Medical and Healthy Living Glossary - O
This page of our online glossary of medical and healthy living is for medical and healthy living terms beginning with the letter 'O'.
- Obesity - The condition of a person being seriously overweight. The cause of obesity is excess fat accumulating under the skin and around organs in the body. Sometimes this is because of glandular disorders, but it is usually caused by eating or drinking too much. A tendency to obesity can be hereditary.
- Oesophagus (Esophagus) - A tube that leads from the mouth to the stomach.
- Offal -The internal organs and soft tissue that are removed from a carcass when an animal is butchered.
- Osteoarthritis (Osteoarthrosis) - A degenerative disease of middle-aged and elderly
people. Osteoarthritis is a form of arthritis involving joint cartilage with accompanying changes in the associated bone. It usually due to the loss of cartilage and the development of osteophytes at the bone margins. The function of the joint (most often the thumb, knee and hip) is affected and it becomes painful. Treatment usually involves administering analgesics, possibly anti-inflammatory drugs and the use of corrective or replacement surgery.
- Osteoporosis - A loss of bone tissue because of its being resorbed, resulting in bones that become brittle and likely to fracture. It is caused by low levels of oestrogen,
lack of calcium and lack of physical exercise. Osteoporosis is common in menopausal women and can also be a result of long-term steroid therapy. Hormone replacement therapy is the most effective method of preventing osteoporosis.
- Outbreak - Two or more people contracting the same disease due to exposure to the same microorganism.
- Oxalic Acid - A chemical which is potentially fatal if taken in high concentrations, such as those found in the leaves of rhubarb. It is also present in much smaller quantities in rhubarb stalks, spinach, sorrel, almonds and chocolate. Oxalic acid inhibits the body's absorption of calcium and iron.
- Oxidation - Any chemical or biochemical reaction that is characterized by the gain of oxygen or the loss of electrons from the reactant. Oxidation can occur in the absence of oxygen, as a molecule is also said to be oxidized if it loses a hydrogen atom. Carbon compounds form oxides
when metabolised with oxygen in the body, producing carbon dioxide.
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