Category: Su-Sy

A part of the nervous system that serves to accelerate the heart rate, constrict blood vessels, and raise blood pressure. The sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system constitute the autonomic nervous system.

Swollen tongue: : swelling, or enlargement, of the tongue. A swollen tongue can be a symptom of glossitis, an inflammation of the tongue that can be caused by infections, local irritation or burns, and allergic reactions. Swelling of the tongue can also result from trauma or rare diseases, such as amyloidosis.

Sweating on the forehead, face, scalp, and neck occurring soon after ingesting food. Some gustatory sweating is normal after eating hot, spicy foods. Otherwise, gustatory sweating is most commonly a result of damage to a nerve that goes to the parotid gland, the large salivary gland in the cheek. In this setting, referred to as Frey syndrome, the sweating…

The act of secreting fluid from the skin by the sweat (sudoriferous) glands. These are small tubular glands situated within and under the skin (in the subcutaneous tissue). They discharge by tiny openings in the surface of the skin. The sweat is a transparent colorless acidic fluid with a peculiar odor. It contains some fatty acids and mineral matter.…

A benign (harmless) skin tumor called a syringoma that derives from cells related to sweat glands. (These particular specialized cells are scientifically referred to as eccrine.) The skin lesions of syringomas usually appear during puberty or adult life and consist of small bumps 1-3 millimeters in diameter which form underneath the surface of the skin. The most frequent site…

The temporary loss of consciousness upon swallowing. Syncope is the temporary loss of consciousness or, in plain English, fainting. The situations that trigger this reaction are diverse and include having blood drawn, straining while urinating (micturition syncope) or defecating, coughing or swallowing. The reaction also can be due to the emotional stress of fear or pain. Under these conditions, people often become pale and feel…

1. A type of joint between the bones of the skull where the bones are held tightly together by fibrous tissue. 2. Thread-like material used to sew tissue together. 3. To stitch a wound closed. The word suture came with little change from the Latin sutura, “a sewn seam.” In Latin, the verb suere is “to sew, stitch, or tack together.”

A method of reproduction in which a woman agrees to become pregnant, using her own eggs, and carry a child for another individual or couple. In some situations and locations a surrogate mother may be paid for her services. The term is sometimes used to refer to a woman who agrees to carry a biologically…

The branch of medicine that employs operations in the treatment of disease or injury. Surgery can involve cutting, abrading, suturing, or otherwise physically changing body tissues and organs.

A fluid secreted by the cells of the alveoli (the tiny air sacs in the lungs) that serves to reduce the surface tension of pulmonary fluids; surfactant contributes to the elastic properties of pulmonary tissue, preventing the alveoli from collapsing.