Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Glossary of Terms

1. Understanding COPD Slideshow
2. COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) Quiz
3. Energy Foods for COPD Slideshow Pictures

Abnormal: Outside the expected norm, or uncharacteristic of a particular patient.

Acidosis: Too much acid in the body, a distinctly abnormal condition resulting from the ac...

Acute: Of abrupt onset, in reference to a disease. Acute often also connotes an illness th...

Acute bronchitis: inflammation of the breathing tubes within the lungs (bronchial tubes or...

Addiction: An uncontrollable craving, seeking, and use of a substance such as alcohol or a...

Adjacent: Lying nearby. Related terms include superjacent, subjacent, and circumjacent. Fr...

Aerobic: Oxygen-requiring. Aerobic bacteria need oxygen to grow. Aerobic exercise requires...

Aging: The process of becoming older, a process that is genetically determined and environ...

Airway: The path that air follows to get into and out of the lungs. The mouth and nose are...

Airway obstruction: Partial or complete blockage of the breathing passages to the lungs. C...

Alveoli: The plural of alveolus. The alveoli are tiny air sacs within the lungs where the ...

Analysis: In psychology, a term for conversation-based therapeutic processes used to gain ...

Anorexia: An eating disorder characterized by markedly reduced appetite or total aversion...

Antibiotic: A drug used to treat infections caused by bacteria and other microorganisms. ...

Anticholinergic: Opposing the actions of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Anticholinerg...

Antidepressant: Anything, and especially a drug, used to prevent or treat depression.

Anxiety: A feeling of apprehension and fear, characterized by physical symptoms such as pa...

Apnea: The absence of breathing (respiration).

Arms: An appendage in anatomy and in clinical trials. See: Arm.

Artery: A vessel that carries blood high in oxygen content away from the heart to the far...

Asthma: A common lung disorder in which inflammation causes the bronchi to swell and narro...

Atypical: Unusual, or not fitting a single diagnostic
category.

Bacteria: Single-celled microorganisms that can exist either as independent (free-living) ...

Brain: The portion of the central nervous system that is located within the skull. It func...

Breathing: The process of respiration, during which air is inhaled into the lungs through ...

Bronchitis: Inflammation and swelling of the bronchi. Bronchitis can be acute or chronic.

Bronchopulmonary: Pertaining to both the air passages (bronchi) leading to the lungs and t...

Bronchoscope: A thin, flexible instrument with a lighted viewing tube that is used to visu...

Bullae: More than one bulla, a bulla being a blister more than 5 mm (about 3/16 inch) in d...

Caffeine: A stimulant compound found naturally in coffee, tea, cocoa (chocolate), and kola...

Cannula: A hollow tube with a sharp, retractable inner core that can be inserted into a ve...

Carbon dioxide: A gas which is the byproduct of cellular metabolism and which collects in ...

Cardiac: Having to do with the heart.

Chest: The area of the body located between the neck and the abdomen. The chest contains t...

Chest X-ray: A type of X-ray commonly used to detect abnormalities in the lungs. A chest X...

Chronic: In medicine, lasting a long time. A chronic condition is one that lasts 3 months ...

Chronic bronchitis: Inflammation and swelling of the lining of the airways, leading to nar...

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: COPD. Any disorder that persistently obstructs bron...

Compress: Cloth or another material applied under pressure to an area of the skin and held...

Compression: 1. The act of pressing together. As in a compression fracture, nerve c...

Computerized tomography: Pictures of structures within the body created by a computer that...

COPD: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Any disorder that persistently obstructs bron...

Cor pulmonale: Heart disease that results from abnormally high resistance to the passage o...

Cough: A rapid expulsion of air from the lungs, typically in order to clear the lung airwa...

Cyanosis: A bluish color of the skin and the mucous membranes due to insufficient oxygen i...

Cystic fibrosis: A common grave genetic disease that affects the exocrine glands and is ch...

Deformation: A change from the normal size or shape of an anatomic structure due to mechan...

Depression: An illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts and that affects the way...

Diagnosis: 1 The nature of a disease; the identification of an illness. 2 A ...

Dilate: To stretch or enlarge. Also known as dilatate.

Distal: The more (or most) distant of two (or more) things. For example, the distal end of...

Dysfunction: Difficult function or abnormal function.

Dyspnea: Difficult or labored breathing; shortness of breath. Dyspnea is a sign of serious...

Emphysema: 1) A lung condition featuring an abnormal accumulation of air in the lung's ma...

Environmental tobacco smoke: Abbreviated ETS. Secondhand smoke. See: ETS.

Enzyme: A protein (or protein-based molecule) that speeds up a chemical reaction in a livi...

Essential: In medicine, of unknown cause, as in essential hypertension (high blood pressur...

Exacerbation: A worsening. In medicine, exacerbation may refer to an increase in the sever...

Fatigue: A condition characterized by a lessened capacity for work and reduced efficiency ...

Flu: Short for influenza. The flu is caused by viruses that infect the respiratory tract w...

Forced expiratory volume: The volume of air that can be forced out taking a deep breath, a...

Genetic: Having to do with genes and genetic
information.

Gland: A group of cells that secrete a substance for use in the body. For example, the thy...

Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease: See: GOLD.

Heart: The muscle that pumps blood received from veins into arteries throughout the body. ...

Heart failure: Inability of the heart to keep up with the demands on it and, specifically...

Hemithorax: Half of the thorax or, more simply, one side of the chest.

Hygiene: The science of preventive medicine and the preservation of health. Also commonly ...

Hypercapnia: A greater than normal level of carbon dioxide in the blood.

Hypoxemia: abnormally low levels of oxygen in the blood. Hypoxemia may be mild to severe a...

ICU: Intensive care unit. The intensive care unit is a designated area of a hospital facil...

Immunization: Vaccination. Immunizations work by stimulating the immune system, the natur...

Infection: The invasion and multiplication of microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, an...

Inflammation: A localized reaction that produces redness, warmth, swelling, and pain as a ...

Insomnia: The perception or complaint of inadequate or poor-quality sleep due to a number ...

Intensive care: See critical care.

Intervention: The act of intervening, interfering or interceding with the intent of modify...

Laboratory: A place for doing tests and research procedures, and for preparing chemicals a...

Lethargy: Abnormal drowsiness, stupor.

Liver: The largest solid organ in the body, situated in the upper part of the abdomen on t...

Lobe: Part of an organ that appears to be separate in some way from the rest. A lobe may b...

Lumen: A luminous term referring to the channel within a tube such as a blood vessel or to...

Lung volume reduction surgery: See: Lung reduction surgery.

Lungs: The lungs are a pair of breathing organs located with the chest which remove carbon...

Mechanical ventilation: Use of a machine called a ventilator or respirator to improve the ...

Metered-dose inhaler: Abbreviated MDI. A device that delivers a measured amount of medicat...

Morbidity: Illness, disease.

Mortality: A fatal outcome or, in one word, death. The word "mortality" is derived from "m...

Mortality rate: A death rate. There are a number of different types of mortality rates as,...

Mucous: Pertaining to mucus, a thick fluid produced by the lining of some tissues of the b...

Mucus: A thick fluid that is produced by the lining of some organs of the body.

Muscle: Muscle is the tissue of the body which primarily functions as a source of power. T...

Mycobacteria: Plural of mycobacterium.

Mycobacterium: A large family of bacteria that have unusually waxy cell walls that are res...

Nasal: Having to do with the nose.

Nausea: Stomach queasiness, the urge to vomit. Nausea can be brought on by many causes, in...

Nebulizer: A device for administering a medication by spraying a fine mist. Also known as ...

Nicotine: An alkaloid (a nitrogen-containing chemical) made by the tobacco plant or produc...

Nomenclature: A system of names used in a particular discipline, as in medicine and surger...

Obstruction: Blockage of a passageway. See, for example: Airway obstruction; Intestinal o...

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA): Sleep apnea is a breathing disorder characterized by brief ...

Onset: In medicine, the first appearance of the signs or symptoms of an illness as, for ex...

Outpatient: A patient who is not hospitalized, but instead comes to a physician?s office, ...

Oxygen: The odorless gas that is present in the air and necessary to maintain life. Oxygen...

Oxygenation: The addition of oxygen to any system, including the human body. Oxygenation m...

Pediatric: Pertaining to children.

Periphery: 1. The outside or surface of a structure; the portion outside the centr...

Physical therapy: A branch of rehabilitative health that uses specially designed exercises...

Pneumonia: Inflammation of one or both lungs, with dense areas of lung inflammation. Pneum...

Prevalence: The proportion of individuals in a population having a disease or characterist...

Prognosis: The forecast of the probable outcome or course of a disease; the patient's chan...

Progressive: Increasing in scope or severity, advancing, or going forward. For example, a ...

Prospective: Looking forward. A prospective study or a prospective clinical trial is one i...

Prospective study: A study in which the subjects are first identified and then followed fo...

Protein: One of the three nutrients used as energy sources (calories) by the body. Protein...

Pulmonary: Having to do with the lungs.

Pulmonary artery: One of the two vessels which are formed as terminal branches of the pulm...

Pulmonary function test: A test that is designed to measure how well the lungs are working...

Pulse: The rhythmic dilation of an artery that results from beating of the heart. Pulse is...

Quality of life: The patient's ability to enjoy normal life activities. Quality of life is...

Receptor: 1. In cell biology, a structure on the surface of a cell (or inside a cel...

Rehabilitation: The process of helping a person who has suffered an illness or injury rest...

Relapse: The return of signs and symptoms of a disease after a remission.

Reservoir: 1. A place where something such as water is kept in reserve.
2....

Resistance: Opposition to something, or the ability to withstand something. For example, s...

Respiratory: Having to do with respiration.

Respiratory failure: Inability of the lungs to perform their basic task of gas exchange, t...

Risk factor: Something that increases a person's chances of developing a disease. For exam...

Scan: As a noun, the data or image obtained from the examination of organs or regions of...

Second-hand smoke: Environmental tobacco smoke that is inhaled involuntarily or passively ...

Secondhand smoke: Smoke that comes from the burning end of a cigarette or that is exhaled ...

Shortness of breath: Difficulty in breathing. Medically referred to as dyspnea. Shortness ...

Sleep: The body's rest cycle.

Sleep apnea: The temporary stoppage of breathing during sleep, often resulting in daytime ...

Sputum: Mucous material from the lungs that is produced (brought up) by coughing.

Stage: As regards cancer, the extent of a cancer, especially whether the disease has spre...

Staging: stagingDoing exams and tests to learn the extent of a cancer, especially whether ...

Surgery: The branch of medicine that employs operations in the treatment of disease or inj...

Symptom: Any subjective evidence of disease. In contrast, a sign is objective. Blood comin...

Tachypnea: Abnormally fast breathing.

Tension: 1) The pressure within a vessel, such as blood pressure: the pressure within t...

Therapy: The treatment of disease. Therapy is synonymous with treatment.

Tobacco: A South American herb (Nicotiana tabacum) whose leaves contain 2 to 8 percent nic...

Tobacco smoking: The direct inhalation of tobacco smoke, the basis of major health hazards...

Tomography: The process for generating a tomogram, a two-dimensional image of a slice or s...

Toxicity: The degree to which a substance (a toxin or poison) can harm humans or animals. ...

Transplant: The grafting of a tissue from one place to another, just as in botany a bu...

Tubes: The "tubes" are medically known as the Fallopian tubes. There are two Fallopian tub...

Ventilation: The exchange of air between the lungs and the atmosphere so that oxygen can ...

Viruses: Small living particles that can infect cells and change how the cells function. I...

Weight loss: Weight loss is a decrease in body weight resulting from either voluntary (die...

Wheezing: A whistling noise in the chest during breathing. Wheezing occurs when the airway...

Withdrawal symptoms: Abnormal physical or psychological features that follow the abrupt di...

X-ray: High-energy radiation with waves shorter than those of visible light. X-ray is used...