M
- mainstreaming
- In an educational context, the practice of educating persons with special needs in regular classes during specific time periods based on their skills and abilities. This means that regular classes are periodically and temporarily combined with special education classes without full inclusion. American Red Cross Water Safety Instructor materials do not clearly define the differences between mainstreaming and inclusion. Alternatives to mainstreaming include separation, inclusion, and exclusion.
- malaise
- A generalized feeling of discomfort, illness, or lack of well-being.
- malaria
- A parasitic disease characterized by high fever, chills, flu-like symptoms, and anemia. Malaria is passed from person to person by the bite of infected mosquitoes that pass a parasite into the bloodstream and eventually the liver, where they mature into parasitic worms that re-enter the bloodstream to infest and destroy red blood cells. Malaria is a major health problem in the tropics and subtropics. The CDC estimates that there are 300-500 million cases of malaria each year and more than 1 million fatalities.
- malnutrition
- A condition caused by inadequate nourishment for an extended period of time.
- manner of death
- The legal classification of a person's death: accident, natural causes, homicide, suicide, or undetermined.
- marijuana
- A common name for cannabis sativa, the most commonly used illegal substance in the United States. Marijuana is usually smoked, although it can also be eaten. Marijuana intoxication involves euphoria, increased appetite, red eyes, relaxation, sleepiness, decreased short-term memory, impaired perception and motor skills, and feelings of panic and paranoia. Some states have legalized marijuana for medical purposes, such as pain relief and relaxation.
- masters swimming
- An organized program of swimming for adults (18 years old and up). Program options include everything from lap swimming to local, national, and international competition
- mechanism of injury
- The physical cause of a victim's trauma.
medial
Toward the middle or center of the body. The opposite of lateral.
medley relay
A competitive event in which each member of a four-member team swims one quarter of the total distance of the race using different swimming strokes in the following order: backstroke (back crawl), breaststroke, butterfly, and freestyle (front crawl).
melanoma
The most dangerous type of skin cancer, usually appearing as a mole that exhibits ABCD signs: Asymmetry, Borders that are irregular, Color changes, and Diameter (usually the size of a pencil eraser or larger).
melanoma of the eye
A rare, aggressive form of skin cancer that affects a part of the eye and has the following signs and symptoms: red eye, bulging eye, pain, change in iris color, decreased vision in the affected eye, and a small defect on the iris or conjuctiva of the eye.
memory loss
Unusual forgetfulness, either short-term, long-term, or both.
meningitis
A bacterial infection of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord.
metabolic rate
The amount of energy produced by the body during a given period of time.
metabolism
The set of physical and chemical reactions in the body that maintain life by harvesting energy from organic matter and using that energy to build cellular components that, in turn, enable the body to grow, reproduce, maintain structure, and respond to the environment.
midline
An imaginary line from head to toe that divides the body equally into right and left halves.
mid-season phase
A training period for competitive swimmers lasting about 8 to 12 weeks during which the swimmers begin to focus on individualized training goals, fine-tuning strokes, and quality workouts and dry-land training. The mid-season phase is preceded by the early season phase and followed by the taper phase to complete a training season.
migraine
A common type of headache that is usually severe and characterized by a throbbing sensation on one side of the head, nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound.
middle distance events
Swimming races in 200 to 400 yard/meter range.
milliampere, milliamp (mA)
One thousandth of an ampere.
millipede
A segmented, worm-like arthropod with 2 or 4 legs per body segment. When disturbed, some species exude a defensive liquid that can irritate the skin and burn the eyes.
minor
A person under the age of 18.
morbidity
A diseased condition or state.
morphine
A strong painkiller, sometimes intentionally abused for nontherapeutic purposes.
motor function
The ability of the brain and nervous system to direct body movements involving reflexive and voluntary muscles.
motor skill
A physical task or activity that requires precise, coordinated execution or performance.
mucosa
Another name for mucous membranes.
mucous membranes
Moist tissue that lines certain parts of the body, including the nose, mouth, lungs, and the urinary and digestive tracts. Glands in the mucous membranes release a thick fluid called mucus that prevent pathogens from entering the body.
muscle cramp
A painful involuntary contraction of a muscle or muscle group, occurring due to injury or overuse.
muscle memory
Familiar, habitual patterns of skill performance or body movement.
N
- naproxen
- A nonprescription nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used as an analgesic and sold under the brand names Aleve and Naprosyn.
- nasal airway
- A common name for the nasopharyngeal airway.
- nasopharyngeal airway (NPA)
- A type of airway adjunct that consists of a tube with a beveled end and a flared end, designed to be inserted (beveled end first) in the nasal passageway to secure an open airway.
- natural body of water
- Any unimproved beach, cove, creek, lagoon, lake, pond, river, stream, or wetland. When these bodies of water are not part of a designated swimming area and/or supervised by lifeguards, they pose many potential hazards, including cold water, currents, dams, dangerous aquatic life, drop-offs, and entrapment hazards. These areas should never be considered safe.
- near drowning
- A submersion incident that does not result in respiratory impairment.
- negative splits
- A training technique in which swimmers sprint the second half of a swim faster than the first half.
- negligence
- The failure to exercise reasonable care when such failure results in injury or damage to another.
- neonate
- An infant under 1 month of age.
- neoprene
- A synthetic rubber used in making of wet suits and skin diving/scuba equipment.
- nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)
- Any of the various nonopioid analgesics (e.g., ibuprofen, naproxen, etc.) that reduce pain and inflammation by reducing the production of hormones that sensitize pain receptors and cause blood vessels to dilate.
- normal sinus rhythm
- The regular contracting and relaxing pattern of the heart muscle that forces blood to flow to all parts of the body and produces the pulse. Heart muscle contractions are caused by an electrical signal generated by the sinoatrial node (SA node) located in the right atrium of the heart.
- nosebleed
- The discharge of blood from one or both nostrils caused by trauma to the nose, certain diseases and conditions such as high blood pressure, or the use of aspirin or other blood thinning drugs. About 90% of all nosebleeds involve anterior blood vessels that are easy to control through direct pressure and leaning forward (to avoid swallowing blood). Nosebleeds that involve posterior blood vessels are more difficult to stop and may require hospitalization.
- NPA
- Nasopharyngeal airway.
- NSAID
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug.
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