ABPA (Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis)

A disease characterized by asthma symptoms, eosinophilia and abnormalities on chest X-ray

 

Acute

Severe or with sudden onset and a short time-span.

 

Acute respiratory failure

Sudden, severe inability to perform gas exchange.

 

Airways

Tubes that carry air into and out of the lungs.

 

Airway obstruction

Narrowing, clogging, or blocking of the air passages.

 

Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency

A protein deficiency that predisposes to the development of premature emphysema.

 

Alveoli

Tiny sac-like air spaces in the lung where carbon dioxide and oxygen are exchanged.

 

Amniotic fluid

Fluid that surrounds and cushions the fetus in its mother’s womb.

 

Antibodies

Specific proteins produced by the body’s immune system that bind with foreign proteins (antigens).

 

Antigens

Substances that activate the immune system and react with antibodies produced by the immune response.

 

Aorta

Largest artery in the body; delivers oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the body.

 

ARDS - Acute (Adult) Respiratory Distress Syndrome

A syndrome caused by severe inflammation in the body, usually by a severe pneumonia, but can be caused by pancreatitis, shock, severe infection anywhere in the body and is associated with a severe lack of oxygen, respiratory distress usually requiring life support.

 

Arterioles

Smallest arteries in the body.

 

Artery

Blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart. All arteries carry oxygen-rich blood except the pulmonary artery and its branches through which oxygen-poor blood is pumped from the heart to the lungs.

 

Aspirate

To inhale foreign material into the windpipe (trachea).  A significant reason for the development of pneumonia.

 

Asthma

Respiratory condition marked by recurrent attacks of wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, and labored breathing caused by narrowing of the airways.

 

Atrium

One of the two upper chambers of the heart. The right atrium receives blood depleted of oxygen from the veins; the left atrium receives blood with fresh oxygen from the lungs.

B

 

Blood Pressure

Pressure of the blood against the walls of the blood vessels.

 

BOOP (Bronchiolitis Obliterans with Organizing Pneumonia)

An inflammatory disease of the lungs usually associated with an infection such as viral but can also be idiopathic (without known cause).

 

Bronchi

Larger air passages of the lungs.

 

Bronchiectasis

Chronic dilation of the bronchi and bronchioles.

 

Bronchioles

Smaller air passages of the lungs.

 

Bronchiolitis

Inflammation of the smallest bronchioles, usually caused by viral infections.

 

Bronchitis

Inflammation of the bronchi. Acute bronchitis comes on suddenly and usually clears up in a few days. Chronic bronchitis lasts for a long period and recurs over several years.

 

Bronchoconstriction

Tightening of the muscles surrounding the bronchi; opposite of bronchodilation.

 

C

Cancer

A term for more than 100 diseases in which abnormal cells multiply without control.

 

Capillaries

The tiniest blood vessels. Capillary networks connect the arterioles and venules.

 

Carbon dioxide

Waste gas resulting from chemical reactions in the body cells.

 

Carcinoma

Cancer of the epithelial tissue lining or covering an organ.

 

Cartilage

Flexible, rubbery connective tissue that cushions bones and joints.

 

Cell

Basic subunit of every living organism; the simplest unit that can exist as an independent living system.

 

Chronic

Of long duration; frequently recurring.

 

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

Lung disease in which both chronic bronchitis and emphysema are present.

 

Connective tissue

Tissue that connects, supports, or surrounds other tissues and organs.

 

Cor pulmonale

Heart disease due to resistance to the passage of blood through the lungs; it often leads to right heart failure.

 

Cough

Natural body mechanism for ridding the respiratory tract of irritating and harmful substances.

 

CT Scan

An x-ray that allows a much greater detailed examination of different parts of the body.  Is used to evaluate the lungs and the center part of the chest which is an area difficult to see on a plain chest x-ray.

 

Cystic Fibrosis

A serious genetic disease of excretory glands affecting the lungs and other organs. It causes production of very thick mucus that interferes with normal digestion and breathing.

D

Diaphragm

The muscle that separates the chest from the abdomen.

 

Duct

A passage or tube with well-defined walls for the passage of air or liquids.

 

Dyspnea

Shortness of breath; difficult or labored breathing.

E

Edema

Abnormal accumulation of fluid in body tissues.

 

Embolism

Sudden blocking of an artery by a clot or a bit of foreign material brought to the site by the bloodstream; usually a blood clot but may be a fat globule, air bubble, piece of tissue, or a clump of bacteria.

 

Emphysema

Chronic lung disease in which there is permanent destruction of the alveoli.

 

Endothelium

Layer of epithelial cells lining the circulatory system.

 

Epithelium

Layer of tissue that covers surfaces of organs.

 

Esophagus

The tube through which food passes from the throat to the stomach.

 

Expiration

Act of breathing out (exhalation).

F

Fibrosis

Formation of fibrous tissue as inflamed tissue becomes scarred.

G

Gas exchange

Primary function of the lungs involving transfer of oxygen from inhaled air into blood and of carbon dioxide from blood into the lungs for exhalation.

 

Genetic disease

Disease caused by defective genes (basic unit of heredity) inherited from one or both parents.

 

Granulomas

Small lumps of cells caused by some types of chronic inflammation.

H

Hemoglobin

The iron-containing protein in red blood cells that carry oxygen to the tissues.

 

Hemorrhage

General term for loss of blood caused by injury to the blood vessels or by a low level of the blood elements necessary for clotting.

 

Hemothorax

Accumulation of blood in the cavity around the lungs.

 

Hilum

The area where bronchi, blood vessels, and nerves connect to each lung.

 

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis

A group of allergic lung disorders that result from inhaling substances such as dusts and molds.

 

Hypertension

High blood pressure.

 

Hypoxemia

Not enough oxygen in the blood.

I

Immune system

Complex group of organs and cells that defend the body against infections and disease.

 

Infection

Invasion and multiplication of disease-producing organisms in the body.

 

Inflammation

Response of body tissues to injury. Typical signs are heat, swelling, redness, and pain.

 

Inspiration

Taking air into the lungs (inhalation).

J

K

L

Lavage

To wash out a body organ or cavity.

 

Lung volume

Amount of gas in the lungs. The total volume of gas in the lungs is subdivided into compartments (volumes) and capacities (combinations of two or more volumes). Tidal volume (TV or VT) is the volume of air that enters the lungs during inspiration and leaves during expiration. Functional residual capacity (FRC) is the volume of air remaining in the lungs at the end of normal exhalation. Total lung capacity (TLC) is the volume of air in the lungs following a maximal inspiration. Vital capacity (VC) is the maximal volume of air that can be expelled from the lungs following maximal inspiration. Residual volume (RV) is the volume of air remaining in the lungs after maximum expiration. In general, lung volumes increase in obstructive lung diseases and decrease in restrictive lung diseases.

 

Lobe

A well-defined, demarcated portion of an organ or gland.

 

Lymph nodes

Small, bean-shaped organs located along the lymphatic vessels that filter bacteria, toxins, or cancer cells; also called lymph glands.

M

Membrane

Thin, flexible film of proteins and lipids that encloses a cell’s contents, controlling what goes in and what comes out of the cell; also a thin layer of tissue that covers a surface or lines a cavity that also controls the substances that enter and leave an organ.

 

Mesenchymal

Pertaining to the connective tissue that connects and supports the various structures in the body.

 

Metabolic processes

Chemical processes by which food and oxygen are transformed into other chemicals in the body.

 

Metastasize

To form new sites of cancer in different organs or tissues not directly connected with the original cancerous tumor.

 

Molecule

Smallest possible physical amount of a substance.

 

Mucus

Thin, slippery fluid secreted by mucous membranes and glands; becomes thick and sticky in lung disease.

N

Nutrients

Substances that are necessary for growth, development, and maintenance of life; food.

 

O

Obstructive lung diseases

Disease due to narrowing of any portion of the airways that obstructs airflow; examples are COPD, cystic fibrosis, and asthma.

 

Obstructive sleep apnea

Occurs when tissues in the throat collapse and block airflow in and out of the lungs during sleep.  Despite efforts to breathe, there is no flow of air.

 

Oxygen

Colorless, odorless gas that makes up about 20 percent of the air we breathe. It is essential to life because it is used for the chemical reactions that occur in the cells of the body.

P

PaO ₂

Oxygen tension of arterial blood.

 

PaCO ₂

Carbon dioxide tension of arterial blood.

 

Pathophysiology

Altered functions in an individual or an organ due to disease.

 

Pleura

Membrane that surrounds the lungs and lines the thoracic cavity.

 

PET Scan

Positron Emission Tomography.  A scan that uses a labeled sugar molecule to detect evidence of cancer in the body. 

 

Pneumonia

Inflammation of the lungs.

 

Pneumonitis

Inflammation of the lung tissue.

 

Pneumothorax

Accumulation of air or gas in the pleural cavity resulting in partial or complete collapse of the lung.

 

Proteins

Naturally occurring organic compounds essential to the structure and function of the body.

 

Pulmonary

Relating to the lungs.

 

Pulmonary artery

Blood vessel that delivers oxygen-poor blood from the right ventricle of the heart to the lungs.

 

Pulmonary embolism

Closure or narrowing of the pulmonary artery or one of its branches by an embolism.

 

Pulmonary function tests

Procedures used for measuring how well the lungs are working. The most common tests measure the ability of lungs to move air into and out of the lung.

 

Pulmonary hypertension

Abnormally high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs.

Q

Quarantine

The isolation of persons exposed to infectious diseases.

R

Red blood cells

Cells that transport oxygen from the lungs to all tissues of the body.

 

Respiration

Process of exchanging oxygen from the air for carbon dioxide from the body; includes the mechanical process of breathing, gas exchange, and oxygen and carbon dioxide transport to and from the cells.

 

Respiratory failure

Inability of the lungs to conduct gas exchange.

 

Respiratory tree

The structure in the chest composed of the trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, and alveoli. It resembles an upside-down tree; also called the tracheobronchial tree.

Restrictive lung diseases

Diseases that interfere with lung inflation; examples are pulmonary fibrosis, sarcoidosis, pneumoconiosis, diseases of the chest wall and pleura, and those of neuromuscular origin.

 

 

S

Sarcoidosis

Rare disease of unknown cause, occurring primarily in young adults, that can affect the function of the lungs as well as other organs and tissues.

 

Silicosis

Lung disease caused by inhaling dust containing silica.

 

Smooth muscle

Muscle that involuntarily performs automatic tasks such as constricting blood vessels.

 

Spirometer

Instrument used to measure lung air volumes and flow rates.

 

Squamous cell carcinoma

Cancer that begins in the flat scale-like cells in the skin and in tissues that line certain organs of the body including the larynx.

 

Sleep Apnea

A condition characterized by temporary breathing interruptions during sleep. The pauses in breathing can occur dozens or even hundreds of times a night.

 

Steroids

A type of hormone often times used to treat inflammatory conditions of the lungs, such as asthma, and pulmonary fibrosis.

 

Surfactant

Fluid secreted by alveolar cells that reduces the surface tension of pulmonary fluids and contributes to the elastic properties of pulmonary tissue.

 

Surface tension

Property of a liquid, related to its chemical structure, that causes its exposed surface to contract to the smallest area.

 

T

Thoracic cage

Bony structure formed by 12 pairs of ribs, the sternum (breastbone) and vertebrae (back bone).

 

Thorax

The body between the neck and the abdomen; the chest.

 

Tissue

A group or layer of similar specialized cells that perform specific functions.

 

Trachea

Airway that connects the larynx to the lungs; also called the windpipe.

 

U

Uvula

Small soft structure hanging from the soft palate in the midline.

 

V

Vein

Blood vessel that carries blood to the heart. All veins carry oxygen-poor blood except the pulmonary vein and its branches which carry oxygen-rich blood to the heart. The smallest veins are called venules.

 

Venous blood

Blood that has given up its oxygen to the tissues in exchange for carbon dioxide which it carries back to the lungs for gas exchange.

 

Ventilation

Exchange of air between the lungs and the atmosphere so that oxygen can be exchanged for carbon dioxide at the alveoli.

 

Ventricle

A chamber of the heart that pumps blood out. The right ventricle pumps it to the lungs where it picks up oxygen; the left ventricle pumps it into the aorta and then on to the rest of the body.

 

Virus

Infectious agent composed of a protein coat around a nucleic acid core; viruses depend on living cells to reproduce.

 

W

Wheezing

Breathing with a rasp or whistling sound; a sign of airway constriction or obstruction.