Doctor Mayumi Sariputra
When we fall sick, we see a doctor. Whenever we visit a clinic, we have several questions in our minds, be it about our health, about medicines, about the tools we see in the clinic, and much more. We certainly cannot resist asking these questions.
One such frequently asked question, what is ortho?
I am sure not many, but a few of you do not know about it. Nevertheless, whatever I share will be equally significant for those who know and those who do not know.
Ortho is derived from a Greek word, it is a prefix, which means “correct”, “straight” or “upright”.
If we talk only about ortho, this is the only meaning of it, but it is never just ortho. There are different suffixes added to this word, which are:
- Orthopaedics
- Orthodontics
- Orthopnea
- Orthography
- Orthostatic
Orthopedic or orthopaedic being the most common of all, read to know more about it.
Is it Orthopaedics or Orthopedics?
Orthopaedics is a British word form considered to be a non-American variant, while orthopedics is the commonly used term and has come from America.
What Does Orthopedic Mean?
Some addition to our knowledge never hurts!
Orthodontics is a dental branch which deals with correcting incorrect positioning of teeth and jaw. It a dental specialty branch that prevents and treats facial misdeeds and straightens curved teeth.
Orthopnea is a shortness of breath or breathlessness or difficulty in breathing when you are lying down. We already know what ortho means, so I will tell you about “pnea”, it simply means “to breathe”.
Orthography means a recognized way of writing words and letters that is a way that is accepted. It is a Greek word that means correct writing.
Orthostatic means standing erect, it is related to and can also be caused by upright posture. Orthostatic hypotension or hypertension, which means a decrease or increase in blood pressure soon after standing up or sitting upright.
Currently aware of these terms, I will come up with more and share them with you all.
Happy Reading!
