Dictionary

Signs and symptoms

What a client reports and what a nurse observes, named the way charts and handoffs name them.

hallucinationHearing, seeing, feeling, smelling or tasting something that is not really there.

haloA ring shape: either a ring of light seen around lights, or a metal ring fixed to the skull to hold the neck still.

halo signA ring of clear or pale yellow fluid around a central spot of blood when drainage dries on gauze or a sheet.

Hamman signA crunching or crackling sound heard over the heart in time with the heartbeat.

headachePain in any part of the head.

heart murmurA whooshing or swishing sound heard with a stethoscope, made by blood flowing unevenly through the heart.

heartburnA burning feeling behind the breastbone or in the upper belly, often rising toward the throat.

Hegar signSoftening of the lower part of the uterus, felt by the examiner in early pregnancy.

hematemesisVomiting blood, either bright red or dark and grainy like coffee grounds.

hematocheziaPassing bright red or maroon blood from the rectum, alone or with stool.

hematomaA collection of blood, often clotted, that has leaked out of the blood vessels into the tissue.

hematuriaBlood in the urine, either seen by eye or found only by a test.

hemiplegiaParalysis of one side of the body.

hemoptysisCoughing up blood or blood-streaked mucus from the lungs or airways.

hemorrhageA large loss of blood from a blood vessel, inside the body or out of it.

hepatomegalyAn enlarged liver.

hirsutismThick, dark hair growing in a male-type pattern, such as on the face, chest or back, in a woman.

hoarsenessA rough, strained or breathy voice that is harder to make or sounds different from normal.

Homans signPain in the calf when the foot is bent sharply upward with the knee straight.

hopelessnessA feeling that things will not get better and that nothing a person does can change that.

Hutchinson teethSmall, widely spaced upper front teeth that are narrow at the biting edge, with a notch in the middle.

hyperactive bowel soundBowel sounds that are louder, more frequent or longer than normal when listening to the abdomen.

hyperactivityMore physical activity and restlessness than is usual for a person's age, with trouble staying still.

hyperpigmentationPatches of skin that are darker than the skin around them.

hypertensionBlood pressure that stays higher than normal, at or above 130/80 mm Hg by current US guidelines.

hypertensive crisisA severe rise in blood pressure, generally to a systolic above 180 or a diastolic above 120 mm Hg.

hyperthermiaA body temperature that is higher than normal because the body takes in or makes more heat than it can lose.

hyperventilationBreathing faster or deeper than the body needs, so too much carbon dioxide is breathed out.

hypoactiveLess active than normal.

hypoglycemiaA blood glucose level below normal, under 70 mg/dL.

hypotensionBlood pressure lower than normal, generally below 90/60 mm Hg in an adult.

hypothermiaA body temperature that has fallen below the normal range.

hypoventilationBreathing that is too slow or too shallow to remove enough carbon dioxide from the body.

hypoxemiaA level of oxygen in the blood below normal.

hypoxiaA lower than normal level of oxygen in the body's tissues.