Plain-Language Decoder

A protein the immune system makes to lock on to one specific germ or substance it has met before.

Used in: COVID-19 Testing

The part of a germ or substance that the immune system recognises and reacts to. An "antigen test" looks for that part directly.

Used in: COVID-19 Testing

A preparation that trains the immune system to recognise a specific germ, so the body can respond faster if it meets it later.

Used in: Acceptance of the Pfizer COVID Vaccine What you… · Bringing YOUR CHILD Home · Delta Variant What you ought to Know

An additional dose of a vaccine given after the first course, to restore protection that has faded over time.

Used in: Acceptance of the Pfizer COVID Vaccine What you… · Bringing YOUR CHILD Home · Delta Variant What you ought to Know

The process of becoming protected against a disease, usually through vaccination. Also spelled immunisation.

Used in: Teenagers How To REMAIN HEALTHY - Health and… · Unsure Concerning the COVID-19 Vaccine Speak to your… · Women's Guideline to Preventive Care - Breasts Health

Testing people who do not have symptoms, to find a condition earlier than it would otherwise be noticed.

Used in: Blood Test Lipid Panel · Depression in Kids and Teens · CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE Assessing Your Risk

An X-ray image of the breast, used in screening for breast cancer.

Used in: Women's Guideline to Preventive Care - Breasts Health

An imaging scan that uses sound waves rather than X-rays to produce a picture of tissue inside the body.

Used in: Screening Within Pregnancy - Genetic Screening · Your Baby's Development THE NEXT Trimester

One of the three roughly three-month stages a pregnancy is divided into.

Used in: Screening Within Pregnancy - Genetic Screening · Your Baby's Development THE NEXT Trimester

Relating to the period of pregnancy. "Gestational age" means how far along a pregnancy is.

Used in: Premature Birth

Before birth. Prenatal care is the care given during pregnancy.

Used in: Premature Birth · Screening Within Pregnancy - Genetic Screening

The period after giving birth.

Used in: Bringing YOUR CHILD Home

The release of an egg from an ovary, part of the menstrual cycle.

Used in: Busting Period Myths

Relating to the medical care of children. Also spelled paediatric.

Used in: Patient Story Child With Cancer Maintains Standard of… · Patient Story Physical Therapy Helps Teenager Go back…

The medical name for repeated, involuntary stool soiling in a child old enough to be toilet-trained.

Used in: Stool Soiling and Constipation inside Children

Passing stools less often than usual, or with difficulty because they are hard or dry.

Used in: Cholesterol-lowering Medicines · Stool Soiling and Constipation inside Children

A fatty substance carried in the blood. The body needs some of it; a blood test reports how much there is and in what form.

Used in: Blood Test Lipid Panel · Bringing YOUR CHILD Home · Busting Period Myths

Relating to the heart and the blood vessels.

Used in: Artificial Hydration and Nutrition · Blood Test Lipid Panel · Bringing YOUR CHILD Home

Relating to breathing — the lungs and airways.

Used in: Patient Tale Physical Therapy Helps Cyclist Overcome Problems… · Vacationing Safely During COVID-19

Long-lasting or persistent. The opposite of acute, which means short and sudden.

Used in: Blood Test Lipid Panel · Patient Story Man Who Lost 300 Pounds Credits… · Patient Story Physical Therapy Helps Teenager Go back…

The body's reaction to injury or infection, which can show as redness, heat, swelling or pain.

Used in: Acceptance of the Pfizer COVID Vaccine What you… · Artificial Hydration and Nutrition · Spider Bites

A condition in which the body cannot properly control the level of sugar (glucose) in the blood.

Used in: Blood Test Lipid Panel · CBD Oil · Cholesterol as well as your Child

Not having enough fluid in the body.

Used in: Artificial Hydration and Nutrition · Bringing YOUR CHILD Home

A body temperature above the normal range, often a sign that the body is responding to an infection.

Used in: Acceptance of the Pfizer COVID Vaccine What you… · Bringing YOUR CHILD Home · How exactly to Treat a Cold Sore

A medicine that treats infections caused by bacteria. It has no effect on viruses.

Used in: Spider Bites

A medicine that acts against viruses.

Used in: How exactly to Treat a Cold Sore

A persistent low mood and loss of interest, lasting weeks or longer and affecting daily life — distinct from ordinary sadness.

Used in: Depression in Kids and Teens · Mental Health Myths End the Stigma · Patient Story Medicare Treatment Cap Results in More…

Worry or fear that persists, is out of proportion to the situation, or gets in the way of daily life.

Used in: Caring for a member of family Who Has… · Mental Health Myths End the Stigma · Patient Story Medicare Treatment Cap Results in More…

The negative attitudes attached to a condition, which can discourage people from talking about it or seeking help.

Used in: Mental Health Myths End the Stigma · Talking to YOUR PHYSICIAN About Your Mental Health

Treatment intended to relieve or manage a condition — the word covers talking therapies and physical therapy alike.

Used in: CBD Oil · How exactly to Treat a Cold Sore · Mental Health Myths End the Stigma