Category: D

Persistent failure of the tear glands to produce moisture of sufficient quantity or quality to wet and lubricate the eye normally. The principal symptoms of dry eye are a scratchy or sandy feeling in the eyes, stinging or burning, periods of excess tearing following sensations of dryness, a stringy discharge from the eye, and pain…

Using a car or other motor vehicle while impaired by alcohol and not capable of handling the vehicle safely. Most states also apply drunk driving laws to operation of a motor vehicle under the influence of illegal or abused drugs used alone or in combination with alcohol. In the United States, a driver with a…

A process involving medical, psychological, behavioral, therapeutic, and other interventions designed to help a person abstain from alcohol or drugs and function normally in society. A variety of treatment programs are available. The choice among them depends on the individual, his or her history and emotional state, the drug or drugs used, and available resources.…

An individual’s response to a drug, or an antibiotic’s effectiveness against a microorganism. In cancer treatment, drug sensitivity can be tested in people to determine which of the available compounds is likely to be effective in a particular person. The tests are performed on live tumor cells.  

A skin reaction that is caused by taking a medication. Drug eruptions are caused by a sensitivity or allergy to some medications. Symptoms range from a mild rash to life-threatening anaphylaxis. Penicillin and related drugs are the most common causes of allergic reactions. Iodine-based drugs used as contrast mediums for X rays also cause reactions in…

A decreased level of consciousness characterized by sleepiness and trouble remaining alert. Abnormal drowsiness may be a sign of a head injury, high fever, hypoglycemia (low blood sugar level), hyperglycemia (high blood sugar level), meningitis (inflammation of the membranes, or meninges, that surround the brain and spinal cord), or liver failure. Alcohol use or drugs…

Seeing two images of a single object. Also known as diplopia, double vision is caused either by a defect in a single eye or by misalignment of both eyes. There are two types of double vision: monocular (single-eye) double vision, in which the person continues to see two images through one eye even if the…

A type of advance directive, commonly known as a DNR, made by an individual or the person’s physician, stating exactly under which circumstances the person should or should not be resuscitated. An order by the physician, with respect to a specific patient, to the effect that, should cardiac arrest or respiratory arrest occur, no attempt…

A specialized form of medicine that treats decompression sickness, based on hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO). During this therapy, scuba divers who have been affected by unreleased excess nitrogen in the blood-stream enter special hyperbaric chambers and are fitted with oxygen masks. By combining increased air pressure with the inhalation of loo percent oxygen, HBO allows…

The evaluation of an individual’s diet to identify which nutrients are being supplied or neglected in the diet, related behaviors, and habits associated with disease. Dietary assessment is usually conducted by a registered dietician (RD). The evaluation of an individual’s diet to identify which nutrients are being supplied or neglected in the diet, related behaviors,…