Glossary Term - R
Alphabetical glossary of health & disability services, health terms and general MidCentral District Health Board information.
Radiologist
Sometimes, doctors use special machines to take pictures of the inside your body. The pictures that they take look very strange, and radiologists help to look at them, so that the doctors can find out what's going on.
Radiography
Making pictures using radioactive materials, like x-rays.
Radiology
The study of making pictures using radioactive materials, like x-rays.
Radiotherapy
Using radioactive materials to treat diseases.
Radius
One the bones in your arm, on the side of your thumb.
Rectum
This is the last part of your digestive system and is where your faeces (poo) is stored until you need to go to the toilet.
Red Blood Cells
Red blood cells carry oxygen from your lungs to cells around your body.
Reflex
An automatic response to something. For instance, a doctor checks your reflex by hitting a special part of your knee that makes your leg move upwards.
Regional Cancer Treatment Service
Relapse
If you’ve had a disease that has gone away for a while, and then it comes back, the doctors will say you’ve had a relapse.
Relaxation Techniques
Ways of relaxing using deep breathing, visualisation and muscle relaxation.
Remission
If you’ve got a disease and it goes away, doctors will say that you’re in remission. It doesn’t mean that you’ve been cured, as the disease could come back (relapse).
Renal
Resection
An operation where a section of all or part of a diseased part of your body.
Respiratory
Respiratory System
This consists of your trachea (windpipe), bronchi and lungs. Its job is to take the oxygen out of the air you breathe so it can be absorbed by the body.
Retina
The layer on the back of your eyeball where pictures are converted into nerve signals which your brain understands.
Rheumatology
Risk Management
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Last Updated 10/01/2008