Kids' Medical Dictionary
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What Are Abdominals?
Sometimes called abs, these are the muscles in front of your abdomen, the area below your chest and above your belly button.
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What Are Adenoids?
Just what are adenoids? Get the answer here.
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What Are Airways?
The airways in your lungs are like tubes or straws.
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What Are Allergy Shots (Immunotherapy)?
If you sneeze a lot because you're allergic to something, could these things help?
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What Are Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injuries?
Anterior cruciate ligament injuries damage a strong band of tissue that helps keep the knee stable.
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What Are Antibiotics?
These awesome medicines attack bacteria that make you sick.
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What Are Antihistamines?
Antihistamines are medicines that block allergy symptoms.
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What Are Arteries and Veins?
Your body has a highway system all its own that sends blood to and from your body parts.
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What Are Astringents?
If your skin is oilier than normal, you might want to use an astringent.
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What Does Alignment Mean?
Alignment means to bring into line.
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What Does Amputate Mean?
To amputate something is to remove something by cutting.
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What Does Autoimmunity Mean?
Your immune system fights infections and illnesses. But sometimes the immune system makes a mistake and attacks part of the body. This is called autoimmunity.
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What Is AIDS?
AIDS is a disease caused by a virus that weakens the body's immune system.
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What Is Alzheimer's Disease?
Alzheimer's disease is a condition that can make older adults have trouble remembering things.
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What Is Anorexia Nervosa?
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that makes people very afraid of gaining weight.
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What Is Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS)?
Lou Gehrig's disease refers to a disorder called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. Find out more.
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What's Acne?
Acne is the name for those red bumps called pimples that a lot of kids and teens get on their skin.
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What's Addiction?
An addiction is an urge to do something that is hard to control or stop.
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What's Adenovirus?
An adenovirus is a germ that can cause a sore throat, cough, or runny nose.
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What's Aerobic Activity?
Aerobic activity is any kind of movement that makes your muscles use oxygen.
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What's Allergy-Triggered Asthma?
Most kids who have asthma also have some kind of allergy, too.
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What's an Abrasion?
Ever get an abrasion from falling off a bike or a swing?
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What's an Abscess?
An abscess is a collection of pus that happens sometimes when the body is fighting an infection.
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What's an Airway Obstruction?
When something keeps the air from moving in and out of the airways in your lungs, it's called an airway obstruction.
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What's an Allergen?
An allergen is a medical word for anything that causes an allergic reaction.
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What's an Allergist?
Allergists are special doctors who help people who are allergic to things like animals, grass, pollen, dust, and even foods.
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What's an Allergy?
Achoo! Many things can trigger allergies, like pollen, certain animals, foods, or a bee sting.
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What's an Asthma Action Plan?
Lots of stuff goes more smoothly when you have a plan - and that includes dealing with asthma.
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What's an Asthma Flare-Up?
When a person has a lot of trouble with wheezing, coughing, or shortness of breath, it's called an asthma flare-up, or attack.
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What's Anemia?
People who have anemia have fewer red blood cells than normal, which can make them feel tired because not enough oxygen is getting to their bodies' cells.
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What's Anesthesia?
Anesthesia is medicine that doctors give to make people feel comfortable when they're having surgery, stitches, or other things that might be painful.
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What's Animal Dander?
All warm-blooded animals shed tiny flakes from their skin. This is called dander.
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What's Appendicitis?
Appendicitis happens when a part of the digestive system called the appendix gets inflamed or swells up.
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What's Arthritis?
This is what happens when joints get painful, swollen, and stiff.
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What's Asthma?
Someone with asthma can have trouble breathing because of problems with the airways, the tubes that carry air into the lungs.
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What's Astigmatism?
If you take a good look at your eye, you might barely see your cornea, the clear outer covering of the eye.
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What's Autism?
Autism is a brain problem that makes it hard for kids to understand the world around them.
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What's the Anus?
The anus is the opening where your bowel movements (also known as poop) come out.
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What's the Appendix?
The appendix is a small sac attached to the large intestine.
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What Are Bacteria?
If you're feeling crummy, it's probably because nasty bacteria or some other germs have gotten into your body and made you sick.
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What Are Beta Cells?
Beta cells make insulin, a hormone that controls the level of glucose (a type of sugar) in the blood.
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What Are Blood Banks?
Blood banks collect and store blood, which healthy people donate.
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What Are Blood Glucose Levels?
Blood glucose level is the amount of glucose in the blood.
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What Are Blood Types?
Every person has a blood type.
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What Are Body Types?
Bodies come in all shapes and sizes, and that's why we have different body types.
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What Are Boogers?
Boogers are made of dried mucus, dust, pollen, and dirt that the nose keeps out of the lungs.
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What Are Bowels?
Bowels are your intestines, and bowel movements are the stuff that's in them (otherwise known as poop).
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What Are Braces?
If your teeth aren't straight, you can go to an orthodontist (a special kind of dentist) to get braces.
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What Are Bronchial Tubes?
These tubes, or airways, let air in and out of your lungs, so you can breathe.
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What Are Bruises?
When you bang a part of your body against something, your skin might turn different colors where you bumped it.
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What Are First-Degree Burns?
A first-degree burn is one that only hurts the top layer of skin.
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What Are Second-Degree Burns?
A second-degree burn is one that hurts the top two layers of skin.
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What Are Third-Degree Burns?
A third-degree burn is one that damages all the layers of the skin and the tissue beneath the skin.
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What Is Bell's Palsy?
Bell's palsy is a condition that causes problems with the nerves in a person's face.
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What Is Blood Pressure?
When you go to the doctor, a nurse might put a band around part of your arm and pump air into the band, blowing it up like a balloon.
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What Is Bone Marrow?
Bone marrow is a thick, spongy kind of jelly inside your bones.
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What Is Breast Cancer?
Find out about breast cancer.
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What Is Bronchiolitis?
Bronchiolitis is an infection that affects tiny airways in the lungs, which can make it hard to breathe.
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What Is Bronchoconstriction?
Bronchoconstriction affects the airways in a person's lungs.
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What Is Bruxism?
Bruxism is the word for grinding your teeth, usually during sleep.
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What's a Biopsy?
Sometimes, when doctors are not sure what's wrong with a part of your body, they might decide to do a test called a biopsy.
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What's a Blackhead?
People with acne may have different types of bumps on their skin.
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What's a Blood Glucose Meter?
A blood glucose meter is a small, portable machine that's used to check how much glucose (a type of sugar) is in the blood (also known as the blood glucose level).
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What's a Bolus?
For someone with diabetes, a bolus means a single, large dose of insulin taken to handle a rise in blood glucose (a type of sugar).
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What's a Bronchodilator?
A person with asthma may need to take a medicine called a bronchodilator to open the airways, or bronchial tubes.
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What's Borborygmus?
Borborygmus is the growling sound stomachs make, especially when they're hungry.
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What Are Canine Teeth?
Your canine teeth are the pointy ones next to your front teeth.
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What Are Canker Sores?
Canker sores are small, painful sores found in and around the mouth.
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What Are Carbohydrates?
Like proteins and fats, carbohydrates are one of the three main components of food.
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What Are Caries?
Better brush to keep those caries away!
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What Are Cells?
Cells are the smallest building block of all living things, and you have trillions of them in your body.
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What Are Certified Diabetes Educators (CDEs)?
Do you need someone to help you understand diabetes? Try a certified diabetes educator.
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What Are Chromosomes?
Your body is made up of billions of cells, which are too small to see without a strong microscope.
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What Are Cones?
Cones are tiny cells in the back of the eye that are sensitive to light and help you see.
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What Are Contact Lenses?
Contact lenses are small, thin pieces of plastic that you put in your eyes to help you see better.
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What Are Corneas?
Your corneas are part of your eyes, but you've probably never noticed them before.
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What Are Corticosteroids?
Controller medicine keeps the airways in the lungs open and clear so kids with asthma can breathe.
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What Are Long-Term Control Medicines?
Many people with asthma need to take medicine every day to control their asthma.
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What Does Chronic Mean?
This word refers to an illness that a person has for a long time or an illness that goes away and keeps coming back.
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What Does Contagious Mean?
There's a good reason your parent tells you to cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough!
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What Is a Complete Blood Count (CBC)?
Blood is made up of different parts, such as red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.
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What Is Cancer?
Cancer is a disease that happens when the body makes cells that are not normal.
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What Is Carbohydrate Counting?
Many people with diabetes count their carbohydrates to keep track of how much they're eating.
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What Is Cartilage?
Touch the tip of your nose or the top of your ear — that's cartilage.
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What Is Cellulitis?
Cellulitis is a skin infection caused by bacteria entering the skin through a cut or scrape.
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What Is Cerebral Palsy?
Cerebral palsy is a condition that affects the brain and how it talks to the muscles.
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What Is Cerumen?
This word means wax.
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What Is Chemotherapy?
Chemotherapy is the use of special medicines to treat cancer.
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What Is Coxsackievirus?
A coxsackievirus is one of a group of viruses or germs that live in the digestive tract and can make you sick.
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What Is Cystic Fibrosis?
Kids with cystic fibrosis have bodies that make thick, sticky mucus. This causes problems in their lungs and their digestive tracts.
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What Is the Cerebellum?
Yo-yoing, walking, playing soccer — you couldn't do any of it without this small but powerful part of the brain.
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What Is the Cerebral Cortex?
Also known as gray matter, this term describes the brain's outer layer.
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What's a Cardiologist?
This kind of doctor knows all about the heart and how it works.
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What's a Cast?
If you ever break a bone, you'll probably need a cast to hold the pieces of bone steady while they're healing.
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What's a Cleft Lip?
A cleft lip is a split in the upper lip that some babies are born with.
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What's a Cleft Palate?
A cleft palate is a split in the roof of the mouth that some babies are born with.
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What's a Cochlea?
The cochlea is a hollow tube that looks like a spiral-shaped snail shell deep in your ear.
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What's a Contusion?
A contusion is another word for a bruise.
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What's a Cough?
A cough is a reflex that helps your body clear your throat and lungs.
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What's a CT Scan/CAT Scan?
Actually, CT scans have nothing to do with cats, except that when people talk about them, they usually say "CAT scan" instead of "CT scan."
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What's a Cyst?
A cyst is a sac filled with air, liquid, or pus that can happen in different parts of the body.
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What's Congestion?
Congestion happens when your nose gets stuffy and makes it hard to breathe.
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What's Conjunctivitis?
This is another word for pinkeye.
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What's Constipation?
Sometimes your bowel movements — you know, the stuff inside your intestines we call poop — might be hard and dry.
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What Are Decongestants?
Decongestants are medicines that keep your nose from being stuffy.
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What Are Depressants?
Depressants are a kind of drug that, when used as prescribed by a doctor, can help relax muscles or calm nerves.
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What Are Disinfectants?
Disinfectants are germ busters!
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What Are Dust Mites?
Dust mites are teeny, tiny bugs that live in household dust.
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What Does Diagnosis Mean?
The word diagnosis is a fancy name for how doctors figure out what's making you sick.
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What Does Dislocation Mean?
A dislocation is when one or more bones at a joint moves out of place.
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What Is DNA?
DNA is the genetic information inside the cells of the body that helps make people who they are.
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What Is Down Syndrome?
Down syndrome is a condition that affects the way a baby's body and brain develop. Kids with Down syndrome usually have trouble learning.
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What's a Dermatologist?
A special doctor called a dermatologist knows a lot about skin.
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What's a Dietitian?
A dietitian knows a lot about food and healthy eating.
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What's Dandruff?
Dandruff is flakes of dead skin on your head that come loose all the time, but especially when you scratch your head, brush your hair, or pull a shirt over your head.
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What's Dehydration?
Don't sweat this long word!
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What's Depression?
It's normal to feel sad sometimes, but if you feel that way for a long time, and you never feel happy, it's called depression.
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What's Dermatitis?
Dermatitis is an irritation or swelling of the skin; in other words, a skin rash.
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What's Diabetes?
When someone has diabetes, their body doesn't use glucose properly.
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What's Diarrhea?
If you've ever had a bad time in the bathroom, then you know what this is.
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What's Dyslexia?
Wha tifev eryth inglo ooked lik ethis whe nyo utrie dtoread?
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What's the Diaphragm?
Ever get the hiccups? Don't worry — it's just your diaphragm doing something different!
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What Are Ear Canals?
You'll need a mirror to do it, but take a good look at your ear.
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What Are Eardrums?
Your eardrum is a really important part of your ear.
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What Does Epistaxis Mean?
Epistaxis is usually no big deal — it's just the medical word for a bloody nose.
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What Does Exhale Mean?
Put one hand on your chest and take a deep breath . . . hold it!
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What Is Edema?
Edema is swelling caused when too much fluid builds up in the tissues of the body.
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What Is Exercise-Induced Asthma?
Some people have asthma symptoms (such as coughing, wheezing, or trouble breathing) only when they're doing sports or being active.
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What Is External Otitis?
Many kids have had an ear infection known as external otitis.
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What's an EEG (Electroencephalogram)?
Doctors use electroencephalograms to figure out what's going on in your brain.
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What's an Exchange Meal Plan?
People who have diabetes need to pay attention to what they're eating. The exchange meal plan can help them do that.
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What's Eczema?
If your skin has ever been super itchy, red, and dry, you might know about eczema.
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What's Enamel?
Say cheese and show off your enamel!
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What's Encopresis?
Encopresis, or soiling, happens when kids don't feel the urge to have a bowel movement (go poop).
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What's Enuresis?
Enuresis, or bedwetting, affects lots of kids and even teens.
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What's Enuresis?
Enuresis is the fancy name for pee accidents.
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What's Epilepsy?
People with epilepsy have seizures that may cause them to stare into space, shake uncontrollably, or fall down.
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What's the Epidermis?
Look out - your epidermis is showing!
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What's the Epiglottis?
The epiglottis is super for swallowing.
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What's the ER?
Short for emergency room, this is the part of the hospital where kids and adults go if they suddenly have a big health problem or accident.
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What's the Esophagus?
The esophagus, part of the digestive system, is like a stretchy tube that moves food from the back of the throat to the stomach.
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What's the Eustachian Tube?
This is one top tube!
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What Are Fats?
Like carbohydrates and proteins, fats are one of the three main components of the food you eat.
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What Are Fatty Acids?
Like gas for a car, glucose is fuel for your cells. But if glucose isn't available, fatty acids may be used instead.
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What Does Farsighted Mean?
If it's easy for you to see things far away but you have trouble seeing things that are close, you might be farsighted.
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What Is Dental Floss?
Flossing each day keeps the dentist away.
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What Is Frostbite?
Brrrrr . . . pass the hat and mittens, please!
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What's a Fever?
You've probably noticed that sometimes when you're sick, you feel really hot one minute and then freezing cold the next.
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What's a Foreign Body?
A foreign body is anything that gets into your body that doesn't belong there.
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What's a Fracture?
When a bone breaks, it's called a fracture.
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What's Fiber?
Foods with fiber are really good for you and your bowels!
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What's Fluoride?
This mineral can help your teeth stay strong and look super!
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What's the Flu?
The flu is a virus that can make you sick for a week or longer.
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What's the Frenulum?
You've got a friend in your frenulum, the piece of skin that attaches your tongue to the bottom of your mouth.
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What Are Gastric Juices?
You don't drink these juices with your breakfast!
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What Are Genes?
Genes carry the information that determines the traits that are passed on to you from your parents.
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What Are Gums?
Believe it or not, you always have gum in your mouth. No, not chewing gum!
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What Does Genetics Mean?
Genetics is the study of the way physical traits and characteristics get passed down from one generation to the next.
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What Does Gluteus Maximus Mean?
You don't have to look too far for this body part — you're sitting on it!
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What Is a Gait Abnormality?
A gait abnormality is when someone walks in an unusual way.
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What Is a Glycosylated Hemoglobin Test (Hemoglobin A1c)?
This blood test can tell someone with diabetes if his or her diabetes is under control or out of control.
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What Is Gastritis?
Gastritis is irritation and swelling of the stomach lining.
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What Is Gastroenteritis?
Feeling sick to your stomach?
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What Is GERD?
GERD, or gastroesophageal reflux disease, is when the stomach's contents flow back up into the esophagus
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What Is Gingivitis?
Got gums? Then you have to protect them against gingivitis, the word for gum disease.
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What Is the Glycemic Index?
The body breaks down most carbohydrates from the foods we eat and changes them to a type of sugar called glucose. The glycemic index is a way of measuring how fast this happens and how a food affects blood glucose levels.
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What's a Gurney?
A gurney is a hospital bed with wheels that makes it easy to move patients around.
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What's a Gynecologist?
A gynecologist is a doctor who knows all about women's and girls' bodies.
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What's Glucagon?
Glucagon is a hormone that raises the level of glucose (a type of sugar) in the blood.
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What's Glucose?
When you eat, your body turns the food into a sugar called glucose. Like gas for a car, glucose provides fuel for your cells.
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What's Glycogen?
When the body has extra glucose, it stores it in the liver and muscles. This stored form of glucose is called glycogen.
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What's Growth Hormone?
Growth hormone is a major player in normal growth, like when your legs get longer and suddenly all your pants are too short!
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What Are Hives?
Hives are pink or red bumps or slightly raised patches of skin that can appear due to an allergic reaction.
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What Are Hormones?
Hormones are special chemicals your body makes to help it do certain things - like grow up!
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What Does Hearing Loss Mean?
Hearing loss happens when one or more parts of your ears don't work and you can't hear perfectly.
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What Does Heredity Mean?
If people say you look like your parents, they're probably talking about heredity.
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What Does Hyperventilate Mean?
When you hyperventilate, you breathe too deeply and too quickly. This can make you feel lightheaded or short of breath.
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What Is Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease?
Hand, foot, and mouth disease can cause fever and blisters on the hands and feet and in the mouth and throat.
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What Is Hemophilia?
People with hemophilia have blood that doesn't clot the way it should. That means that they bruise and bleed easily.
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What Is Histamine?
Histamine is a substance in the body that's released during an allergic reaction.
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What Is Hydrocephalus?
Hydrocephalus happens when the fluid that cushions the brain builds up inside the head.
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What Is Hydrocortisone?
Hydrocortisone is medicine that helps itchy skin feel better.
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What Is Hydrogen Peroxide?
Hydrogen peroxide is a chemical that can clean your cuts and scrapes.
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What Is Hyperglycemia?
Glucose (a type of sugar) is the body's main energy source. Hyperglycemia occurs when the levels get too high.
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What Is Hyperopia?
Having hyperopia is also known as being farsighted, which means you can see things far away, but have trouble seeing objects up close, like the words in a book.
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What Is Hypoglycemia?
Glucose (a type of sugar) is the body's main energy source. Hypoglycemia occurs when the levels get too low.
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What Is Hypothermia?
Hypothermia is when the body gets so cold that it can't warm itself up again.
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What's a Headache?
Most headaches happen in the nerves, blood vessels, and muscles that cover your head and neck.
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What's a Hemangioma?
This is a big word for a type of birthmark.
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What's a Hematoma?
Hematoma is a type of bruise, or black and blue mark.
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What's a Humidifier?
If you get nosebleeds a lot or your nose often feels dry, it may be time to get a humidifier.
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What's Hay Fever?
No, hay fever's not when a horse is sick!
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What's Heat Exhaustion?
Super hot in summer? Then watch out for this.
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What's Herpes Zoster?
Herpes zoster, also called shingles, causes a rash with blisters on the body and is very painful.
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What Are Immunizations?
This is the long word for what most kids know as vaccines.
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What Are Infections?
When germs get inside your body, they can multiply and cause an infection.
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What Are Insulin Injections?
Insulin is an important hormone that keeps the body working. If the body doesn't make enough of this substance, a person may need to get insulin injections.
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What Are Involuntary Muscles?
You don't have any say over what this kind of muscle does and when.
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What Are Islet Cells?
The pancreas contains clusters of cells that make hormones. These clusters are known as islets.
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What Does Inhale Mean?
You're doing it now . . . and now . . . and now . . . and now!
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What Is Ibuprofen?
Ibuprofen is a kind of pain reliever that helps ease aches and pains.
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What's an Ileus?
An ileus is when the intestines stop working and don't move food, fluid, and gas the way they are supposed to.
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What's an Inhaler?
An inhaler is a plastic tube that holds a container of medicine that comes out in a spray and is breathed into the lungs.
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What's an Injection?
An injection is when the doctor uses a needle to put medicine or a vaccine into your body.
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What's an Insulin Pump?
A person needs the hormone insulin so the body can function properly. If the body doesn't make enough insulin, one way to get it is through an insulin pump.
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What's an IV Line?
IV is short for intravenous.
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What's Immunotherapy (Allergy Shots)?
Imagine if you were always sneezing because you were allergic to something.
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What's Influenza?
Influenza is a longer word for the flu.
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What's Insulin Resistance?
Even though the pancreas is still making insulin, the body doesn't let insulin do its job as well and it's harder for glucose to get into the cells. This is called insulin resistance.
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What's Insulin?
If someone has diabetes, they have trouble with a hormone called insulin.
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What's Irritable Bowel Syndrome?
Irritable bowel syndrome happens when the muscles in the large intestine have trouble doing their job.
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What's the ICU?
Short for intensive care unit, this is a place in the hospital where people can recover from very serious illnesses, accidents, or operations.
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What's the Immune System?
This body system, which includes white blood cells and lymph nodes, helps protect your body from disease.
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What's the Intensive Care Unit (ICU)?
The intensive care unit, or ICU, is a special place in the hospital where people can recover from very serious illnesses, accidents, or operations.
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What's the Iris?
Your iris is the colored part of your eye. So if someone has brown eyes, it means that person's irises are brown.
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Word! Impetigo
Impetigo is a skin infection that can happen when bacteria get inside your skin from a cut.
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What Are Joints?
Joints are the places in your body where bones meet.
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What's Jaundice?
Jaundice can make the whites of your eyes and your skin turn yellow. It happens when your blood has too much of a substance called bilirubin.
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What's Junk Food?
Junk food isn't actually made of garbage.
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What's Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis?
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis is an autoimmune disease that makes it hard for kids to move their joints.
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What Are Ketones?
When fat is broken down, chemicals called ketones are made.
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What Are Kidney Stones?
Sometimes the stuff in your pee – like calcium – can make little crystals that build up to become hard kidney stones.
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What Are Kidneys?
The kidneys are a pair of organs that filter waste materials out of the blood.
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What Is Kawasaki Disease?
Kawasaki disease is pretty rare. Kids who have it may have a fever for up to 2 weeks.
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What Is Keratin?
Keratin is the hard protein that hair is made of.
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What Is Ketoacidosis?
Ketoacidosis is a condition that can happen to people with diabetes when the body uses fat instead of glucose for fuel.
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What Are Lacrimal Glands?
Boo hoo hoo, crying is what these parts help you do!
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What Are Laxatives?
Laxatives are medicines that help you out when your bowels aren't moving.
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What Are Ligaments?
Ligaments are tough bands of tissue that hold your bones together at your joints.
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What Are Lymph Nodes?
Your wonderful lymph nodes! Lymph nodes are little round or bean-shaped bumps that you usually can't feel unless they become swollen.
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What Is a Lung Function Test?
How well do your lungs function? In other words, how well are you breathing?
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What Is Laparoscopy?
Laparoscopy sounds a little scary at first, but it's actually pretty cool.
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What Is Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS)?
Lou Gehrig's disease refers to a disorder called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. Find out more.
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What Is Lymph?
Lymph is a clear fluid that flows through its own vessels located throughout the body.
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What's a Lens?
The lens is the part of the eye that focuses on what you see.
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What's a Lunula?
Take a look at your thumb and you'll see this: it's the light half-moon shape at the very bottom of your nail.
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What's Lyme Disease?
Lyme disease is an infection that can make you feel tired and sore all over. People get Lyme disease from being bitten by infected ticks.
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What's the Larynx?
If you can sing "la la la," then you have a larynx!
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What Are Migraines?
A migraine is a really bad kind of headache that can make you feel dizzy or even sick to your stomach.
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What Does Menstruation Mean?
Menstruation is a period — the 2 to 7 days each month that a girl or woman experiences menstrual flow.
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What Does Myopia Mean?
Myopia is also known as nearsightededness, which means you can see things up close, but have trouble seeing objects far away, like the words on a chalkboard.
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What Is Malocclusion?
Malocclusion is a word that dentists and orthodontists use when your teeth don't come together like they should.
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What Is Meningitis?
The meninges cover and protect the brain and spinal cord. Meningitis happens when the meninges swell or get irritated.
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What Is Multiple Sclerosis?
When someone has multiple sclerosis, their nerves don't send signals to the brain the way they should.
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What's a Microscope?
A microscope is a very powerful magnifying glass.
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What's a Mucous Membrane?
Just as skin lines and protects the outside of the body, mucous membranes line and protect the inside of your body.
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What's an MRI?
MRI machines take detailed pictures of the insides of people's bodies to help doctors learn what's wrong when there's a problem.
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What's Melanin?
Ever wonder where your skin gets its color?
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What's Mononucleosis?
People call mononucleosis "kissing disease" because you can get it from someone else's saliva. Mono can make you feel super tired and sick.
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What's Mucus?
When you think of mucus, you might think of snot, which is that sticky stuff inside your nose.
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What's Myalgia?
Myalgia is muscle pain — when muscles hurt because of an injury, overuse, or a medical condition.
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What Are Nerves?
Your nerves are like a bunch of wires or cables that send signals back and forth between your brain and the rest of your body.
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What Are Nits?
Many kids have had nasty nits.
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What Does Nearsighted Mean?
You might be nearsighted if you have no problems seeing things up close but have trouble seeing things that are far away, like the chalkboard when you sit in the back of the classroom.
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What Does Nutrition Mean?
Nutrition is the study of food and how it works in your body.
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What Is Nephropathy?
Kidney disease caused by diabetes is called diabetic nephropathy.
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What Is Neuropathy?
Neuropathy is the medical word for disease of the nervous system.
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What Is Nicotine?
This chemical is found in cigarettes and is the reason why kids (and others) get hooked on the smoking habit.
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What's a Nasal Cavity?
The nasal cavity is the inside of your nose.
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What's a Nebulizer?
A nebulizer may sound like a space gun, but you don't have to be on a spaceship to use it.
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What's a Neurologist?
A neurologist is a doctor who studies the nervous system.
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What's a Night Guard?
This isn't a person who protects you when it gets dark!
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What's Nausea?
"Ooh, I'm sick to my stomach!" is another way of putting it.
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What's the Navel?
No doubt about it, every person in the whole world has a navel — a belly button, that is!
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What's the Nervous System?
The nervous system controls everything you do, including breathing, walking, thinking, and feeling.
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What Is Osteoporosis?
In osteoporosis, a person's bones are weakened by a loss of bone density, and the bones may break more easily.
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What Is Otalgia?
Otalgia means ear pain or an earache.
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What Is Otitis Media?
Most kids have had an ear infection, also known as otitis media.
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What's an Occupational Therapist?
An occupational therapist can help kids who have trouble doing everyday things, like writing, eating, or getting dressed.
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What's an Oncologist?
This is a doctor who treats patients who have cancer.
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What's an Operation?
You've probably played the game Operation with your friends and family, but when someone you care about is getting a real operation, it can be scary.
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What's an Ophthalmologist?
This is an eye doctor who diagnoses and treats eye diseases.
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What's an Optician?
An optician is the person you see when you go to buy your glasses that were prescribed by an ophthalmologist or optometrist.
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What's an Optometrist?
An optometrist examines your eyes and tests your vision.
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What's an Orthodontist?
An orthodontist is a dentist who specializes in making teeth straight, instead of fixing cavities.
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What's an Orthopedic Surgeon?
Orthopedic surgeons treat injuries and diseases of the musculoskeletal system, which includes your muscles, bones, and joints.
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What's an Otolaryngologist?
Ear! Nose! Throat! An otolaryngologist is a doctor who takes care of all these parts.
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What's Occupational Therapy?
Do you know what your occupation is?
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What Are Palpitations?
Palpitations can make it feel like your heart is racing or fluttering, or that your heart has skipped a beat.
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What Are Papillae?
Papillae are the little bumps on the top of your tongue that help grip food while your teeth are chewing.
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What Are Platelets?
Your blood contains many tiny cells called platelets.
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What Are Pupils?
Pupils are in charge of how much light goes into your eye.
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What Does Pregnant Mean?
When a woman is pregnant, it means that there is a baby growing inside her.
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What Does Pulmonary Mean?
Breathe in . . . breathe out . . . and feel your pulmonary power!
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What Is Parkinson's Disease?
Parkinson's disease is a health problem of the brain and spinal cord. Find out more about this condition that most often affects adults.
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What Is Peritonitis?
Peritonitis is when the tissue that covers the inside wall of abdomen gets swollen and irritated, usually due to an infection.
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What Is Polydipsia?
If diabetes isn't under control, a person might be really thirsty and drink a lot of fluids. Polydipsia is the medical word for this.
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What Is Polyphagia?
Polyphagia is the medical word for eating very large amounts of food.
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What Is Polyuria?
Someone who has uncontrolled diabetes may pee a lot. Polyuria is the medical word for this.
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What's a Peak Flow Meter?
Lots of kids who have asthma use a special tool called a peak flow meter to measure how quickly they can push air out of their lungs.
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What's a Pediatric Endocrinologist?
This type of doctor deals with hormones, those special chemical substances that make things happen all over the body (especially during puberty).
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What's a Pediatrician?
A pediatrician is a doctor who takes care of babies, kids, and teens.
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What's a Pimple?
Your skin has many tiny holes called pores.
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What's a Prosthesis?
A prosthesis is a manmade body part.
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What's a Pulmonologist?
A pulmonologist is a doctor who specializes in lungs and breathing.
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What's a Pulse?
Your beating heart creates a pulse.
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What's Perspiration?
Perspiration is another name for sweat, the stuff that comes out of your skin through tiny holes called pores.
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What's Petroleum Jelly?
Don't put this jelly on your sandwich.
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What's Plaque?
This sticky, slimy substance is made up mostly of germs that can cause tooth decay.
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What's Pneumonia?
Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs, usually caused by viruses or bacteria.
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What's Pollen?
Pollen is a fine powder produced by certain plants.
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What's Protein?
Protein builds, maintains, and replaces the tissues in your body. You can get it from yummy foods like eggs, nuts, beans, fish, meat, and milk.
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What's Puberty?
Everyone goes through puberty, even though it sometimes feels like you're the only one!
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What's the Palate?
You've probably tickled this part of your mouth with your tongue before.
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What's the Pancreas?
The pancreas is a long, flat gland in your belly.
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What's the Pilomotor Reflex?
If you've ever been cold or scared, you've seen your pilomotor reflex in action.
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What's the Pinna?
What? What? Better put your hand around your pinna to hear this better.
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What Are Quick-Relief Medicines?
Quick-relief medicines are a type of asthma medicine that works quickly.
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What Does Quadriplegia Mean?
Quadriplegia is when both of a person's arms and both legs stop working.
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What Are Red Blood Cells?
Red blood cells have the important job of carrying oxygen.
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What Are Retractions?
Retractions are a sign someone is working hard to breathe.
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What Does REM Stand for?
This is short for rapid eye movement, the stage of sleep when your eyes move back and forth under your closed eyelids and you have dreams.
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What Does Rx Mean?
This is short for the word prescription.
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What Is Retinopathy?
Retinopathy is the medical word for disease of the retina.
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What Is Roseola?
Roseola is a sickness that mostly affects babies and toddlers. It can cause a high fever and a rash on the belly or chest.
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What Is Rotavirus?
Rotavirus is a virus that affects the digestive system. It can make people throw up a lot or have bad diarrhea.
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What's a Radiologist?
When a kid gets an X-ray or a CT scan (two types of pictures taken of the inside of the body), those funny-looking pictures can be tough to understand.
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What's a Rash?
A rash is when skin gets irritated — red, bumpy, scaly, blistered, or itchy. Lots of things can cause rashes.
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What's a Retainer?
Your teeth won't go far, but they can move after your braces are removed.
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What's a Rheumatologist?
This special doctor deals with rheumatological problems (conditions that involve swelling and pain in muscles and joints).
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What's a Rhinovirus?
No, this isn't a rhinoceros with the sniffles.
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What's Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)?
Respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, is an infection of the lungs and breathing passages.
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What's Rhinitis?
Rhinitis is irritation and swelling of the lining of the nose - also known as a runny nose.
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What's Ringworm?
Ringworm isn't a worm at all. It's an infection on the skin or nails caused by a fungus.
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What's the Retina?
The retina is at the back of your eye and it has light-sensitive cells called rods and cones.
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What Are Sebaceous Glands?
Sebaceous glands make oil to keep skin soft and smooth.
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What Are Semicircular Canals?
Your semicircular canals are three tiny, fluid-filled tubes in your inner ear that help you keep your balance.
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What Are Sulfites?
Sulfites are food preservatives that can cause breathing problems in some people with asthma.
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What Are Symptoms?
When you're sick, you usually have symptoms — body changes like a fever that let you know something's not right.
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What Does Sphenopalatine Ganglioneuralgia Mean?
This is another name for an ice cream headache.
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What Does Stat Mean?
Quick! On the double! Hurry up! Get moving!
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What Does Sternutation Mean?
This is a long word for something that happens in a short time: sneezing!
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What Is Scoliosis?
Scoliosis is an abnormal curve of the spine, also known as the backbone.
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What Is Sebum?
You can't see it, but it's there. Sebum is your skin's natural oil, and it keeps your skin soft and makes it a bit waterproof.
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What Is Surgery?
Surgery, also called an operation, is when doctors fix something inside the body to make the person feel better.
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What's a Scab?
When you get a cut or scrape your blood forms a clot to stop the bleeding. When the clot dries and hardens it's called a scab.
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What's a Scar?
A scar is a mark left on your skin from a cut or wound that has healed.
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What's a Seizure?
You might hear a seizure called a convulsion, fit, or spell.
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What's a Skin Test?
If you might have allergies, a special doctor called an allergist can help figure out what you are allergic to by giving you a skin test.
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What's a Spacer?
A spacer makes it easier to use an inhaler.
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What's a Spinal Tap?
A spinal tap is an important test for diagnosing illnesses, such as meningitis.
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What's a Spirometer?
A spirometer is an instrument that measures how well your lungs are working.
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What's a Sprain?
A sprain happens when the ligaments in one of your joints gets stretched too far or torn.
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What's a Stethoscope?
When you go to the doctor, they probably use something called a stethoscope to hear the sounds that the inside of your body makes.
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What's a Strain?
A strain happens when a muscle gets stretched too far.
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What's a Strep Screen?
If you've ever gone to the doctor with a really sore throat, you may have had a strep screen.
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What's a Stye?
A stye is a small bump near the edge of the eyelid where the eyelashes are.
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What's a Suture?
This is the string that doctors use to sew things together.
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What's a Syringe?
A syringe is the needle a doctor uses to give you a shot or draw blood.
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What's Saliva?
Saliva is none other than spit, the clear liquid in your mouth that's made of water and other chemicals.
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What's Scabies?
Scabies is an itchy skin problem caused by teeny mites that dig tunnels underneath the skin's surface.
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What's Scarlet Fever?
Scarlet fever is an infection caused by the same bacteria that cause strep throat. It's called scarlet fever because it causes a red, bumpy rash over most of the body.
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What's Shingles?
Shingles is the same virus as the one that gives people chickenpox. It can cause sores or blisters on the body and is very painful.
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What's Sinusitis?
Sinusitis is an infection of your sinuses — the air-filled spaces found in the bones of the face around the nose.
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What's Snot?
Snot, or mucus, is that sticky, slimy stuff inside your nose.
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What's Strep Throat?
Strep throat is an infection caused by bacteria.
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What's the Sclera?
The sclera is the white part of your eye.
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What's the Stapes?
The stapes is the body's smallest bone!
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What Are Taste Buds?
If you love ice cream, thank your taste buds.
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What Are Tendons?
For keeping things together, tendons come in handy!
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What Are Triggers?
With asthma, a trigger is anything that brings on asthma symptoms, such as coughing, wheezing, and trouble breathing.
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What's a Tonsillectomy?
Tonsils are those two bumps on each side of the back of your throat.
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What's a Tympanogram?
Tympanic membrane is the fancy name for eardrum, so when a doctor wants to find out how your eardrum is working, they may get a tympanogram.
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What's the Trachea?
Your trachea, or windpipe, carries air in and out of your lungs.
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What's the Tragus?
That little bump on the outside of your ear canal is called the tragus.
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What's Tinnitus?
Ring, ring, ring! It's not the phone — it's the word for a ringing sound in the ears.
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What's Tobacco?
Tobacco is a plant that can be smoked in cigarettes, pipes, or cigars.
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What's Tonsillitis?
Tonsillitis is an infection of the tonsils at the back of your throat.
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What's a Urinalysis?
Here's why doctors sometimes have kids pee in a cup.
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What's a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)?
A urinary tract infection happens when any part of your urinary system (kidneys, ureters, bladder, urethra) gets infected.
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What's an Ultrasound?
Like an X-ray, an ultrasound is a way of looking at what's going on inside a person's body.
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What's an Umbilical Cord?
This is the name for the long tube that runs between a mother and her unborn baby.
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What's an Undescended Testicle?
Undescended testicle is a condition in which one or both of a boy's testicles have not moved into their proper place in the scrotum.
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What's Urine?
The kidneys remove waste from the blood and make urine, also called pee.
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What's Urticaria?
Urticaria is the fancy name for hives.
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What Are Vaccines?
A vaccine is another word for what most kids call a shot.
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What Are Veins and Arteries?
If you've ever seen a road map, you probably saw many roads going here, there, and everywhere.
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What Are Vertebrae?
Reach around and feel those bumps in the center of your back.
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What's a Virus?
Viruses are a type of germ. They're very tiny, and when they get inside your body, they can make you sick.
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What's the Vitreous Body?
The vitreous body takes up most of the eye and gives the eye its shape.
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What's Varicella Zoster?
This is the medical name for the virus that causes chickenpox, which is known for its red, itchy bumps.
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What Are Warts?
A wart is a small area of hardened skin that usually has a bumpy surface.
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What Are White Blood Cells?
White blood cells are part of the germ-fighting immune system.
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What Are Wisdom Teeth?
You will have learned a lot by the time you get your wisdom teeth, but they don't make you any smarter!
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What's a Whitehead?
People with acne may have different types of bumps on their skin.
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What's Wheezing?
Wheezing is the whistling sound air makes when your breathing tubes are narrowed.
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What's an X-Ray?
X-rays are special pictures of the inside of your body.
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What's a Yawn?
Yawning is when you stretch your mouth open wide.
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What's a Yeast Infection?
A yeast infection is a skin infection caused by a fungus called candida. It can cause white spots in the mouth or an itchy, red rash.
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What's Yellow Fever?
Yellow fever is a disease caused by a virus carried by mosquitoes. It's called yellow fever because it can cause jaundice, which turns the skin yellow.
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What Does Zoonosis Mean?
Zoonosis means a disease that people can get from animals.