, or adventure.
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Arginine
(AR-jih-neen)
One of the twenty common amino acids (building blocks of proteins). Arginine is being studied as a nutritional supplement in the treatment and prevention of cancer and other conditions. Also called L-arginine.
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Aromatherapy
(uh-ROH-muh-THAYR-uh-pee)
A type of complementary and alternative medicine that uses plant oils that give off strong pleasant aromas (smells) to promote relaxation, a sense of well-being, and healing.
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Arterial blood gas
The amount of oxygen in your blood.
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Artery
(AR-tuh-ree)
A vessel that carries oxygen-rich blood from your heart to the tissues. Blood is under pressure in arteries.
