Pulmonary Edema Glossary of Terms

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

Acid-base balance: Acid-base balance refers to the mechanisms the body uses to keep its fl...

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

Adult respiratory distress syndrome: Better known as ARDS. See: ARDS.

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

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

Alveolar: Pertaining to the alveoli, the tiny air sacs in the lungs. The exchange of oxyge...

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

Alveolus: A tiny air sac in the lungs. Plural alveoli.

Ammonia: A colorless gas with a very sharp odor. Made both by humans and by nature, ammoni...

Angina: Chest pain due to an inadequate supply of oxygen to the heart muscle. The pain is ...

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

Aortic: Pertaining to the aorta, the largest artery in the body.

ARDS: Acute respiratory distress syndrome.

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

Aspirin: Once the Bayer trademark for acetylsalicylic acid, now the common name for this a...

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

Atherosclerotic: Pertaining to atherosclerosis, the process of progressive thickening and ...

Blind: 1. Unable to see. Without part or all of the sense of sight.
2....

Blood count: The calculated number of white or red blood cells (WBCs or RBCs) in a cubic m...

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 ...

Capillary: A tiny blood vessel that connects an arteriole (the smallest division of an art...

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

Cardiac: Having to do with the heart.

Cardiomyopathy: Disease of the heart muscle (myocardium).

CBC: A commonly used abbreviation in medicine that stands for complete blood count, a set...

Cell: The basic structural and functional unit of any living thing. Each cell is a small c...

Cerebral: Of or pertaining to the cerebrum or the brain.

Cerebral edema: Accumulation of excessive fluid in the substance of the brain. The brain i...

Chemotherapy: 1. In the original sense, a chemical that binds to and specifically k...

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...

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

Cholesterol: The most common type of steroid in the body. Cholesterol has a reputation for...

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

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

Circulation: In medicine, the movement of fluid through the body in a regular or circuitou...

Cocaine: A substance derived from the leaves of the coca plant that is a bitter, addictive...

Complete blood count: A set values of the cellular (formed elements) of blood. These meas...

Complication: In medicine, an unanticipated problem that arises following, and is a result...

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

Consultant: An individual to whom one refers for expert advice or services. The use of con...

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

CPAP: Continuous positive airway pressure. CPAP is an effective treatment for obstructive ...

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 ...

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

Dilating: The widening and opening of an opening, such as the cervix or esophagus. For exa...

Distention: The state of being distended, enlarged, swollen from internal pressure.

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

Edema: The swelling of soft tissues as a result of excess fluid accumulation. Edema is oft...

Electrocardiogram: A recording of the electrical activity of the heart. Abbreviated ECG an...

Family history: The family structure and relationships within the family, including inform...

HAPE: Acronym for High Altitude pulmonary edema, the accumulation in the lungs of extravas...

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 attack: The death of heart muscle due to the loss of blood supply. The loss of bloo...

Heart disease: Any disorder that affects the heart. Sometimes the term "heart disease" is ...

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

Heart muscle: A type of muscle with unique features only found in the heart. The heart mus...

Heart valves: There are four heart valves. All are one-way valves. Blood entering the ...

Heart ventricle: One of the two lower chambers of the heart. The right ventricle receives ...

Hemoglobin: The oxygen-carrying pigment and predominant protein in the red blood cells. He...

Heroin: Semisynthetic drug derived from morphine. Discovered in 1874, it was introduced co...

High altitude: Altitude sickness occurs at high altitude. So what is high altitude?

High altitude pulmonary edema: Known for short as HAPE, the accumulation in the lungs of e...

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

Hypertension: High blood pressure, defined as a repeatedly elevated blood pressure exceedi...

Hypertensive: Having abnormally high blood pressure (hypertension). See also: Hypotensive;...

Hypertrophy: Enlargement or overgrowth of an organ or part of the body due to the increase...

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 ...

Intubation: The process of putting a tube into a hollow organ or passageway, often into th...

Jugular: The principal vein in the front of either side of the neck. The word comes from t...

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

Left heart: The left atrium and left ventricle.

Lethargy: Abnormal drowsiness, stupor.

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 ...

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

Metabolism: The whole range of biochemical processes that occur within a living organism. ...

Molecule: The smallest unit of a substance that can exist alone and retain the character o...

Morphine: A powerful narcotic agent that has strong analgesic (pain relief) action and oth...

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

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

Neck: The part of the body joining the head to the shoulders. Also, any narrow or constric...

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

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

Organ: A relatively independent part of the body that carries out one or more special func...

Orthopnea: The inability to breathe easily except when sitting up straight or standing ere...

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...

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

Pericardium: The conical sac of fibrous tissue that surrounds the heart and the roots of ...

Peripheral: Situated away from the center, as opposed to centrally located.

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

Pulmonary: Having to do with the lungs.

Pulmonary edema: Fluid in the lungs.

Red blood cell: The blood cell that carries oxygen. Red cells contain hemoglobin and it is...

Regurgitation: A backward flowing. For example, vomiting is a regurgitation of food from t...

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...

Right heart: The right atrium and right ventricle.

Sacrum: The large heavy bone at the base of the spine, which is made up of fused sacral v...

Sepsis: The presence of bacteria (bacteremia), other infectious organisms, or toxins creat...

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

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

Sleep: The body's rest cycle.

Somnolent: Sleepy or tending to cause sleep. From the Latin work somnus, meaning 'sleep.'

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

Stenosis: A narrowing. For example, aortic stenosis is a narrowing of the aortic valve in ...

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

Swelling of the brain: See: Cerebral edema.

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

Syndrome: A combination of symptoms and signs that together represent a disease process.

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

Thyroid: 1. The thyroid gland. Also, pertaining to the thyroid gland. 2. A p...

Trachea: A tube-like portion of the respiratory tract that connects the larynx with the br...

Trauma: A physical or emotional injury.

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

Ultrasound: High-frequency sound waves. Ultra-sound waves can be bounced off tissues by us...

Unilateral: Having, or relating to, one side. For example, a unilateral rash is one that i...

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

Ventilator: A machine that mechanically assists a patient in the exchange of oxygen and ca...

Ventricle: A chamber of an organ. For example, the four connected cavities in the central ...

Ventricular: Pertaining to the ventricles, the lower chambers of the heart, as in ventricu...

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

Viral infection: Infection caused by the presence of a virus in the body. Depending on...

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

White blood cell: One of the cells the body makes to help fight infections. There are seve...

White blood cell count (leukocyte count): The number of white blood cells (WBCs) in the b...

Windpipe: The trachea, a tube-like portion of the respiratory (breathing) tract that conn...

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