Signinchoice
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Start Flashcard Study Return to Medical Terminology homepage| 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. EricksonMedically reviewed by Dr. Jonathan Keroes, MD
Last Update: 12/18/2022
