Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Nail furrows
Transverse lines or grooves across the fingernails; transverse depressions in the nail plate caused by temporary cessation of cell division in the proximal nail matrix. The condition may be caused by local disease of the nail fold, physical trauma to it, or a systemic insult, such as an illness or a drug as, for example, chemotherapy. Also known as Beau’s lines.
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Nail care
Care of the fingernails and toenails. Many nail problems are due to poor nail care. Recommendations for maintaining nail health include keeping nails clean and dry to keep bacteria and other infectious organisms from collecting under the nails, cutting nails straight across with only slight rounding at the tip, using a fine-textured file to keep nails…
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Nadir
The lowest point. The nadir may refer, for example, to the lowest blood count after chemotherapy or the lowest concentration of a drug in the body.
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Na (sodium)
Na is the chemical symbol for sodium. From natrium, a synonym for sodium. Sodium is the major positive ion (cation) in fluid outside of cells. The chemical notation for sodium is Na+. When combined with chloride (Cl), the resulting substance is table salt (NaCl). Excess sodium (such as from fast food hamburger and fries) is…
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Myxedema coma
A rare and life-threatening complication of hypothyroidism (low levels of thyroid hormones in the bloodstream) characterized by loss of brain function (coma). Before a patient develops myxedema coma, features of hypothyroidism are usually present and may have gone unsuspected for a long period of time, including fatigue, lethargy, intolerance to cold, mental and mood changes, headaches , depression, weight gain, constipation, and changes…
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Myriad
A great number, a very large number, a huge number of something. There are, for example, myriad ways in which syphilis can present; it is the great imitator. “Myriad” is a Greek word for 10,000 (ten thousand).
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Myotonic dystrophy type 2
An inherited disorder of the muscles and other body systems characterized by progressive muscle weakness, prolonged muscle contractions (myotonia), clouding of the lens of the eye (cataracts), cardiac abnormalities, balding, and infertility. Type 2 myotonic dystrophy is caused by mutation of a different gene than type 1 myotonic dystrophy and tends to be milder than type 1. Only about…
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Myotonic dystrophy
An inherited disease in which the muscles contract but have decreasing power to relax — this phenomenon is termed myotonia (irritability and prolonged contraction of muscles). The disease also leads to a mask-like expressionless face, premature balding, cataracts, and heart arrhythmias (abnormalities in heart rhythm). The onset of such problems is usually in young adulthood.…
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Myopia
Nearsightedness, the ability to see close objects more clearly than distant objects. Myopia can be caused by a longer-than-normal eyeball or by any condition that prevents light rays from focusing on the retina. Most forms of myopia can be managed with corrective lenses. Surgery is available to permanently correct some forms of myopia, although long-term effectiveness and…
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Myopathy
Any and all diseases of muscle.
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