(1) A large loss of blood from a blood vessel. (2) A rapid and uncontrollable loss or outflow.

A hemorrhage usually results from either a severe blow to the body or from medication being taken for something else. Though many hemorrhages aren't particularly serious, those that occur in the brain (cerebral hemorrhages) can be life-threatening. In older people, hemorrhages are often caused by blood- thinning medication taken to prevent heart attacks. A bruise (or *hematoma*) is a hemorrhage close enough to the surface of the skin to be visible. *Hemorrhage* is also a verb, which isn't always used to talk about actual blood; thus, we may hear that a business is hemorrhaging money, or that the U.S. has been hemorrhaging industrial jobs for decades. Be careful when writing *hemorrhage*; it's not an easy word to spell.

The study of blood and blood-forming organs.

Blood is basic to almost all the body's functions, and a blood test can reveal more about your physical condition than almost any other kind of examination, so hematology is an important medical specialty, with many separate subjects. Since blood cells are formed in the bone marrow, the bones are one important focus for *hematologists*. The coagulation, or thickening, of the blood is another important subject, since coagulation is what keeps us from bleeding to death from even small wounds. And there are dozens of serious blood diseases, including anemia (a lack of red blood cells) and leukemia (cancer involving a buildup of white blood cells).

A bleeding disorder caused by the blood's inability to coagulate.

The dreaded disease known as hemophilia is the result of an inherited gene, and almost always strikes boys rather than girls (though mothers may pass the gene to their sons). Since the blood lacks an ingredient that causes it to clot or coagulate when a blood vessel breaks, even a minor wound can cause a *hemophiliac* to bleed to death if not treated. Bleeding can be particularly dangerous when it's entirely internal, with no visible wound, since the person may not be aware it's happening. Queen Victoria transmitted the hemophilia gene to royal families all across Europe; the hemophilia of a young Russian prince played a part in the downfall of the Russian czars. Today, hemophiliacs take drugs that stop the bleeding by speeding coagulation, and hemophiliac life expectancies in developed countries are almost as long as the average.

When filled with oxygen, the hemoglobin in your blood is bright red; returning to the lungs without its oxygen, it loses its brightness and becomes somewhat bluish. Hemoglobin levels can change from day to day, and may be affected by such factors as a lack of iron in the diet, a recent loss of blood, and being pregnant. When you give blood, a nurse first pricks your finger to test your hemoglobin level; a low hemoglobin count indicates anemia and may mean that you shouldn't give blood that day. Mild anemia is generally of little importance, but some types can be very serious. ## ITIS **ITIS**, a suffix found in both Greek and Latin, means “disease” or “inflammation.”

Inflammation of a lubricating sac (bursa), especially of the shoulder or elbow.

A bursa is a little pouch filled with fluid that sits between a tendon and a bone. When the fluid becomes infected by bacteria or irritated by too much movement, bursitis results. Throwing a baseball too many times at one session, for example, may inflame and irritate one of the bursae (notice the plural form) in the shoulder. Bursitis in another part of the body may be known by a traditional name such as “housemaid's knee,” “soldier's heel,” or “tennis elbow.” Bursitis generally goes away after a few weeks of resting the affected area, and the pain can be treated with ice packs and aspirin.

Inflammation of the liver.

The liver, the body's largest gland, performs many important tasks, but is also vulnerable to many illnesses. At least five types of hepatitis, labeled with the letters A–E, are caused by viruses. The most common are hepatitis A, acquired through contaminated food and water; hepatitis B, which usually travels via sexual activity or shared needles; and hepatitis C, generally passed through shared needles. Some other types, including alcoholic hepatitis (caused by drinking too much alcohol), aren't infectious. There are vaccines for types A and B, and drug treatments for A, B, and C, though the drugs aren't always effective.

Inflammation of the bronchial tubes.

The *bronchial* tubes carry air into the tiny branches and smaller cells of the lungs. In bronchitis, the tubes become sore and you develop a deep cough. Bronchitis caused by bacteria can be treated with antibiotics, but there's no drug treatment for the more common kind caused by a virus. A bout of bronchitis may involve a couple of weeks of coughing (with no laughing allowed), weakness, and loss of energy and interest in doing things. Apart from that, bronchitis is rarely serious—at least if it doesn't progress to pneumonia.

A painful condition in which a tendon in the arm or leg becomes inflamed.

Tendinitis is often seen in active, healthy people who do something that requires repeated motion, including golfers and tennis players (especially those with improper form), carpenters, and violinists. It's usually treated by keeping the joint from moving, by means of a splint, cast, or bandage. If not dealt with in time, tendinitis can turn into the more serious *tendinosis*, or tendon degeneration. ```