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Medical glossary

227 words and abbreviations, explained without jargon. Every one of them also appears inside our articles — hover or tap the dotted underline and the definition comes to you, so you never have to leave what you were reading.

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D

Dawn phenomenonA natural rise in blood sugar in the early morning, caused by hormones that prepare the body to wake. It makes fasting readings higher than expected.
Defence mechanismDefense mechanism, Defence mechanisms, Defense mechanismsAn automatic, mostly unconscious mental strategy that protects a person from painful feelings or thoughts, such as denial, projection or rationalisation. Everyone uses them.
DehydrationFluid depletion, Paani ki kami

Dehydration is a shortage of water and salts in the body, from losing more than is taken in through diarrhoea, vomiting, fever, heat or simply not drinking. In children and older people it becomes dangerous quickly and is the main cause of death from ordinary diarrhoea.

DelusionDelusions, False belief, ParanoiaA firmly held belief that is clearly untrue, does not change with evidence and is not explained by the person's culture or religion — such as being certain one is being poisoned or followed.

DepersonalisationDerealisation, Depersonalization, DerealizationFeeling detached from yourself, as if watching your own life from outside. Its twin, derealisation, is when the world around you seems unreal, foggy or dreamlike.

DepressionClinical depression, Major depressive disorder, Depressive disorderA medical condition in which low mood or loss of interest lasts most of the day, nearly every day, for at least two weeks, and affects sleep, energy and daily life.

DiabetesDiabetes mellitus, Sugar, ShugarDiabetes is a condition in which blood glucose stays too high, either because the body makes too little insulin or because it has stopped responding to it. Pakistan has one of the highest rates in the world, and a large share of people with it do not yet know.

Diabetic footDiabetic foot ulcer, Foot ulcerFoot problems caused by diabetes, where nerve damage hides an injury and poor circulation stops it healing. It is the leading cause of non-traumatic amputation.

Diabetic ketoacidosisDKAA medical emergency in which a severe lack of insulin makes the body burn fat for fuel, flooding the blood with acids called ketones.

Diabetic nephropathyDiabetic kidney disease, DKDKidney damage caused by diabetes. It is silent in the early stages and is found by a urine test, not by symptoms.

Diabetic neuropathyDiabetic nerve damage, Peripheral neuropathyNerve damage from long-standing high blood sugar, usually starting in the feet as numbness, tingling or burning.

Diabetic retinopathyDiabetic eye diseaseDamage to the small blood vessels at the back of the eye caused by years of high blood sugar. It causes no symptoms until it is advanced.

Dialectical behaviour therapyDBT, Dialectical behavior therapyA therapy for people whose emotions are very intense and hard to manage. It teaches practical skills for handling distress and relationships, and is best known for borderline personality disorder and self-harm.

DiastolicDiastolic pressure, The lower number, DiastoleDiastolic pressure is the lower of the two blood pressure numbers: the pressure remaining in the arteries while the heart relaxes and refills between beats. In a reading of 130 over 85, the diastolic pressure is 85.

Differential diagnosisDifferentials, The list of possibilitiesA differential diagnosis is the list of conditions that could explain a person's symptoms, ranked by likelihood and by danger. It is how a doctor thinks before a diagnosis is reached, and the reason questions and tests follow the order they do.

DissociationDissociating, Zoning out, Dissociative symptomsA disconnection between thoughts, feelings, memories, surroundings or sense of self — from mild zoning out to feeling unreal or losing time. It is often the mind's way of coping with overwhelming stress.

DiureticWater tablet, Water pillA diuretic is a medicine that makes the kidneys pass more salt and water into the urine, lowering blood pressure and clearing fluid that has built up in the legs or the lungs. They are commonly called water tablets.

DopamineDopamine hit, Dopamine detox, Pleasure chemicalA chemical messenger involved in motivation, reward, learning, movement and attention. It is better thought of as a "seeking and learning" chemical than a "pleasure chemical".

DSM-5DSM-5-TR, DSM, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental DisordersThe Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: the American Psychiatric Association's handbook of criteria for diagnosing mental health conditions. The current edition is DSM-5-TR (2022).

DyspnoeaDyspnea, Breathlessness, Shortness of breathDyspnoea is the medical word for breathlessness: the uncomfortable awareness of having to work at breathing. It is a symptom rather than a diagnosis, and it comes as often from the heart or the blood as from the lungs.

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Health, explained plainly. Written for Pakistan and checked by the clinic’s doctors before it is published.

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Aslam Clinic & Al-Shifa Laser Eye Center, Mohalla Masjid Siddique, Circular Road, Jalalpur Jattan

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