Cough Glossary of Terms

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2. Cold & Flu Quiz: Test Your Medical IQ
3. Slideshow: Cold and Flu - Treating Your Child's Cold or Fever

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

Acid reflux: A common condition and an abnormal one in which acid in the stomach rises up...

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...

Allergy: A misguided reaction to foreign substances by the immune system, the body system ...

Angiotensin: A family of peptides that constrict blood vessels. Narrowing the diameter of ...

Angiotensin converting enzyme: Usually abbreviated ACE.

Aorta: The largest artery in the body, the aorta arises from the left ventricle of the he...

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

Asthmatic: 1. Pertaining to asthma as, for example, asthmatic bronchitis.
...

Bacterial: Of or pertaining to bacteria, as in a bacterial lung infection.

Blood pressure: The blood pressure is the pressure of the blood within the arteries. It is...

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.

Cancer: An abnormal growth of cells which tend to proliferate in an uncontrolled way and, ...

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

Chest pain: Pain in the chest that can be a result of many things, including angina, heart...

Chills: feelings of coldness accompanied by shivering. Chills may develop after exposure t...

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...

Common cold: A contagious viral upper respiratory tract infection. The common cold can be ...

Congestive heart failure: Inability of the heart to keep up with the demands on it, with f...

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

Coughing up blood: see hemoptysis.

Dander: Tiny scales shed from human or animal skin or hair. Dander floats in the air, sett...

Diabetes: Refers to diabetes mellitus or, less often, to diabetes insipidus. Diabetes mell...

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

Drip: Short for intravenous drip, a device for administering a fluid drop-by-drop into a v...

Ear: The hearing organ. There are three sections of the ear, according to the anatomy tex...

Emergency department: The department of a hospital responsible for the provision of medica...

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

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

Esophagus: The tube that connects the pharynx (throat) with the stomach. The esophagus lie...

External ear: There are three sections of the ear. They are the external ear, the middle ...

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

Fever: Although a fever technically is any body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degr...

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

Gastroesophageal: Pertaining to both the stomach and the esophagus, as in the gastroesopha...

Gastroesophageal reflux: The return of stomach contents back up into the esophagus This fr...

GERD: Gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Headache: A pain in the head with the pain being above the eyes or the ears, behind the he...

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...

Heartburn: An uncomfortable feeling of burning and warmth occurring in waves rising up be...

High blood pressure: A repeatedly elevated blood pressure exceeding 140 over 90 mmHg. Chro...

Immune: Protected against infection, usually by the presence of antibodies.

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

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

Involuntary: Done other than in accordance with the conscious will of the individual. The ...

Larynx: A tube-shaped organ in the neck that contains the vocal cords. The larynx is about...

Lung cancer: Cancer of the major organ of respiration - the lung. Lung cancer kills more m...

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

Lymph: The almost colorless fluid that travels through the lymphatic system, carrying cell...

Lymph node: One of many small, bean-shaped organs located throughout the lymphatic system....

Medical history: 1. In clinical medicine, the patient's past and present which may ...

Mouth: 1. The upper opening of the digestive tract, beginning with the lips and con...

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

Night sweats: Severe hot flashes that occur at night and result in a drenching sweat. Nigh...

Node: Literally a knot, a node is a collection of tissue. For example a lymph node, is a ...

Nose: The external midline projection from the face. The purpose of the nose is to warm, c...

Pain: An unpleasant sensation that can range from mild, localized discomfort to agony. Pa...

Participant: 1. In a clinical trial, someone who takes part in it. A participant ma...

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

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

Pulmonary: Having to do with the lungs.

Referral: The recommendation of a medical or paramedical professional. If you get a refer...

Reflex: An involuntary reaction. For example, the corneal reflex is the blink that occurs ...

Reflux: The term used when liquid backs up into the esophagus from the stomach.

Resolution: In genetics, the degree of molecular detail on a physical map of DNA. Resoluti...

Respiratory: Having to do with respiration.

Runny nose: The production of extra mucus by the nose. Rhinorrhea is the medical term for ...

Sarcoidosis: A disease of unknown origin that causes small lumps (granulomas) due to chron...

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

Sensation: In medicine and physiology, sensation refers to the registration of an incoming...

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

Sinus: 1. An air-filled cavity in a dense portion of a skull bone. The sinuses decr...

Sleep: The body's rest cycle.

Sore: 1. (adjective) A popular term for painful, such as a sore throat. 2. (...

Sore throat: Pain in the throat. Sore throat may be caused by many different causes, inclu...

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

Stomach: The digestive organ that is located in the upper abdomen, under the ribs. The upp...

Substance: 1. Material with particular features.
2. The material that...

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

Throat: The throat is the anterior (front) portion of the neck beginning at the back of th...

Trigger: Something that either sets off a disease in people who are genetically predispose...

Vessel: A tube in the body that carries fluids. Examples of vessels are blood vessels and ...

Viral: Of or pertaining to a virus. For example, if a person has a viral rash, the rash wa...

Voluntary: Done in accordance with the conscious will of the individual. The opposite of i...

Whooping cough: Also known as pertussis, this is a feared infectious disease that can stri...

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