Disease (Definition & Terms)

Exacerbation

A period during which signs and symptoms grow more severe.

Metabolic Disease

Disruption of normal metabolism, the process of converting food to energy on a cellular level. Example: diabetes.

Congenital Disease

Exist at or date from birth; can be acquired through heredity or acquired during development in the uterus.

Degenerative Disease

Function or structure of the affected tissues or organs progressively deteriorates over time. Example: arthritis.

Functional Disease

Functional changes in the body.

Gross Exam

Patient is visually examined

Etiology

The cause of a disease.

Morbidity (Incidence)

The incidence of disease. The number of cases of a disease in a population.

Remission

A period during which signs and symptoms of a disease subside or disappear.

Complication

A related disease or other abnormal state that develops in a person already suffering from a disease. Example: a person confined to bed with a serious fracture may develop pneumonia, ulcer, etc.

Hereditary Disease

Abnormality in an individual's genes or chromosomes.

Idiopathic

If the cause of a disease is not known, it is said to be idiopathic.

Nutritional Disease

Over or underconsumption of nutrients.

Traumatic Disease

Physical or chemical injury.

Inflammatory/Infectious Disease

Result of abnormal immune function; infectious diseases are caused by pathogens such as bacteria and viruses.

Neoplastic Disease

Results from abnormal growth that leads to the formation of tumors. Example: cancer.

Organic Disease

Structural (anatomical) changes in the body.

Sequela

The aftermath of a particular disease. Example: a sequela of rheumatic fever is permanent damage to the heart, sequela of polio is paralysis.

Mortality

The number of deaths that occur among people with a certain disease.

Relapse

The return of a disease weeks or months after its apparent cure. Example: occurs often with leukemia and ulcerative colitis.

Pathology

The study of disease.

Histological Exam

Tissue samples are studied under a microscope.

Pathogenisis

Describes how the cause of the disease leads to anatomical and physiological changes in the body that ultimately result in the disease.

Chronic

Disease has a slower, less severe onset and a long duration of months or years. Examples: heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, and arthritis.

Acute

Disease has sudden onset and short duration. Examples: influenza, measles, and the common cold.