multiple sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Glossary

Glossary - D

• deafness - partial or complete loss of hearing; inability to perceive sound
• delirium - temporary state of mental confusion resulting from high fever, intoxication, shock, or other causes, and characterized by anxiety, disorientation, memory impairment, hallucinations, trembling, and incoherent speech
• delusions - gross misrepresentations of reality; false belief, strongly held despite evidence to the contrary, especially as a symptom of mental illness. Typical delusions include those of illness, persecution, romance, grandeur, and control.
• dementia - a group of symptoms involving progressive impairment of brain function.
• depersonalization - disorder affecting emotions and behavior where one's own sense of reality is temporarily lost or changed
• diabetes insipidus - a rare form of diabetes resulting from a deficiency of vasopressin (ADH - Antidiuretic hormone - the pituitary hormone that regulates the kidneys); leads to frequent urination and pronounced thirst
• diabetes mellitus - disease marked by high levels of sugar in the blood and urine; disorder of carbohydrate metabolism
• diplopia - double vision
• duodenal ulcer - ulcer situated in the duodenum
• dyspnea - difficulty in breathing; shortness of breath
• dystonia - a movement disorder of neurological origin characterized by sustained muscle contractions, usually producing twisting and repetitive movements or abnormal postures or positions