Medical Dictionary Definitions A-Z List
Medical Dictionary Definitions A - Z - «S»:
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Slapped cheek
Slapped cheek: See: Fifth disease...
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SLE (systemic lupus erythematosus)
SLE (systemic lupus erythematosus): A chronic inflammatory condition caused by an autoimmune disease. An autoimmune disease occurs
when the body's tissues are attacked by its own immune system. Patients with lupus have unusual antibodies in their blood that are targeted against their own body tissu...
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Sleep
Sleep: The body's rest cycle.
Sleep is triggered
by a complex group of hormones that are active in the main,
and that respond to cues from the body itself and the
environment. About 80 percent of sleep is dreamless, and is
known as non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep.
During NREM
sleep, the...
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Sleep apnea
Sleep apnea: The temporary stoppage of breathing during sleep, often
resulting in daytime sleepiness. Apnea is a Greek word that means "want of breath."
The most common form of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea. In
obstructive sleep apnea, the muscles of the soft palate around
the base of th...
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Sleep apnea, central
Sleep apnea, central: A breathing disorder characterized by
brief interruptions of breathing during sleep.
Central sleep apnea occurs when the brain fails to send the
appropriate signals to the breathing muscles to initiate
respirations. Central sleep apnea is less common than obstructive
sleep...
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Sleep apnea, obstructive
Sleep apnea, obstructive: Sleep apnea is a breathing disorder characterized by brief interruptions of breathing during sleep. It owes its name to a Greek word, apnea, meaning "want of breath."
There are two types of sleep apnea: central and obstructive.
Central sleep apnea occurs when the brain f...
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Sleep disorders
Sleep disorders: Any disorder that affects,
disrupts, or involves sleep. The most common sleep disorder
is probably snoring, although it is usually not medically
significant. Insomnia, sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome,
and sleepwalking are also sleep disorders. Most large
medical centers hav...
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Sleep drug
Sleep drug: Any drug used to help sleep. Most prescription sleep drugs are sedative hypnotic agents. They include Valium, Xanax, Restoril, Ambien, and Sonata....
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Sleep jerk
Sleep jerk: See: Hypnic jerk....
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Sleep paralysis
Sleep paralysis: A frightening form of paralysis that occurs when a person
suddenly finds himself or herself unable to move for a few minutes, most often
upon falling asleep or waking up. Sleep paralysis is due to an irregularity in
passing between the stages of sleep and wakefulness.
The symptom...
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Sleep restriction therapy
Sleep restriction therapy: A type of therapy in which the number of hours of sleep are restricted.
Sleep restriction therapy is used in insomnia. Some people with insomnia
spend too much time in bed unsuccessfully trying to sleep.
They may benefit from a sleep restriction program that at
first allo...
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Sleep start
Sleep start: See: Hypnic jerk....
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Sleep talking
Sleep talking: Talking in one's sleep is considered a normal phenomenon that is of no medical or psychological consequence. Also called somniloquy....
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Sleep, non-rapid eye movement
Sleep, non-rapid eye movement: NREM (non-rapid eye movement) sleep is dreamless sleep. During NREM, the brain waves on the electroencephalographic (EEG) recording are typically slow and of high voltage, the breathing and heart rate are slow and regular, the blood pressure is low, and the sleeper is...
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Sleep, NREM
Sleep, NREM: NREM (non-rapid eye movement) sleep is dreamless sleep. During NREM, the brain waves on the electroencephalographic (EEG) recording are typically slow and of high voltage, the breathing and heart rate are slow and regular, the blood pressure is low, and the sleeper is relatively still....
