| PABA | See Para Aminobenzoic Acid. |
| PAF | Often PAF antagonist: Platelet activating factor inhibitor. PAF activates platelets to secrete serotonin and other mediators to cause smooth-muscle contraction and vascular permeability, involved in asthma; a PAF antagonist counters these effects. |
| Palliate | See Palliative. |
| Palliates | See Palliative. |
| Palliative | |
| Pancreas | |
| Pancreatic | See Pancreas. |
| Pancreatitis | |
| Pancytopenia | |
| Panic Attack | |
| Panic Attacks | See Panic Attack. |
| Panic Disorder | |
| Pantothenic Acid | |
| Pap Smear | See Pap Test. |
| Pap Test | |
| Papain | |
| Para Aminobenzoic Acid | |
| Paracrine | Hormonal response from cell to cell near a secretory site. |
| Parametritis | Inflammation of the tissues adjacent to the uterus. |
| Parasite | |
| Parasites | See Parasite. |
| Parasitic | See Parasite. |
| Parasitical | See Parasite. |
| Parasympathetic | |
| Parasympatholytic | Agent, such as atropine, that annuls or antagonizes the effects of the parasympathetic nervous system. |
| Parasympathomimetic | Drugs or chemicals having an action resembling that caused by stimulation of the parasympathetic nervous system, e.g., acetylcholine. |
| Parathyroid | |
| Parathyroid Gland | See Parathyroid. |
| Parathyroid Glands | See Parathyroid. |
| Parathyroid Hormone | |
| Parathyroids | See Parathyroid. |
| Parenchymal | These are cells in a tissue or tissues in an organ that are concerned with function. These are the characteristic cells or tissues that "do the actual stuff." |
| Parenteral | |
| Paresthesia | |
| Parkinson's | See Parkinson's Disease. |
| Parkinson's Disease | |
| Parotid | |
| Pathologist | See Pathology. |
| Pathology | Disease, particularly one with clear and obvious changes in structure or function; the study of same. |
| Pellagra | |
| Pelvic Inflammatory Disease | |
| Pelvis | |
| Peptic Ulcer | |
| Peptic Ulcers | See Peptic Ulcer. |
| Perfusion | Usually Coronary/Myocardial perfusion: Flow of blood to the heart and/or blood vessels surrounding the heart. |
| Periapical Abscess | An abscess or pus pocket around the apex of the root of a tooth, sometimes called a gumboil. |
| Pericarditis Sicca | Fibrinous inflammation of the external surface of the heart and its surrounding membrane without the accumulation of fluid. |
| Perimenopausal | See Perimenopause. |
| Perimenopause | |
| Periodontitis | |
| Periostitis | Inflammation of the thick fibrous membrane surrounding a bone. |
| Peripheral Vision | |
| Peristalsis | |
| Peritoneum | |
| Perivascular | |
| Pernicious Anemia | |
| Peroxidation | |
| Peroxide | See Peroxides. |
| Peroxides | |
| Perthes Disease | |
| Petechial | Fine, pinhead-sized hemorrhages on the skin. |
| Peyer's Patches | |
| Peyronie's Disease | |
| pg | See Picogram. |
| PGE | See Prostaglandin E. |
| pH | A measure of an environment's acidity or alkalinity. The more acidic the solution, the lower the pH. For example, a pH of 1 is very acidic; a pH of 7 is neutral; a pH of 14 is very alkaline. |
| Phagocytosis | |
| Pharmacokinetics | The study of the absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of drugs and other substances in living organisms. |
| Pharmacological | |
| Pharyngeal | See Pharynx. |
| Pharyngitis | |
| Pharynx | |
| Phenylalanine | |
| Phenylketonuria | |
| Pheochromocytoma | |
| Phlebectasia | |
| Phlebitis | |
| Phlegm | |
| Phosphatidylcholine | See Lecithin. |
| Phosphaturia | The presence of excess phosphates in the urine. This occurs in -- and can even cause -- alkaline urine (it's normally acidic), resulting in cloudy urine, small particle sedimentation, and the more common kinds of kidney stones. |
| Phospholipid | |
| Phosphorus | |
| Phosphorylation | |
| Photosensitization | Process of increasing sensitivity to sunlight. |
| Phytochemical | See Phytochemicals. |
| Phytochemicals | |
| Phytoestrogen | |
| Phytoestrogens | See Phytoestrogen. |
| Phytonutrient | |
| Phytonutrients | See Phytonutrient. |
| Phytosterol | A sterol derived from plants. |
| Picogram | 0.000000000001 or a trillionth of a gram. |
| Picoliter | 0.000000000001 or one trillionth of a liter. |
| PID | See Pelvic Inflammatory Disease. |
| Pilonidal Cyst | See Boil. |
| Pilonidal Cysts | See Boil. |
| Pineal | |
| Pineal Gland | See Pineal. |
| Pinworm | See Pinworms. |
| Pinworm Infection | See Pinworms. |
| Pinworms | |
| Pitta | See Dosha. |
| Pituitary | |
| Pituitary Gland | See Pituitary. |
| Pityriasis Versicolor | See Tineas. |
| pL | See Picoliter. |
| Placebo | A pharmacologically inactive substance. Often used to compare clinical responses against the effects of pharmacologically active substances in experiments. |
| Placebos | See Placebo. |
| Plantar Fascia | |
| Plantar Fasciitis | |
| Platelet | See Platelets. |
| Platelet Aggregation | |
| Platelets | |
| Pleurisy | |
| pmol | See mol. |
| PMS | See Premenstrual Syndrome. |
| Pneumonia | |
| Pneumonitis | See Pneumonia. |
| Polydipsia | Chronic excessive thirst. |
| Polyp | |
| Polyps | See Polyp. |
| Polyunsaturated | |
| Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid | |
| Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids | See Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid. |
| Polyuria | Excess urination. The excreted wastes may stay unchanged but they are dissolved in a far higher volume of water. Causes include drinking too much, diabetes, kidney disease, elevated thyroid function and others. |
| Porphyria | |
| Porphyrias | See Porphyria. |
| Portal circulation | Circulation in which the outflow from one organ goes directly to a second organ, most commonly used to refer to the venous circulation of the intestine which goes to the liver. |
| Post Traumatic Stress Disorder | |
| Postmenopausal | See Postmenopause. |
| Postmenopause | |
| Post-Nasal Drip | |
| Postpartum | After childbirth. |
| Postpartum Depression | |
| Postprandial | Following a meal. |
| Posttraumatic Stress Disorder | See Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. |
| Potassium | |
| Poultice | |
| Pound | 454 grams, or about half a kilogram. |
| ppb | Parts Per Billion. A measure of the concentration of a substance, usually in air or water. |
| ppm | Parts Per Million. A measure of the concentration of a substance, usually in air or water. |
| Precancerous Lesion | |
| Precancerous Lesions | See Precancerous Lesion. |
| Precursor | A biochemical substance, such as an intermediate compound in a chain of enzymatic reactions, from which a more stable or definitive product is formed. |
| Precursors | See Precursor. |
| Preeclampsia | |
| Premenopausal | See Premenopause. |
| Premenopause | |
| Premenstrual Syndrome | |
| Pressor | An agent, neurologic or hormonal, that increases blood pressure. |
| Previtamin | See Provitamin. |
| Previtamins | See Provitamin. |
| Proanthocyanidin | |
| Proanthocyanidins | See Proanthocyanidin. |
| Probiotic | |
| Probiotics | See Probiotic. |
| Proctitis | |
| Prodrug | A drug whose actions result from its conversion by metabolic processes within the body. |
| Progesterone | |
| Prognosis | A prediction (estimate) of the future course and outcome of a disease and an indication of the likelihood of recovery from that disease. |
| Prolactin | |
| Prolotherapy | |
| Propolis | |
| Prostaglandin | |
| Prostaglandin E | |
| Prostaglandins | See Prostaglandin. |
| Prostate | |
| Prostatectomy | |
| Prostatitis | |
| Protease | |
| Protein | Compounds composed of hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen present in the body and in foods that form complex combinations of amino acids. Protein is essential for life and is used for growth and repair. Foods that supply the body with protein include animal products, grains, legumes, and vegetables. Proteins from animal sources contain the essential amino acids. Proteins are changed to amino acids in the body. |
| Proteins | See Protein. |
| Proteinuria | |
| Proteolytic | |
| Prothrombin | |
| Protoporphyria | |
| Protozoa | See Protozoan. |
| Protozoan | |
| Provitamin | |
| Provitamins | See Provitamin. |
| Proximal | Nearer to a point of reference such as an origin, a point of attachment, or the midline of the body. |
| Pruritis Ani | Anal itching. |
| Pruritus | |
| Pseudomelanosis Coli | Changes in the pigmentation of the colon. |
| Psoralen | |
| Psoralens | |
| Psoriasis | |
| Psychoanaleptic | Psychoanaleptic drugs: Central nervous system stimulants that reverse depression. |
| Psychogenic | |
| PTSD | See Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. |
| PUFA | See Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid. |
| PUFAs | See Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid. |
| Pulmonary | See Lung. |
| Pulmonary Edema | |
| Pulpitis | Inflammation, usually infectious, of the pulp of a tooth. |
| Purine | See Purines. |
| Purines | |
| Purpura | |
| Pus | |
| Pustule | |
| Pycnogenol | |
| Pyelitis | See Pyelonephritis. |
| Pyelonephritis | |
| Pylori | See Helicobacter Pylori. |
| Pylorospasm | Abnormal contraction of the lower sphincter of the stomach. |
| Pylorus | |
| Pyorrhea | See Periodontitis. |
| Pyretic | Fever-inducing agent. |
| Pyridoxine | |
| Pyroluria | |
