Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV): A balance disorder that results in the sudden onset of dizziness, spinning, or vertigo when moving the head.
Read Also:
- Benign prostatic hyperplasia
A common, noncancerous enlargement of the prostate gland. The enlarged prostate may compress the urinary tube (urethra), which courses through the center of the prostate, impeding the flow of urine from the bladder through the urethra to the outside. Abbreviated BPH. If BPH is severe enough, complete blockage can occur. BPH generally begins after age […]
- Benign sleep myoclonus
Benign sleep myoclonus: A distinctive disorder of sleep in infancy characterized by rhythmic myoclonic jerks (sudden muscle contractions) which occur when the child is asleep and which stop when the child is awakened. Sleep myoclonus usually disappears after a few weeks, in most cases by 3 months of age, as the sleep patterns mature. Benign […]
- Benzene
Benzene: A sweet smelling, highly toxic hydrocarbon. Long-term exposure to benzene is known to cause anemia and leukemia. The anemia associated with benzene exposure is termed aplastic anemia. The types of leukemia associated with benzene exposure are adult acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). It is thought that benzene induces DNA damage […]
- Benzidine
Benzidine: A compound used mainly for dyeing textiles and paper that is a known human carcinogen (cancer-causing agent). Benzidine was one of the first chemicals for which an association of occupational exposure and increased incidence of urinary bladder cancer in humans was reported.
- Benzo(a)pyrene
Benzo(a)pyrene: Abbreviated B(a)P. A member of a class of compounds known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The metabolites of B(a)P are mutagenic and highly carcinogenic. When the body tries to metabolize B(a)P, the resulting compounds react and bind to DNA which results in mutations and eventually cancer.