Below we've listed some important words that you may hear when you are first diagnosed with a lung disorder. Remember to ask your doctor to explain anything you may find confusing; it's vital that you understand as much as you can when it comes to your disease.
- Airway
- The tubes and passageways that air follows to get into and out of your lungs. Air comes in through your nose or mouth, passes through the throat, down the trachea, and finally through the tubes known as bronchi.
- Airway obstruction
- Partial or complete blockage of the airways. Obstructions can be caused by foreign bodies, allergic reactions, infections, anatomical abnormalities, and trauma.
- Alpha-1
- A genetic condition that results in a lack of a liver protein that blocks the destructive effects of certain enzymes. The condition may lead to emphysema and liver disease.
- Alveoli
- Tiny air sacs within the lungs where the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide takes place.
- Asthma
- A common disorder in which chronic inflammation of the bronchial tubes causes your airways to narrow, making it hard to get any air into your lungs.
- Atelectasis
- The collapse of all or part of your lung.
- BID
- You may see this on your prescription. It means to take that particular medicine twice a day.
- Bronchi
- The large air tubes that start at the bottom of your throat and branch off into each lung.
- Bronchiectasis
- Permanent widening of the bronchi, resulting in very serious illness including recurrent respiratory infections, cough, shortness of breath, and coughing up blood.
- Bronchitis
- Acute or chronic inflammation and swelling of the bronchi.
- Bronchoscopy
- A diagnostic procedure in which your doctor uses a tube with a camera on the end to take a look at the inside of your airways and lungs, or to obtain a biopsy.
- Carbon dioxide
- Also known as CO2, this is the gas that you exhale. Your body makes it by using up oxygen.
- Chronic
- A medical term that means something that lasts a long time.
- Chronic bronchitis
- A specific diagnosis that is defined as a daily cough with production of sputum for 3 months for two years in a row.
- Cilia
- Little hairs in the airways of the lungs that help to move mucus out of the lungs.
- COPD
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. COPD can be any disorder that persistently obstructs bronchial airflow-mostly chronic bronchitis and emphysema.
- Cough
- A rapid expulsion of air from the lungs typically in order to clear the lung airways of fluids, mucus, or material.
- Cystic Fibrosis
- An inherited condition affecting the cells that produce mucus, sweat, saliva and digestive juices.
- Dyspnea
- Difficult or labored breathing or shortness of breath.
- Emphysema
- A lung condition in which abnormal amounts of air accumulate in the lung's many tiny air sacs to the point where they become enlarged, and may break or be damaged and form scar tissue. Emphysema is strongly associated with cigarette smoking.
- Hemoptysis
- Spitting up blood or blood-tinged mucus due to a lung disorder.
- Inflammation
- An immune response your body makes as a reaction to infection or irritation. It usually manifests itself as swelling, redness, and pain.
- Inogen One
- A small, single-solution oxygen concentrator.
- Lungs
- The organs in your chest which allow you to breathe. They bring oxygen to the bloodstream, and get rid of carbon dioxide.
- LVRS
- An acronym for lung volume reduction surgery, a procedure for emphysema that removes around 30% of the most damaged lung tissue so that the rest of your lungs can perform better.
- Mucus
- The viscous substance produced by the membranes lining the nose, mouth, and throat.
- Nasal cannula
- An accessory that connects an oxygen device to the user via the mouth or nostrils.
- Onset
- The first signs or symptoms of an illness.
- Oximeter
- A machine that measures how much oxygen you are getting.
- Oxygen
- The gas that makes up about 21% of the air we breathe. Oxygen is essential to human life.
- Oxygen Conserving Device
- A device that controls the flow of oxygen from your tank or concentrator based on the rate in which you inhale.
- Pleurodesis
- A procedure that prevents fluid build-up in the lining of your lungs.
- Progressive
- Increasing in scope or severity.
- Pulmonary
- Anything having to do with your lungs.
- Respiratory
- Having to do with the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the lungs.
- Side effects
- Problems that happen as a result of a medication you are taking.
- Spirometry
- A test to measure lung function.
- Sputum
- Mucus that is coughed up and out of the lungs.
- Steroid
- A general class of medicines often used in treating lung disorders.
- Tracheotomy
- A surgical procedure in which an opening is created through the neck into the windpipe to assist in breathing.
- Transtracheal Oxygen Therapy (TTO)
- A method to deliver oxygen to the lungs via a small tube inserted into the neck.
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