Respiratory

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Medical Term	Description
-capnia	carbon dioxide
-pnea	breathing
-ptysis	spitting
-thorax	chest, pleural cavity
acute respiratory distress syndrome	A lung condition that causes low oxygen levels in the blood. It can be life threatening.
alveol/o	alveolus
alveoli	Air sacs in the lung which allow exchange of blood oxygen and carbon dioxide.
anoxia	Absence of oxygen in body tissues despite adequate blood flow.
antitussive agents	Cough medicine that acts centrally on the medullary cough center.
asbestosis	Lung disease characterized by interstitial fibrosis. Caused by inhalation of asbestos particles.
asphyxia	Condition caused by lack of oxygen, leading to loss of consciousness and death. Causes include drowning, suffocation, choking and inhaling carbon monoxide.
asthma	Chronic bronchial inflammatory disorder. Characterized by breathing difficulty, wheezing, coughing and dyspnea.
atelectasis	Partial or complete failure of a lung to expand due to alveoli deflation. Can occur after surgery, trauma, infections.
bradypnea	Slow breathing.
bronch/o	bronchial tube
bronchi	The two large air tubes of the lungs branching from the trachea. Secondary bronchi, called bronchioles, branch from bronchi.
bronchi/o	bronchial tube
bronchiectasis	Persistent abnormal dilatation of the bronchi caused by chronic infection and inflammation.
bronchitis	Inflammation of the large airways often caused by bacterial and viral infections and by cigarette smoke.
bronchodilator	Substance that expands the bronchi and bronchioles, increasing airflow to the lungs.
bronchorrhea	Abnormal discharge of mucus from the bronchi.
bronchoscopy	Visual examination and possibly treatment of the bronchi, throat, larynx and trachea using a fiber optical device.
capn/o	carbon dioxide
choking	A condition of the respiratory airways being blocked by an obstruction or constriction of the neck or swelling of the larynx.
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease	Respiratory diseases which affect bronchial air movement, causing breathing problems. Includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema.
coni/o	dust
croup	Pediatric respiratory infection causing swelling near the vocal cords. It is characterized by a barking cough or stridor.
cyanosis	A bluish or purplish discoloration of the skin or mucous membranes due to inadequate oxygen in the blood.
cystic fibrosis	A genetic disease of the exocrine glands. Large amounts of thick mucus clog the lungs and obstruct the airways.
diaphragm	The muscle sheet that that separates the thoracic cavity from the abdomen. The diaphragm's contraction and relaxation changes the volume of the thoracic cavity, aiding breathing.
diphtheria	A bacterial infection of the upper respiratory tract that causes a thick web to form in the back of the throat. May be fatal. Preventable with immunization. Can also damage heart muscle and nerves.
dysphonia	Difficulty in speaking.
dyspnea	Difficult or labored breathing. Can indicate heart failure or a respiratory abnormality.
emphysema	A chronic lung disease characterized by decreased numbers of alveoli and eventual destruction of alveoli walls. Caused by genetic defects and smoking.
epiglottis	Cartilage that prevents food from entering the trachea.
epistaxis	Nose bleed.
hemoptysis	Coughing up blood or blood-stained mucus from the respiratory tract.
hemothorax	Hemorrhage within the pleural cavity, often from chest trauma.
hypercapnia	Abnormal increase in carbon dioxide in the blood.
hyperpnea	Deep breathing. Can be normal during exercise or abnormal due to anemia or sepsis.
hypopnea	Shallow or abnormally slow breathing.
hypoxemia	Oxygen deficiency in arterial blood.
hypoxia	Insufficient oxygen levels in body organs and tissues.
influenza	Acute, contagious viral infection of the respiratory system.
laryng/o	larynx
laryngectomy	Partial or total removal of the larynx.
laryngitis	Inflammation of the larynx, including the vocal cords. Characterized by voice disorders, usually viral etiology.
laryngoscopy	Visual examination of the larynx. May also include treatment.
larynx	The voice box. Includes the vocal cords and surrounding cartilage.
lungs	A pair of organs that aerate the blood. The right lung is divided into three lobs while the left lung has two lobes.
mediastinum	The central section of the chest cavity, containing the heart, arteries, veins, esophagus, trachea, bronchi, lymph nodes and thymus.
nas/o	nose
nebulizers	Devices that create an aerosol a mist (vapor). It is used to administer drugs or to humidify air.
nose	A part of the upper respiratory tract. It includes the external nose, the nasal cavity, and the paranasal sinuses.
nosocomial pneumonia	Pneumonia acquired during a hospital stay.
ox/i	oxygen
ox/o	oxygen
paranasal sinuses	Air-filled cavities located around the nasal cavity. There are four pairs: frontal, sphenoid, maxillary and ethmoid.
peak flow meter	Simple device that allows asthma patients to check lung airflow.
pector/o	chest
pertussis	Whooping cough. Contagious bacterial infection of the upper respiratory tract. Cold-like symptoms followed by many weeks of coughing. Preventable with immunization.
pharyng/o	throat
pharyngitis	Sore throat. Inflammation of the throat.
pharynx	The throat. A fibromuscular tube that conducts air to the larynx and lungs and food to the esophagus.
phas/o	speech
phlegm	Mucus in the respiratory airways (trachea, bronchial tree).
phon/o	sound, voice
pleur/o	pleura, rib
pleura	The membrane enveloping the lungs consisting of two layers. The visceral pleura is attached directly to the lungs. The outer parietal pleura lines the thoracic cavity and diaphragm. Between the two layers is the pleural cavity, containing a lubricating liquid film.
pleural effusion	Excessive fluid in the pleural cavity which may cause breathlessness.
pleural friction rub	Sound created by the rubbing of when the chest wall moves. Stops when patient holds her breath. Often heard with pleurisy. Thick inflamed surfaces sliding by one another.
pleurisy	Inflammation of the pleura, the membranes covering the lungs.
pleurodynia	Inflamed lung membranes causing pain during inhalation.
pneum/o	lung, air
pneumoconiosis	Occupational lung disease caused by prolonged inhalation of dust. Common lung disease in mining.
pneumon/o	lung
pneumonectomy	Surgical removal of part or all of a lung.
pneumonia	Inflammation of the lungs with alveoli filling with pus. Typically caused by infection and can follow flu, colds and other illnesses.
pneumothorax	Partial or fully collapsed lung. An accumulation of air in the pleural cavity. Caused by trauma, such as a gun shot or stab wound and can also occur spontaneously.
pulm/o	lung
pulmon/o	lung
pulmonary	Pertaining to the lungs.
pulmonary edema	Excessive accumulation of fluid in the lung. Can be life-threatening. Often associated with heart failure.
pulmonary embolism	A clot blocking of the pulmonary artery or one of its branches.
pulmonary fibrosis	Progressive formation of fibrotic (scar) tissue in the lungs. Patients show increasing dyspnea.
pulmonary function test	A battery of tests that evaluate the volume and flow rate of air in and out of the lungs.
pulmonologist	An internal medicine specialist concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and defects of the lungs and bronchial tree.
pulse oximeter	Device that measures oxygen saturation in the blood.
respir/o	breathing
respiration	Breathing.
respiratory system	The organs and structures that bring about gas exchange between ambient air and the blood.
respiratory therapy	Care of patients with abnormalities associated with the pulmonary system.
rhin/o	nose
rhinitis	Inflammation of the nasal mucous membrane.
sinus/o	sinus
sinusitis	Inflammation of the sinuses.
sleep apnea	Sleep disorder characterized by multiple starts and stops of breathing, interfering with normal sleeping patterns. Measurable decrease in blood oxygen levels.
sneezing	The sudden, forceful, involuntary expulsion of air from the nasal cavities and mouth due to irritation to the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract.
snoring	Noisy breathing during sleep, due to vibration of the soft palate and other soft tissue in the upper airway.
spir/o	to breath
spirometer	Device that measures inhaled or exhaled air volume.
sputum	Material coughed up from the lungs.
steth/o	chest
sudden infant death syndrome	The abrupt and unexplained death of an apparently healthy infant under one year of age. Positioning infants for sleep on their backs or sides has reduced SIDS incidence.
tachypnea	Abnormally rapid breathing rate.
thorac/o	chest, pleural cavity
thoracentesis	Removal of fluid or air from the thoracic cavity, usually with a needle.
thoracotomy	Surgical incision into the chest wall.
thorax	The chest cavity. Principal organs are the heart and lungs.
trache/o	trachea (windpipe)
trachea	The wind pipe. Cartilaginous and membranous tube descending from the larynx and branching into the right and left main bronchi.
tracheostomy	Surgical creation of an opening into the trachea to insert a tube to facilitate breathing.
tracheotomy	Surgical incision of the trachea.
tuberculosis	Bacterial infection that usually affects the lungs.
ventilators	Mechanical devices used to assist respiration.
whooping cough	A respiratory infection caused by Bordetella pertussis and characterized by paroxysmal coughing ending in a prolonged crowing intake of breath.

Authors and Reviewers

Authored by Dr. Barbara A. Erickson
Medically reviewed by Dr. Jonathan Keroes, MD
Last Update: 12/18/2022