Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

  • Odynophagia

    Pain on swallowing food and fluids, a symptom often due to disease of the esophagus. From the Greek roots odyno-, pain + -phagia, from phagein, to eat.

  • OD (lens prescription)

    Abbreviation of “oculus dexter.” Latin for “right eye.” (The words “dexterity” and “dextrous” derive from “dexter” since the right hand is usually more skillful than the left.) OS stands for “oculus sinister” which is Latin for left eye.

  • Ocular

    Having to do with the eye.

  • OCP

    Oral contraceptive pill.

  • OCG

    Oral cholecystogram.

  • Occupational therapist

    A licensed health professional who is trained to evaluate patients with joint conditions, such as arthritis, to determine the impact the disease on their activities of daily living. Occupational therapists can design and prescribe assistive devices that can improve the quality of the activities of daily living for patients with arthritis and other conditions of the…

  • Occult

    Hidden. For example, occult blood in the stool is hidden from the eye but can be detected by chemical tests.

  • Occlude

    1 To close, obstruct, or prevent the passage. To occlude an artery is to occlude the flow of blood. 2 To bring together. To occlude the teeth is to align the upper and lower teeth, as for chewing.

  • Occipital hematoma

    A hematoma (collection of blood) in the occipital region (at the back of the head). An occipital hematoma may be either subdural or epidural. In an occipital epidural hematoma, the bleeding occurs between the skull and the dura (the brain cover). The bleeding is from an injury to a vein or a branch of the posterior meningeal artery. Occipital epidural hematoma is often caused by a full-on blow to…

  • Occipital bone

    The bone that forms the rear and rear bottom of the skull.

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