botox A highly purified preparation of botulinum toxin A, a toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Botox is injected, in very small amounts, into specific muscles, as a treatment. It acts by blocking the transmission of nerve impulses to muscles and so paralyzes (relaxes) the muscles. Botox treatment has found a growing number of…
bottlefeeding The practice of feeding an infant a substitute for breast milk. Pediatricians generally advise exclusively breastfeeding (that is, breastfeeding with no supplementary formula) for all fullterm, healthy infants for the first 6 months of life. However, many infants are bottlefed today, at least in part. For infants to achieve normal growth and maintain normal…
botulinum toxin A toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, which is the most poisonous biological substance known. Botulinum toxin is toxic to nerves. It binds to the nerve ending at the point where the nerve joins a muscle, blocking the release by the nerve of the chemical acetylcholine (the principal neurotransmitter at the neuromuscular…
botulism An uncommon but potentially very serious type of food poisoning that produces paralysis of muscles, from a nerve toxin called botulinum toxin that is produced by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum. There are various types of botulism, including food-borne, wound, infant intestinal, and adult intestinal botulism. The symptoms of botulism can range from mild, including…
boutonneuse See typhus, African tick.
bowel The small and large intestine.
bowel disease, inflammatory A group of chronic intestinal diseases characterized by inflammation of the bowel (the small and large intestine). Abbreviated IBD. The most common types of IBD are ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. The portion of the intestine that is affected becomes irritated and swollen, and ulcers may form. IBD can be limited to…
bowel disorders and fiber High-fiber diets help delay the progression of and number of bouts with diverticulosis. In many cases, high-fiber diets help reduce the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). It is generally accepted that a diet high in fiber is protective or at least reduces the incidence of colon polyps and colon cancer.
Bowen’s disease See cancer, skin.
bowlegs A condition in which the legs curve out, leaving a gap between the knees, after infancy. Bowlegs can be corrected with surgery or casting. Also known as genu varum and tibia vara.
BP In general medicine, blood pressure. On a medical chart, you might see “BP90/60 T98.6 Ht60/reg R15,” which signifies that the blood pressure (BP) is 90/60 mm Hg, the temperature (T) is 98.6° Fahrenheit, the heart rate (Ht) is 60 beats per minute and regular, and respirations are occurring at 15 per minute.
BPH Benign prostatic hyperplasia, benign prostatic hypertrophy.