Hives and Angioedema Glossary of Terms

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Abdominal: Relating to the abdomen, the belly, that part of the body that contains all of ...

Abdominal pain: Pain in the belly. Abdominal pain can be acute or chronic. It may reflect ...

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

Allergic reaction: The hypersensitive response of the immune system of an allergic indiv...

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

Anaphylactic shock: A widespread and very serious allergic reaction. Symptoms include di...

Angioedema: Like hives but affects deeper skin layer.

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

Antihistamines: Drugs that combat the histamine released during an allergic reaction by bl...

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

Arthritis: Inflammation of a joint. When joints are inflamed they can develop stiffness, w...

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

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

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 ...

Bumps: The raised area of a bump or bruise results from blood leaking from these injured b...

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

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 ...

Corticosteroid: Any of the steroid hormones made by the outer portion (cortex) of the adre...

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

CPR: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

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 ...

Diarrhea: A common condition that involves unusually frequent and liquid bowel movements. ...

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

Dizziness: Painless head discomfort with many possible causes including disturbances of ...

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

Epinephrine: A substance produced by the medulla (inside) of the adrenal gland. The name e...

FDA: Food and Drug Administration.

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

Flare: 1. an exacerbation of a chronic disease. Sometimes referred to as a flare-up, a fla...

Food and Drug Administration: An agency within the US Public Health Service that provides ...

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

Hereditary angioedema: A genetic form of angioedema. (Angioedema is also referred to as Qu...

Histamine: A substance that plays a major role in many allergic reactions, dilating blood ...

Hives: A raised, itchy area of skin that may be a sign of an allergic reaction. It can be ...

Idiopathic: Of unknown cause. Any disease that is of uncertain or unknown origin may be te...

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

Immune system: A complex system that is responsible for distinguishing a person from every...

Immunology: The study of all aspects of the immune system, including its structure and fun...

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

Itching: An uncomfortable sensation in the skin that feels as if something is crawling on ...

Kidney: One of a pair of organs located in the right and left side of the abdomen. The kid...

Leukotriene: One of a group of chemicals produced by the body that accompanies inflammatio...

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

Liver disease: Liver disease refers to any disorder of the liver. The liver is a large org...

Low blood pressure: Any blood pressure that is below the normal expected for an individua...

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

Lupus: A chronic inflammatory disease that is caused by autoimmunity. Patients with lupus ...

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

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

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

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

Pediatrics: The field of medicine that is concerned with the health of infants, children, ...

Pharmacy: A location where prescription medications are sold. A pharmacy is constantly sup...

Pregnant: The state of carrying a developing fetus within the body.

Prescription: A physician's order for the preparation and administration of a drug or dev...

Prescription drug: A drug requiring a prescription, as opposed to an over-the-counter dr...

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

Prostaglandin: One of a number of hormone-like substances that participate in a wide range...

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

Rash: Breaking out (eruption) of the skin. A rash can be caused by an underlying medical c...

Recurrence: The return of a sign, symptom, or disease after a remission. The reappearance ...

Recurrence risk: The chance that a disease will strike again. In medical genetics, the cha...

Respiratory: Having to do with respiration.

Rheumatoid arthritis: An autoimmune disease characterized by chronic inflammation of joint...

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

Saline: Relating to salt. As an adjective, "saline" means "salty, containing salt." As a n...

Shock: In medicine, a critical condition that is brought on by a sudden drop in blood flow...

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...

Stress: In a medical or biological context stress is a physical, mental, or emotional fact...

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

Sweating: The act of secreting fluid from the skin by the sweat (sudoriferous) glands. The...

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

Tongue: A strong muscle that is anchored to the floor of the mouth. The tongue is covered ...

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

Unconscious: 1. Interruption of awareness of oneself and one's surroundings, lack ...

Urticaria: Another name for the hives. Raised, itchy areas of skin that are usually a sign...

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

Wheal: A raised, itchy (pruritic) area of skin that is sometimes an overt sign of allergy....

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