Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

A language that employs signs made with the hands and other movements, including facial expressions and postures of the body, used primarily by people who are deaf. There are many different sign languages as, for example, British and American sign languages. British sign language (BSL) is not easily intelligible to users of American sign language (ASL). Unlike…

Any objective evidence of disease, as opposed to a symptom, which is, by nature, subjective. For example, gross blood in the stool is a sign of disease; it is evidence that can be recognized by the patient, physician, nurse, or someone else. Abdominal pain is a symptom; it is something only the patient can perceive.

In human anatomy, the lower colon (the lower portion of the large bowel). Sigmoid is short for sigmoid colon. From the Greek letter sigma, which is shaped like a C. Sigmoid also means curved in two directions like the letter S. For example, a sigmoid curve is an S-shaped curve.

Problems that occur when treatment goes beyond the desired effect. Or problems that occur in addition to the desired therapeutic effect. Example — A hemorrhage from the use of too much anticoagulant (such as heparin) is a side effect caused by treatment going beyond the desired effect. Example — The common side effects of cancer treatment including fatigue, nausea, vomiting,…

An ancient system of medicine prevalent in South India. The word Siddha comes from the Tamil word for perfection. In Siddha medicine, the individual is a microcosm of the universe. The human body consists of the five primordial elements – earth, water, fire, air and space, the three humours-vatha, pitta and kapha and seven physical constituents.…

A condition that features symptoms including dizziness, confusion, fainting, and heart failure that is due to a problem with the sinoatrial node (SA node) of the heart, which acts as the body’s natural pacemaker. If the SA node is not functioning normally, the patient usually has an abnormally slow heart rate (bradycardia), but other rhythm disturbances, including rapid heart…

An autoimmune disease, also known as Sjogren syndrome, that classically combines dry eyes, dry mouth, and another disease of connective tissue such as rheumatoid arthritis (most common), lupus, scleroderma or polymyositis. There is a great preponderance of females. About 90% of Sjogren syndrome patients are female, usually in middle age or older. Sjogren syndrome is an inflammatory disease of glands and other tissues of…

1) To move a body fluid, such as cerebrospinal fluid, from one place to another. 2) A catheter (tube) that carries cerebrospinal fluid from a ventricle in the brain to another area of the body. A shunt may be placed to relieve pressure from hydrocephalus, for example.

Schonlein-Henoch purpura.

A structure made up of two main bones: the scapula (shoulder blade) and the humerus (the long bone of the upper arm). The end of the scapula, called the glenoid, is a socket into which the head of the humerus fits, forming a flexible ball-and-socket joint. The scapula is an unusually shaped bone. It extends up and around…