Layman vs medical terms
Asking for Preferences
Here is a table of common diseases and conditions with their everyday (layman) names alongside their proper medical terms:
Common Diseases & Conditions: Layman vs Medical Terms
Cardiovascular
| Layman Term | Medical Term |
|---|---|
| Heart attack | Myocardial infarction (MI) |
| Stroke | Cerebrovascular accident (CVA) |
| Mini-stroke | Transient ischemic attack (TIA) |
| Chest pain / angina | Angina pectoris |
| Hardening of the arteries | Atherosclerosis |
| High blood pressure | Hypertension |
| Low blood pressure | Hypotension |
| Irregular heartbeat | Arrhythmia / Dysrhythmia |
| Heart failure / weak heart | Congestive heart failure (CHF) |
| Varicose veins | Chronic venous insufficiency |
| Blood clot in the leg | Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) |
| Blood clot in the lung | Pulmonary embolism (PE) |
Respiratory
| Layman Term | Medical Term |
|---|---|
| Common cold | Upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) |
| Flu | Influenza |
| Pneumonia | Pneumonia (same, but medically: lobar/bronchopneumonia) |
| Whooping cough | Pertussis |
| Asthma attack | Acute bronchospasm |
| Collapsed lung | Pneumothorax |
| Chronic smoker's cough / COPD | Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) |
| Sleep apnea | Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) |
Gastrointestinal
| Layman Term | Medical Term |
|---|---|
| Heartburn / acid reflux | Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) |
| Stomach ulcer | Peptic ulcer disease (PUD) |
| Appendicitis | Acute appendicitis |
| Gallstones | Cholelithiasis |
| Liver inflammation | Hepatitis |
| Liver cirrhosis (scarred liver) | Hepatic cirrhosis |
| Irritable bowel | Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) |
| Crohn's / colitis | Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) |
| Constipation | Obstipation (severe) / Constipation |
| Piles | Hemorrhoids |
| Twisted bowel | Volvulus |
Neurological & Mental Health
| Layman Term | Medical Term |
|---|---|
| Seizure / fit | Epilepsy / Seizure disorder |
| Memory loss / dementia | Alzheimer's disease / Dementia |
| Parkinson's / shaking palsy | Parkinson's disease |
| Multiple sclerosis (MS) | Demyelinating disease / MS |
| Migraine | Migraine cephalalgia |
| Depression | Major depressive disorder (MDD) |
| Manic depression | Bipolar disorder |
| Panic attack | Acute anxiety / Panic disorder |
| OCD | Obsessive-compulsive disorder |
| ADHD | Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder |
| Schizophrenia | Psychotic disorder / Schizophrenia |
Musculoskeletal
| Layman Term | Medical Term |
|---|---|
| Broken bone | Fracture |
| Slipped disc | Herniated intervertebral disc |
| Frozen shoulder | Adhesive capsulitis |
| Torn cartilage (knee) | Meniscal tear |
| Tennis elbow | Lateral epicondylitis |
| Carpal tunnel | Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) |
| Bone thinning | Osteoporosis |
| Wear-and-tear arthritis | Osteoarthritis |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | Rheumatoid arthritis (autoimmune) |
| Gout | Gouty arthritis / Hyperuricemia |
| Muscle wasting | Muscular atrophy |
Endocrine & Metabolic
| Layman Term | Medical Term |
|---|---|
| Sugar diabetes | Diabetes mellitus (Type 1 or Type 2) |
| Pre-diabetes | Impaired glucose tolerance |
| Underactive thyroid | Hypothyroidism |
| Overactive thyroid | Hyperthyroidism |
| Goiter (neck swelling) | Thyroid goiter |
| High cholesterol | Hyperlipidemia / Dyslipidemia |
| Obesity | Morbid obesity / BMI >30 |
| Cushing's (moon face, weight gain) | Hypercortisolism |
| Addison's disease | Adrenocortical insufficiency |
Urinary & Kidney
| Layman Term | Medical Term |
|---|---|
| Kidney stones | Nephrolithiasis / Urolithiasis |
| Kidney failure | Renal failure (Acute or Chronic) |
| Urinary tract infection (UTI) | Cystitis (bladder) / Pyelonephritis (kidney) |
| Bladder leakage | Urinary incontinence |
| Enlarged prostate | Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) |
Skin
| Layman Term | Medical Term |
|---|---|
| Eczema | Atopic dermatitis |
| Psoriasis | Psoriasis vulgaris |
| Shingles | Herpes zoster |
| Chickenpox | Varicella |
| Cold sore | Herpes labialis (HSV-1) |
| Ringworm | Tinea corporis (fungal infection) |
| Acne | Acne vulgaris |
| Skin cancer (most common) | Basal cell carcinoma / Squamous cell carcinoma |
| Mole turning cancerous | Melanoma |
Infectious Diseases
| Layman Term | Medical Term |
|---|---|
| Blood poisoning | Septicemia / Sepsis |
| Mono / kissing disease | Infectious mononucleosis (EBV) |
| Meningitis | Bacterial / Viral meningitis |
| Malaria | Plasmodium infection |
| TB | Tuberculosis (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) |
| Tetanus / lockjaw | Clostridium tetani infection |
| Rabies | Lyssavirus infection |
| Typhoid | Salmonella typhi infection |
| Chlamydia / gonorrhea | Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) |
Cancer (General)
| Layman Term | Medical Term |
|---|---|
| Blood cancer (leukemia) | Leukemia / Lymphoma |
| Breast cancer | Breast carcinoma / Adenocarcinoma |
| Bowel cancer | Colorectal carcinoma |
| Lung cancer | Bronchogenic carcinoma |
| Prostate cancer | Prostatic adenocarcinoma |
| Cervical cancer | Cervical carcinoma |
| Brain tumor | Glioma / Meningioma / Astrocytoma |
This covers the most common conditions across major body systems. Want me to expand any specific category, add symptoms, or include treatments alongside each term?
Symptoms
Here is a broad reference of symptoms in everyday language alongside their medical equivalents:
Symptoms: Layman vs Medical Terms
General / Whole Body
| Layman Term | Medical Term |
|---|---|
| Fever / high temperature | Pyrexia / Hyperthermia |
| Low body temperature | Hypothermia |
| Chills / shivering | Rigors |
| Tiredness / exhaustion | Fatigue / Asthenia / Malaise |
| Feeling unwell | Malaise |
| Unexplained weight loss | Cachexia / Involuntary weight loss |
| Night sweats | Nocturnal diaphoresis |
| Excessive sweating | Hyperhidrosis / Diaphoresis |
| Swelling | Edema (fluid) / Mass / Swelling |
| Yellowing of the skin/eyes | Jaundice / Icterus |
| Pale skin | Pallor |
| Bluish skin/lips | Cyanosis |
| Flushed / redness of skin | Erythema |
| Loss of appetite | Anorexia |
| Excessive hunger | Polyphagia |
| Excessive thirst | Polydipsia |
| Frequent urination | Polyuria / Pollakiuria |
Head & Brain
| Layman Term | Medical Term |
|---|---|
| Headache | Cephalalgia |
| Severe one-sided headache | Hemicrania / Migraine |
| Dizziness | Vertigo / Dizziness / Presyncope |
| Fainting | Syncope |
| Near-fainting / lightheadedness | Presyncope |
| Fit / seizure | Convulsion / Epileptic seizure |
| Confusion / disorientation | Delirium / Altered mental status |
| Memory loss | Amnesia |
| Difficulty speaking | Dysphasia / Aphasia |
| Slurred speech | Dysarthria |
| Face drooping | Facial palsy / Bell's palsy |
| Ringing in the ears | Tinnitus |
| Loss of smell | Anosmia |
| Loss of taste | Ageusia |
| Sensitivity to light | Photophobia |
| Sensitivity to sound | Phonophobia |
| Double vision | Diplopia |
| Blurred vision | Visual blurring / Amblyopia |
| Sudden vision loss | Amaurosis |
Chest & Heart
| Layman Term | Medical Term |
|---|---|
| Chest pain | Chest pain / Angina pectoris / Precordialgia |
| Heart racing / pounding | Palpitations |
| Shortness of breath | Dyspnea |
| Shortness of breath lying flat | Orthopnea |
| Waking up breathless at night | Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea (PND) |
| Coughing up blood | Hemoptysis |
| Cough | Cough / Tussis |
| Wheezing | Wheeze / Expiratory wheeze |
| Noisy breathing | Stridor (high-pitched) / Stertor |
Stomach & Gut
| Layman Term | Medical Term |
|---|---|
| Stomach ache / belly pain | Abdominal pain |
| Nausea | Nausea |
| Vomiting | Emesis |
| Vomiting blood | Hematemesis |
| Bloating / gas | Abdominal distension / Flatulence |
| Burping | Eructation |
| Heartburn | Pyrosis |
| Difficulty swallowing | Dysphagia |
| Painful swallowing | Odynophagia |
| Diarrhea | Diarrhea |
| Bloody diarrhea | Hematochezia |
| Constipation | Constipation / Obstipation |
| Black tarry stool | Melena |
| Loss of bowel control | Fecal incontinence |
Muscles, Bones & Movement
| Layman Term | Medical Term |
|---|---|
| Joint pain | Arthralgia |
| Joint swelling / inflammation | Arthritis |
| Muscle pain | Myalgia |
| Back pain | Dorsalgia / Lumbalgia |
| Neck pain / stiff neck | Cervicalgia / Neck rigidity |
| Numbness | Hypoesthesia / Numbness |
| Tingling / pins and needles | Paresthesia |
| Weakness in a limb | Paresis (partial) / Plegia (complete) |
| Paralysis | Paralysis / Plegia |
| Shaking / trembling | Tremor |
| Muscle cramps | Muscle spasm / Myospasm |
| Muscle stiffness | Rigidity / Myotonia |
| Unsteady walking | Ataxia / Gait instability |
| Limping | Antalgic gait |
| Wasting of muscles | Muscle atrophy |
Urinary & Reproductive
| Layman Term | Medical Term |
|---|---|
| Burning urination | Dysuria |
| Blood in urine | Hematuria |
| Difficulty urinating | Urinary hesitancy / Obstructive uropathy |
| Leaking urine | Urinary incontinence |
| No urine output | Anuria |
| Low urine output | Oliguria |
| Painful periods | Dysmenorrhea |
| Absent periods | Amenorrhea |
| Irregular periods | Oligomenorrhea / Menstrual irregularity |
| Heavy periods | Menorrhagia |
| Vaginal discharge | Leukorrhea / Vaginal discharge |
| Painful intercourse | Dyspareunia |
Skin
| Layman Term | Medical Term |
|---|---|
| Rash | Exanthem / Rash / Dermatitis |
| Itching | Pruritus |
| Bruising | Ecchymosis |
| Small pinpoint bleeding under skin | Petechiae |
| Larger skin bleeding/bruise | Purpura |
| Hives / welts | Urticaria |
| Blisters | Vesicles / Bullae |
| Pus-filled spot | Pustule |
| Scaling / flaking skin | Desquamation |
| Hair loss | Alopecia |
| Nail changes (clubbing) | Digital clubbing |
Psychological / Behavioral
| Layman Term | Medical Term |
|---|---|
| Feeling sad / low mood | Depressed mood / Dysphoria |
| Excessive worry | Anxiety |
| Mood swings | Affective lability / Mood instability |
| Hearing things that aren't there | Auditory hallucinations |
| Seeing things that aren't there | Visual hallucinations |
| False beliefs | Delusions |
| Flashbacks | Intrusive memories / PTSD symptoms |
| Inability to sleep | Insomnia |
| Sleeping too much | Hypersomnia |
| Excessive fear of something | Phobia |
| Compulsive behaviors | Obsessions / Compulsions |
| Eating too little on purpose | Anorexia nervosa |
| Binge eating and purging | Bulimia nervosa |
Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat
| Layman Term | Medical Term |
|---|---|
| Earache | Otalgia |
| Ear discharge | Otorrhea |
| Hearing loss | Hypoacusis / Sensorineural/Conductive hearing loss |
| Runny nose | Rhinorrhea |
| Stuffy/blocked nose | Nasal congestion / Nasal obstruction |
| Nosebleed | Epistaxis |
| Sore throat | Pharyngitis / Odynophagia |
| Hoarse voice | Dysphonia / Hoarseness |
| Loss of voice | Aphonia |
| Red eye | Conjunctival injection / Conjunctivitis |
| Watery eyes | Epiphora |
| Droopy eyelid | Ptosis |
This covers the major symptom categories. Want me to go further - such as adding likely causes next to each symptom, or covering a specific body system in more depth?
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