A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
L
M
O
P
R
S
T
V
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A
Acute: of rapid or sudden onset (opposite of “chronic”).
Airborne: conveyed by or through the air.
Alveoli: tiny air sacs in the lung.
Antibiotics: substance produced by or derived from a microorganism that destroys or inhibits the growth of other microorganisms. Antibiotics are used to treat infections caused by organisms that are sensitive to them, usually bacteria or fungi.
Antimicrobial: an agent that kills microorganisms or suppresses their multiplication or growth.
Antioxidants: a synthetic or natural substance added to a product to prevent or delay its deterioration by action of oxygen in the air.
α1-antitrypsin: a plasma protein produced in the liver, which inhibits the activity of trypsin and other proteolytic enzymes. Deficiency of this protein is associated with emphysema.
Asphyxia: suffocation: a life-threatening condition in which oxygen is prevented from reaching the tissues by obstruction of or damage to any part of the respiratory system.
Atopic: Hereditary tendency to experience immediate allergic reactions because of the presence of an antibody in the skin.
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B
Bacteria: a group of microorganisms all of which lack a distinct nuclear membrane and have a cell wall of unique composition. Most bacteria are unicellular; Bacteria are very widely distributed, some live in soil, water or air and others are parasites of man, animals and plants. Many parasitic bacteria do not harm their hosts; some cause diseases by producing poisons.
Benign tumour: a tumour that is localized and will not maigrate to other parts of the body, not cancerous, usually harmless.
Biomass fuel: liquid, solid, or gaseous fuel produced by conversion of biomass (vegetable matter used as a source of energy).
Bronchitis: inflammation of the bronchial tubes, characterised by coughing, difficulty in breathing etc., caused by infection or irritation of the respiratory tract.
Bronchoconstrictor: a drug that causes narrowing of the air passages by producing spasm of bronchial smooth muscle.
Bronchodilators: an agent that causes widening of the air passages by relaxing bronchial smooth muscle.
Bronchus: (pl. bronchi) any of the air passages beyond the trachea (windpipe) that has cartilage and mucous glands in its walls.
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C
Carcinogens: any substance that, when exposed to living tissue, may cause the production of cancer.
Cardiovascular: of or relating to the heart and the blood vessels.
Cerebrovascular: of or relating to the blood vessels and the blood supply of the brain.
Chemotherapy: the prevention or treatment of disease by the use of chemical substances. The term is sometimes restricted to the treatment of infectious diseases with antibiotics and other drugs or to the control of cancer.
Chronic: describing a disease of long duration involving very slow changes. Such disease is often of gradual onset. The term does not imply anything about the severity of a disease.
Corticosteroids: any steroid hormone synthesised by the adrenal cortex (part of the adrenal gland, which covers the superior surface of a kidney).
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D
DNA: the genetic material of nearly all living organisms, which controls heredity.
Dysphonia: defective use of the voice.
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E
Emphysema: in pulmonary emphysema the air sacs (alveoli) of the lungs are enlarged and damaged, which reduces the surface area for the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide.
Enzymes: a protein that, in small amounts speeds, up the rate of a biological reaction without itself being used up in the reaction.
Epidemic: a sudden outbreak of infectious disease that spreads rapidly through the population, affecting a large proportion of people.
Epidemiology: the study of the occurrence, distribution, and control of diseases in populations.
Epithelial: relates to the layer of cells which form a covering over the internal and external surfaces of the body that communicate with the outsie world. E.g. the inner lining of the lungs, digestive tract, and skin cells.
Exacerbation: to make more intense.
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F
Fibrosis: thickening and scarring of connective tissue, most often a consequence of inflammation or injury.
Fungi: (pl. of fungus) a simple organism (formerly regarded as a plant) that lacks the green pigment chlorophyll.
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G
Genes: the basic unit of genetic material.
Genetic: of or relating to genes.
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H
Hereditary: transmitted from parents to their offspring; inherited.
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I
Idiopathic: (a disease) of no known cause
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: scarring or thickening of tissues deep in the lung without a known cause.
Immune: protected against a particular infection by the presence of specific antibodies against the organisms concerned.
Immunocompromised: patients in whom the immune response is reduced or defective due to immunosuppression.
Immunosuppressive: a drug that reduces the body’s resistance to infection and other foreign bodies by suppressing the immune system.
Inflammation: the body’s response to injury.
Ischaemic heart disease: atherosclerosis (hardening) of the heart vessels, which makes the patient likely to suffer from angina (chest pain) and myocardial infarction (heart attack).
Incidence: a measure of morbidity based on the number of new episodes of illness arising in a population over a period of time.
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L
Leukotrienes:
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M
Malaise: a general feeling of being unwell.
Metastasis: the distant spread of malignant tumour from its site of origin.
Microorganism: any organism too small to be visible to the naked eye.
Morbidity: the symptoms and/or disability resulting from a disease.
Mortality: the rate of death in the population in a given period.
Mutations: a change in the genetic material (DNA) of a cell, or the change this causes in a characteristic of the individual, which is not caused by normal genetic processes.
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O
Oedema: excessive accumulation of fluid in the body tissues.
Oesophagus: the gullet: a muscular tube, about 23 cm long, that extends from the pharynx to the stomach.
Oxidative stress:
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P
Palliative: a medicine that gives temporary relief from the symptoms of a disease but does not actually cure the disease.
Particulate matter: term used for a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets suspended in the air.
Pathogen: a microorganism, such as a bacterium, that parasitizes an animal (or plant) or man and produces a disease.
Prevalence rate: a measure of morbidity based on current sickness in a population, estimated either at a particular time or over a stated period.
Pulmonary: relating to, associated with, or affecting the lungs.
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R
Resection: surgical removal of a portion of any part of the body.
Respiratory system: the combination of organs and tissues associated with breathing.
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S
Socioeconomic: involving social as well as economic factors.
Somnolence: causing drowsiness.
Susceptibility: lack of resistance to disease.
Synergistic: a drug that interacts with another to produce increased activity, which is greater then the sum of the effects of the two drugs given separately.
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T
Therapeutic: of or relating to the treatment of disease.
Trachea: the windpipe.
Trypsin: an enzyme that continues the digestion of proteins.
Tumour: a lump of tissue caused by an abnormal growth of cells, can be benign or malignant
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V
Viruses: a minute particle that is capable of replication but only within living cells. They infect animals, plants and microorganisms.
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W
Wheeze: an abnormal high-pitched or low-pitched sound heard during expiration; results from narrowing of the airways or increased secretion or retention of sputum.