General Medical⭐⭐⭐ Very Common
Pain
/payn/Simple Meaning:
Unpleasant physical sensation signalling tissue injury.
Complex sensory experience mediated by nociceptors in response to actual or potential tissue damage.
Clinical & Layman Language Dictionary (Deduplicated A–Z)
Medical Terms & Simple Meanings A–Z
Search over 153+ verified medical terms. Clear layman definitions, clinical explanations, frequency ratings (⭐⭐⭐ Very Common), pronunciations, and body system tags.
Showing 13 Medical Terms (Letter "P")Reset Filters
Cardiovascular⭐⭐⭐ Very Common
Palpitations
/pal-pih-TAY-shuhnz/Simple Meaning:
Uncomfortable awareness of one's heartbeat.
Sensation of rapid, thumping, fluttery, or skipped heartbeats reported during arrhythmia or anxiety.
Hematology⭐⭐⭐ Very Common
Pallor
/PAL-er/Simple Meaning:
Unusual paleness of the skin.
Paleness of skin and mucosal membranes caused by reduced cutaneous blood flow or low red blood cell count in anemia.
Neurological⭐⭐ Common
Paresthesia
/pair-es-THEE-zee-uh/Simple Meaning:
Tingling or "pins and needles" sensation.
Abnormal spontaneous cutaneous sensation occurring without external physical stimulus.
Neurological⭐⭐ Common
Paralysis
/puh-RAL-ih-sis/Simple Meaning:
Complete loss of muscle movement.
Loss of voluntary motor function in one or more muscle groups caused by central or peripheral neural lesion.
Neurological⭐⭐ Common
Paresis
/puh-REE-sis/Simple Meaning:
Partial muscle weakness or incomplete loss of movement.
Slight or partial paralysis characterized by reduced muscle strength rather than complete motor loss.
Hematology⭐⭐ Common
Petechiae
/puh-TEE-kee-ee/Simple Meaning:
Tiny pinpoint red spots of bleeding under skin.
Non-blanching subcutaneous hemorrhagic spots < 2 mm caused by capillary fragility or thrombocytopenia.
ENT⭐⭐ Common
Pharyngitis
/fair-in-JYE-tis/Simple Meaning:
Inflammation of the throat (sore throat).
Inflammatory infection of pharyngeal mucosa caused by Group A Streptococcus or respiratory viruses.
Neurological⭐⭐ Common
Photophobia
/foe-toe-FOE-bee-uh/Simple Meaning:
Unusual sensitivity or intolerance to light.
Ocular discomfort or pain produced by light exposure, seen in corneal abrasions, uveitis, and migraine.
Respiratory⭐⭐⭐ Very Common
Phlegm
/flem/Simple Meaning:
Thick mucus coughed up from airways.
Mucopurulent bronchial secretion expectorated during respiratory tract infections.
Respiratory⭐⭐ Common
Pleuritic Pain
/ploor-IT-ik payn/Simple Meaning:
Sharp chest pain that worsens with deep breathing.
Sharp stabbing pain resulting from friction between inflamed visceral and parietal pleural layers during respiration.
Dermatological⭐⭐ Common
Pustule
/PUS-tyool/Simple Meaning:
Small skin lesion containing yellow pus.
Small circumscribed epidermal elevation filled with neutrophils and purulent exudate.
Hematology⭐⭐ Common
Purpura
/PUR-pyoo-ruh/Simple Meaning:
Purple-red skin spots caused by bleeding under skin.
Non-blanching hemorrhagic skin lesions measuring 3–10 mm, resulting from vasculitis or bleeding disorders.
This information is educational only and does not replace professional medical advice.