Medical terms to know

1.Benign: Not cancerous

2.Malignant: Cancerous

3.Anti-inflammatory: Reduces swelling, pain, and soreness (such as ibuprofen or naproxen)

4.Body Mass Index (BMI): Body fat measurement based on height and weight

5.Biopsy: A tissue sample for testing purposes

6.Hypotension: Low blood pressure

7.Hypertension: High blood pressure

8.Lesion: Wound, sore, or cut

9.Noninvasive: Doesn’t require entering the body with instruments; usually simple

10.Outpatient: Check in and check out the same day

11.Inpatient: Plan to stay overnight for one or more days

12.In remission: Disease is not getting worse; not to be confused with being cured

13.Membrane: Thin layer of pliable tissue that serves as a covering or lining or connection between two structures

14 .Acute: Sudden but usually short (e.g., acute illness)

15.Angina: Pain in the chest related to the heart that comes and goes

16.Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD): Heartburn

17.Cellulitis: Inflamed or infected tissue beneath the skin

18.Epidermis: Outermost layer of skin

19.Neutrophils: Most common type of white blood cell

20.Edema: Swelling

21.Embolism: Blood clot

22.Sutures: Stitches

23.Polyp: Mass or growth of thin tissue

24.Compound fracture: Broken bone that protrudes through the skin

25.Comminuted fracture: Broken bone that shatters into many pieces