Medical Terminology You've Probably Heard Of
These are great to know if you ever find yourself in a doctor’s office, hospital, or watching a medical drama on TV.
Are you a fan of any of these medical shows and dramas: Grey’s Anatomy? House? The Resident? Scrubs? The Good Doctor? (I’m quite fond of Doogie Howser, M.D.)
If so, you’ve probably heard of the following medical terminology and think you’re a wiz. Check your knowledge of medical words or learn what they mean if the show confused you! These terms may be just good to know if you ever find yourself talking to your doctor or a healthcare professional at a hospital. Let’s see if you can have an M.D. (a degree in Medical Drama).
Acute: sudden but usually short
Aneurysm: a sac formed by an enlarged weakened wall in arteries, veins, or the heart
Angina: pain in the chest related to the heart that comes and goes
Antibiotic: bacteria-killing substance
Antidote: remedy that acts against poison
Antiseptic: a substance that stops or slows down the growth of microorganisms; used in hospitals and other medical settings to reduce the risk of infection during surgery and other procedures
Anti-inflammatory: reduces swelling, pain, and soreness
Benign: not cancerous; harmless
Biopsy: a tissue sample for testing purposes
Body Mass Index (BMI): body fat measurement based on height and weight
Capillary Hemangiomas: strawberry birthmarks
Carcinogenic: cancer-producing
CAT Scan: computed axial tomography; an x-ray image of an organ
Coagulate: to thicken or clot, or to cause to do so (as in blood)
Comatose: unconscious; in a coma
Comminuted Fracture: a broken bone that shatters into many pieces
Compound Fracture: a broken bone that protrudes through the skin
Concussion: brain injury due to violent blow or impact
Convalescence: gradual recovery; period of recovery
Diagnosis: decision or opinion based on an examination
Edema: swelling
Embolism: blood clot
Epidermis: the outermost layer of skin
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD): Heartburn
Hematoma: a collection of blood, usually clotted, outside a blood vessel
Hypertension: high blood pressure
Hypotension: low blood pressure
Incision: a cut (in surgery)
Inpatient: patient overnight for one or more days
In Remission: the disease is not getting worse; not to be confused with being cured
Lacerated: torn (as in a wound)
Lesion: an injury; wound, sore, or cut
Malignant: cancerous
Melanoma: malignant skin tumor
Membrane: a thin layer of pliable tissue that serves as a covering or lining or connection between two structures
Migraine: intense, recurring headache
Modalities of Therapy: treatments
MRI: magnetic resonance imagining; a scan of the body that uses magnetic energy rather than radiation to view an organ or body part
Noninvasive: doesn’t require entering the body with instruments; usually simple
Outpatient: those who check in and out of the hospital on the same day
Plasma: a fluid portion of blood
Polyp: mass or growth of thin tissue
Prognosis: prediction of the probable course of a disease and the chances of recovery
Remission: the disappearance of the disease symptoms
Surgery: a medical term where healthcare professionals investigate or treat a disease or injury
Sonogram: a visual image from soundwaves used to determine the gender of a baby before birth
Spontaneous Involution: disappearing on its own
Sutures: stitches; joining two edges together
Toxic: poisonous
Ulcer: open sore in the stomach lining
How Wingspan Can Help
Don’t understand medical speak and just want to know if you’re doing okay? See how Wingspan can help make your healthcare more for you and less like a full-time job.