Glossary Term - C
Alphabetical glossary of health & disability services, health terms and general MidCentral District Health Board information.
Cancer
A group of diseases that are caused by cells forming in an uncontrolled way. There are lots of different types of cancer – some are easier to treat than others and some affect children more than adults. Research has meant that cancer is much more treatable than it was thirty years ago.
Cannula
A cannula is an extremely thin plastic tube that is put into a vein to give medicines.
Capillaries
These are the smallest blood vessel – most of them are only big enough to allow a red blood cell through. They're about 0.008mm in diameter – really small!
Car Parking
Cardiology
‘Cat' or CT Scan
If you've heard someone talking about a cat scan, they actually mean a CT scan. This is a special type of x-ray that can see inside your body. Normal x-rays can only see bones but CT scans can see a lot more, and they help doctors to find out what's going on.
Cataract
An eye condition where the lens becomes cloudy. This stops you seeing very well. It can affect anyone but it’s more common in older people. It’s fixed by removing the lens and replacing it.
Catheter
A flexible plastic tube that is used for draining off liquid – for instance, from your bladder.
Cell
These are the building blocks of your body. Every part is made up of billions of cells each of which do a different job.
Central Nervous System
This consists of your brain and spinal cord and is referred to as the CNS system for short.
Central Sterile Supply Department
Cerebellum
Part of your brain that is responsible for movement and balance. It’s at the bottom of your brain, lying next to your spinal cord.
Cerebrospinal Fluid
This is the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. It’s often called CSF.
Cerebrum
The main part of your brain where most of your thinking happens. It’s split into two parts (hemispheres). While we know how the brain is formed, we still don’t really understand how it works.
Cervical Screening
Chaplains
Chemotherapy
This is a type of drug treatment used for people with cancer. The medicines are very strong and some have side effects, like making your hair fall out.
Child, Adolescent & Family Services
Chromosome
Structures that are found in every cell, which carry genetic material that makes you like your parents. Chromosomes are arranged in pairs and each cell contains 22 pairs of chromosomes and two others called sex chromosomes. It’s the sex chromosomes that decide whether you’re a boy or a girl. If you’re a boy, you have one X chromosome and one Y chromosome and if you’re a girl, you have two X chromosomes.
Chronic
Something that develops slowly or is around for a long time. For instance, you can have chronic kidney disease, which develops slowly over a period of time.
Civil Defence
Clavicle
The medical word for your collarbone – the ridge you can feel from your shoulders to in front of your neck.
Clevely Health Centre
Client-Centered Therapy
This is a form of psychological therapy that emphasises acceptance of the client and unconditional positive regard.
Clinical Audit & Training
Coccyx
The four lowest vertebras in your back and they’re the leftovers from our tails before we developed into humans!
Cochlea
The bit of the inner ear that turns sounds into nerve messages which travel to the brain.
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
This psychological therapy is based on looking at how our belief systems and attitudes might affect how we feel, with some specific skills based approaches such as problem solving, relaxation techniques, and biofeedback.
Coping Strategies
People use different ways of coping with the demands they experience in life. With the new demands that come with an illness such as cancer people sometimes benefit from help in learning and using new strategies to effectively cope. These coping strategies can be both practical and psychological.
Colon
The colon is also known as the large bowel and it's a part of your intestines - which help you to process food.
Coma
When a person is in a coma, they are deeply unconscious and don’t respond to anything going on around them. People can recover from being in a coma sometimes after months or years!
Commercial Support Services
Communications
Community Mental Health Services
Community midwives
Complaints
Congenital
Congenital means that you have a problem or illness from the time you were born.
Continuing Care Services
Consent
The legal term for when you agree to something happening. If you’re due to have an operation, your parents will be asked to give their consent if you’re under 16 years old. If you’re 16 or older, the doctors will ask you. Usually, you’ll have to sign a form to give your consent. You don’t have to agree to something if you don’t want to – this is totally okay.
Contracts
Cornea
The front part of your eye that is very tough and prevents you injuring your eye. It’s transparent and covers the coloured part of your eye (iris) and the pupil too.
Coronary Care Unit
Corporate Services
Cramp
This is when you’re muscles go into spasm and hurt. They’re really common and usually happen if you’ve kept the muscle tightened and in the same position for a long time. You can get writer’s cramp, which is when the muscles in your hand seize up when you’ve been writing for a long time. You can get rid of cramp by massaging or stretching the muscle that is in spasm.
Crisis Intervention Services
Customer Relations
Cystoscopy
A test that lets the doctor look inside and around your bladder.
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Last Updated 14/10/2007