Important Medical Terms that everyone should know.

25 Important Medical Terms you need to know.

These medical terms will keep you informed not only in daily conversation but in situations when they matter most.

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 piecesI