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Health Terms Everyone Should Know
General
Respiratory Health
Abrasion: cut or scrape
Asthma: chronic inflammation or swelling of
the airways in the lungs
Abscess: infection, wound
Acute: sudden start, brief
Analgesic: pain reliever such as aspirin, Tylenol
Chronic: lasting a long time
Contusions: bruises
CT scan: CAT scan, type of X-ray
Edema: swelling
Embolism: blood clot
Lesions: cut, sore, injury
Noninvasive: does not require penetration
NSAIDs: non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs
used to reduce swelling, pain
Palliative: easing symptoms like pain without
curing
Alveoli: air sac in the lungs
Bronchial tubes: tubes for air inside your lungs
Bronchioles: small thin tubes that branch off
the ends of the bronchial tubes
Chronic bronchitis: long-term swelling of the
airways
COPD: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
characterized by difficulty breathing, over time
Emphysema: chronic condition caused by by
damage to the alveoli
Inhaler: device used to deliver quick-acting
medication for asthma or COPD
Spirometry test: method of measuring how
much air you can blow out and how fast
Polyp: a growth on a mucous membrane
Steroid: medication used to reduce swelling in
the lungs
Subcutaneous: located just beneath the skin
Trachea: windpipe
Sutures: stitches
Wheezing: whistling sound made in the lungs by
a person who has difficulty breathing
Tropical: on the skin or surface
Joint Health
Diabetes
Arthroplasty: rebuilding of joints, or total joint
replacement
Blood glucose: type of sugar in your blood that
is a source of fuel
Arthroscopy: minimally invasive knee surgery
using a lighted scope and narrow instruments
inserted through small incisions in the skin
Diabetic retinopathy: damage caused to the
eyes by poorly controlled blood sugar levels
Bursitis: pain resulting from swollen fluids-filled
sacs (bursa) around bones, muscles and
tendons
Cartilage: smooth covering of the ends of bones
Corticosteroids: drug that suppresses
inflammation
Glucosamine: substance produced by the body
to grow, repair and maintain cartilage
Glucagon: hormone produced in the pancreas,
also a medicine used to raise very low blood
sugar
Hyperglycemia; occurs when the body doesn’t
produce enough insulin or use it effectively;
elevated blood sugar levels
Hypoglycemia: low blood sugar (or blood
glucose)
Islets: insulin producing cells in the pancreas
Gout: painful swelling in a joint caused by the
buildup of uric acid
Insulin: blood sugar essential for producing
glucose and using it for energy
Ligament: strong band of tissue that holds
joints together
Ketones: substances produced when fat cells
break down in the blood
Meniscus: shock absorbing, stabilizing tissue
between the bones of the knee
Neuropathy: tingling or numbness, often in the
extremities, common diabetes side effect
Nodule: swollen or raised bump
Prediabetes: when blood sugar levels are
elevated but not high enough to be diagnosed
as diabetes
Osteoarthritis: joint disease that causes the
breakdown of cartilage over time
Range of motion: the area through which joints
are designated to move
Rheumatologist: doctor with specialized
training in treating joints, bones and the
immune system
Rheumatoid arthritis: an inflammatory for of
arthritis
Tendinitis: inflammation of the cord-like
structure that connects muscles to bones
Heart Health
Aneurysm: abnormal ballooning of artery
Angina: chest pain
Atherosclerosis: disease caused by a buildup of
plaque in your arteries
Arteriosclerosis: hardening of the arteries
Arrhythmia: problem with the rhythm or speed
of the heart
Atrial fibrillation: most common arrhythmia,
caused by electrical problem in the heart
Cardiac arrest: when an arrhythmia causes the
heart to suddenly stop beating
Cardiovascular: related to the heart and blood
vessels
Echocardiogram: test that uses sound waves to
create a moving picture of the heart
Heart failure: when the heart cannot pump
enough blood to the rest of the body
Hypertension: high blood pressure
Ischemia: when the heart muscle is starved for
oxygen and nutrients; can lead to a heart attack
Lipids: fats in the blood
Myocardial infraction: when blood flow to part
of the heart is cut off long enough to cause
brain damage (aka heart attack)
Pacemaker: implantable device that delivers
electrical pulses so the heart will beat in a more
normal rhythm
Palpitations: sensation that the heart is racing
or pounding
Vasodilator: medication that opens blood
vessels