Where There Is No Doctor 2011 423
H
Hare lip A split in the upper lip, going from the
mouth up to the nose (like a hare, or rabbit). Some
babies are born with a hare lip.
Health worker A person who takes part in making
his community a healthier place to live.
Heartburn A burning feeling in the lower chest or
upper part of the stomach.
Hemorrhage Severe or dangerous bleeding.
Hemorrhoids (piles) Small, painful bumps or lumps
at the edge of the anus or inside it. These are actually
swollen or varicose veins.
Herb A plant, especially one valued for its medicinal
or healing qualities.
Hereditary Passed on from parent to child.
Hernia (rupture) An opening or tear in the muscles
covering the belly that allows a loop of the gut to
push through and form a ball or lump under the skin.
Hex A magic spell or jinx said to be caused by a
witch.
History (medical history) What you can learn
through asking questions about a person’s
sickness— how it began, when it gets better or worse,
what seems to help, whether others in the family or
village have it, etc.
Hives Hard, thick, raised spots on the skin that itch
severely. They may come and go all at once or move
from one place to another. A form of allergic reaction.
Hormones Chemicals made in parts of the body
to do a special job. For example, estrogen and
progesterone are hormones that regulate a woman’s
period and chance of pregnancy.
Hygiene Actions or practices of personal
cleanliness that lead to good health.
*Hypertension High blood pressure.
Hyperventilation Very rapid, deep breathing in a
person who is frightened.
*Hypochondria Extreme worry or concern over an
imagined sickness.
Hypothyroidism A condition in which a child is
born mentally slow and often deaf. It is usually due to
lack of iodine in the mother’s diet.
Hysteria (1) In common language, a condition of
great nervousness, fear, and emotional distress. (2)
In medical terms, signs of sickness caused by fear or
the power of belief.
I
Immunizations (vaccinations) Medicines that
give protection against specific diseases, for
example: diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio,
tuberculosis, and measles.
Infection A sickness caused by bacteria or other
germs. Infections may affect part of the body only
(such as an infected finger) or all of it (such as
measles).
Infectious disease A disease that is easily spread
or communicated (passed from one person to
another); contagious.
Inflammation An area that is red, hot, and painful,
often because of infection.
Insecticide A poison that kills insects. DDT and
lindane are insecticides.
*Insomnia A condition in which a person is not able
to sleep, even though he wants and needs to.
Insulin A substance (enzyme) produced by the
pancreas, which controls the amount of sugar in the
blood. Injections of insulin are sometimes needed by
persons with diabetes.
Intestinal parasites Worms and tiny animals that
get in people’s intestines and cause diseases.
Intestines The guts or tube-like part of the food
canal that carries food and finally waste from the
stomach to the anus.
Intramuscular (IM) injection An injection put into a
muscle, usually of the arm or the buttock—different
from an intravenous (IV) injection, put directly into a
vein.
Intussusception The slipping of one portion of the
gut into one nearby, usually causing a dangerous
obstruction or blocking of the gut.
Iris The colored or dark part of the eye around the
pupil.
J
Jaundice A yellow color of the eyes and skin. It is a
sign of disease in the liver, gallbladder, pancreas, or
blood.