Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
List of basic health science topics
Introduction
Overview
Overview
Health sciences are the group of disciplines of applied science dealing with human and animal health. There are two parts to Health Sciences: the study, research and development of the knowledge of health, and the application of that knowledge to improve health, cure diseases, and understand how humans and animals function. Research builds primarily on the basic sciences of Biology, Chemistry, and Physics as well as social sciences (for example Medical Sociology). Other fields which have made an especially significant contribution to the Health Sciences include Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Engineering, Epidemiology, Genetics, Nursing, Pharmacology, Pharmacy, Public Health, and Medicine. The Health Sciences industry, a multi-billion dollar business, is a subset of the Life Sciences, Medical Care, and Diagnosis industries.
The following list of topics is provided as an overview of and introduction to health science:
Branches of health science
Branches of health science
Conventional Western disciplines
- Athletic training
- Dentistry
- Dietetics
- Epidemiology
- Exercise physiology
- Genetic counseling
- Medical physics
- Medicine
- Medical technology
- Nursing
- Nutrition
- Occupational therapy
- Optometry
- Osteopathic medicine (Note: Osteopathy, as practiced in most countries other than the USA, is listed under complementary and alternative practices below)
- Pharmacology
- Physical therapy (physiotherapy)
- Psychoanalysis
- Psychotherapy, including Cognitive therapy
- Public health
- Physical education
- Speech-Language Pathology
- Surgery, including anaesthesiology
- Veterinary medicine
- Alternative Medicine
- Biomedical model
- Biopsychosocial model
- Body treatment
- Complementary medicine
- Energy medicine
- Energy (spirituality)
- Healer
- Health applications and clinical studies of meditation
- Holistic health
- Home remedy
- Homeopathy
- Manipulative therapy
- Manual therapy
- Medical model
- Mind-body intervention
- Nocebo
- NCCAM
- Placebo
- Program for Evaluating Complementary Medicine
- Rejuvenation (aging)
- Self-healing
- Traditional medicine
- Wellness (alternative medicine)
- World medical systems
Spiritually-based healing
Traditional medicine and folk medicine
Basic health science concepts
Basic health science concepts
health – disease – doctor – physician – surgeon – surgery – healing – healer – witch-doctor – hospital – nurse – medication – operation – Public Health –
Diagnostic methods
physical examination – medical history – auscultation – stethoscope – percussion – medical imaging – X-ray – medical ultrasonography – blood work –
Medical specialities by organ system:
Cardiology
- Congenital heart disease
- Myocarditis
- Rheumatic heart disease
- Coronary heart disease
- Cardiac arrhythmias
Respiratory
Gastrointestinal
- Oesophagus
- Heartburn
- Reflux esophagitis
- Barretts disease
- Hiatus hernia
- Cancer of oesophagus
- Oesophageal pouch
- Achalasia
Stomach
- Gastric ulcer
- stomach cancer
- Helicobacter pylori
- GERD
- Mallory-Weiss syndrome
- Zollinger-Ellison syndrome
Small bowel
Duodenal atresia ~ Giardiasis ~ Coeliac disease ~ Crohn’s disease ~ Intestinal volvulus ~ Lymphoma ~ Meckel’s diverticulum ~ Malabsorption ~
Appendix
Colon
- Infective colitis
- Intestinal volvulus
- Hirschprung disease
- Ulcerative colitis
- Cancer
- Crohn’s disease
- Diverticulitis
- Diarrhea
- Irritable bowel syndrome or IBS
Liver
Gallbladder
Endocrine disease
Thyroid
Parathyroid disease
Pituitary hormones
Adrenal cortex
- Pancreatitis
- Diabetes
- Carcinoma of pancreas
- Cystic fibrosis and the pancreas
Obstetrics and Gynaecology
- Child birth
- Cesarean section
- Pre-eclampsia
- Amniocentesis
- Chorionic villus biopsy
- Home birth
- Premature labour
- Miscarriage
- Abortion
- Abruption
- Placenta praevia
- Hydatiform mole
Renal
- Pyelonephritis
- Glomerulonephritis
- Polycystic kidney disease
- Renal carcinoma
- Renal failure
- Renal dialysis
- Test of renal function
- Kidney stones
Urology and Andrology
- Eczema
- Contact dermatitis
- Psoriasis
- Lichen simplex chronicus
- Seborrhoeic dermatitis
- Ring worm
- Tinea
- Vitiligo
- Baldness
- Lichen planus
- Viral warts
- Impetigo
- Seborrheic keratosis
Surgical specialties
- Neurosurgery
- Ear nose and throat
- Ophthalmology
- Head and neck.
- Thoracic
- Abdominal and colo-rectal
- Orthopaedics
- Trauma surgery
- Plastic surgery