Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Types Of Medical Dictionaries

By Allan Tan

A medical dictionary is a reference used to inform people of definitions of medical terms including diseases and illnesses. Some medical dictionaries are available on the Internet while others are in book form.

Some home medical references are medical dictionaries designed for use by parents. These often include more information on common childhood illnesses and symptoms.

One purpose of a medical dictionary for home use is to allow people to judge whether the symptoms require emergency medical attention or a doctors appointment. If a person thinks that the symptoms might require emergency medical attention, the person should not hesitate to call emergency medical services instead of taking the time to look up the problem in a book.

Definitions for medical terms and the names of diseases or conditions can be found on websites with medical dictionaries. However, the definition may include medical terminology instead of plain language that is easy for everyone to understand. Also, very little information beyond a concise definition is found on most medical dictionaries on the Internet.

A medical or health website usually offers more information. The information provided on a health website is often more user friendly as it contains less technical terms than a standard medical dictionary does.

The Mayo Clinic and other well-known hospitals maintain websites that have extensive information on diseases and illnesses. The details about causes, treatments, and symptoms of the illness are generally provided.

Some medical dictionaries are focused on a specialty. For example, the medical dictionary for psychiatric illnesses is called the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM). The DSM outlines the symptoms of mental disorders and the diagnostic criteria of each.

A search on a search engine can reveal numerous websites with related medical information. However, not all medical information available online is accurate.

Some questionable medical advice and medical information is spread on the Internet. One example is home remedies that can be potentially dangerous. A person with a medical question should consider asking a physician rather than relying on information found on the Internet.

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