Lungs & Respiratory System Glossary
A
Adenovirus (add-en-oh-VY-rus): Have you ever had a sore throat, cough, or runny nose? Then you've probably had an adenovirus. This is one of a group of viruses or germs that can get into your respiratory tract, eyes, intestines, or urinary tract and make you sick. Washing your hands a lot is the best way to keep from getting an adenovirus.
Airways: The airways in your lungs are like tubes or straws. The air flows in and out of them so you can breathe. They're also called bronchial (say: BRONG-kee-ul) tubes or bronchi (say: BRONG-kye).
Airway Obstruction (AIR-way ub-STRUK-shun): When something keeps the air from moving in and out of the airways in your lungs, it's called an airway obstruction. When someone has asthma, the airways may become obstructed, or blocked, because the airways are swollen, narrow, and clogged with thick mucus. Obstructed airways can cause coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath.
Allergen (al-ur-jun): An allergen is a medical word for anything that causes an allergic reaction. Allergens can be many different things, including grass, dust mites, or animal dander — the stuff that flakes off dogs' and cats' skin.
Allergist (AL-ur-jist): An allergist is a special doctor who helps people who are allergic to things like animals, grass, pollen, dust, and even foods. Sometimes they can give you medicine or shots to help you feel better when allergies bother you.
Allergy (AL-ur-jee): An allergy is when someone's immune system overreacts to something that usually isn't harmful. Many things can trigger allergies, like pollen, some animals, foods, or a bee sting. Allergies can make your eyes water and your nose run, make your skin itchy and bumpy, make your throat and ears sore, and make your tummy ache. But if you have an allergy, a special doctor called an allergist can help you feel better again.
Allergy Shots and Immunotherapy (ih-myoo-noh-THER-uh-pee): If you sneeze a lot because you're allergic to something, doctors might give you allergy shots, also called immunotherapy. This can also be helpful for some people whose asthma symptoms are caused by allergies. The shots gradually help your body not to be allergic to something anymore. Usually, though, you need to get shots for months or sometimes even years to get rid of your allergies. But for many kids, it's worth it because they feel so much better!
Allergy-Triggered Asthma: Most kids who have asthma also have some kind of allergy, too. With allergy-triggered asthma, someone's asthma symptoms (like coughing and trouble breathing) occur when the person comes in contact with an allergen. But not all asthma is caused by allergies, and not all allergies cause symptoms of asthma.
Animal Dander: All warm-blooded animals shed tiny flakes from their skin. This is called dander. (It's like dandruff in humans but much harder to see.) When someone is allergic to animals, it could be dander that's causing the problem. Pet dander can be trouble for people who have asthma because, if they're allergic to it, it can make breathing problems worse.
Asthma (AZ-muh): Someone with asthma can have trouble breathing because of problems with the airways, the tubes that carry air into the lungs. The airways can get irritated, swollen (puffed up), and narrow (like a pinched straw), which makes it hard to breathe. Many things can trigger an asthma flare, like viruses, allergies, smoke, and even exercise. Someone who has asthma may need to see a doctor regularly and carry special medicine to make it easier to breathe.
B
Bronchiolitis (brong-key-oh-LYE-tuss): Bronchiolitis is an infection in the respiratory tract. It affects the tiny airways (called bronchioles) in the lungs, which can make it hard to breathe. It's caused by a virus, but usually is not serious and will go away quickly if you rest and drink a lot. Bronchiolitis is very contagious, but washing your hands can help keep you from getting it.
Bronchoconstriction (brong-ko-kun-STRIK-shun): Doesn't this sound like a cross between a dinosaur and a snake? Actually, bronchoconstriction affects the airways in a person's lungs. You can think of airways like straws or tubes. They let air flow in and out so you can breathe. These airways have muscles, but not the kind you flex! In bronchoconstriction, the muscles surrounding the airways contract, or tighten. This narrows the airways so there's less space inside for air to get through. Bronchoconstriction happens to people who have asthma, but asthma medicines can help relax the muscles in the airways and make breathing easier.
Bronchodilator (brong-ko-DY-lay-ter): A person with asthma may need to take a medicine called a bronchodilator. This type of medicine dilates (a fancy word for opens) the airways, or bronchial tubes. This usually means using an inhaler, which is a plastic tube that holds a container of medicine. You may have seen a friend or someone in school using an inhaler, which is held up to the mouth and breathed into the lungs.
C
Congestion (kun-JES-chun): Need to blow your nose? Congestion happens when your nose gets stuffy and makes it hard to breathe. Usually, you have congestion when you have a cold or allergies and your nose gets plugged up with mucus (otherwise known as snot). Being congested is no fun, but you'll feel better with rest, lots of fluids, and the right kind of medicine.
Cough: You cough, but why? A cough is a reflex that helps your body clear your throat and lungs. A cough is a common symptom in people who have asthma. But you might cough for many other reasons, like when you have a cold. Someone who has asthma may cough because the airways are irritated (narrow, swollen, and filled with mucus). For some kids, coughing may be the only clue that they have asthma. The coughing may happen only at night or while they exercise.
Cystic Fibrosis (SIS-tik fi-BRO-sus): You may know that you have mucus in your nose, mouth, and lungs, and that it helps keep you healthy. But kids with the condition cystic fibrosis have bodies that make thick, sticky mucus. This causes problems in their lungs and their digestive tract. The condition makes it hard for them to breathe and also to get the nutrition they need from their food.
D
Diaphragm (DYE-uh-fram): Ever get the hiccups? Don't worry — it's just your diaphragm doing something different! This thin, dome-shaped muscle helps you breathe and separates the lungs from your stomach and intestines. When it gets irritated, the diaphragm forces the air out of your lungs in a funny way. Hic!
Dust Mites: Dust mites are teeny, tiny bugs that live in household dust. You have to be pretty small to live in dust — and they are. You actually need a microscope to see them! So if you can't even see them, what's the problem? Well, people can be allergic to dust mites and their droppings. This stuff gets into the air and then can get into someone's lungs. Dust mites don't bother most people, but they can make breathing problems worse for someone with asthma. It can be tough to get rid of dust mites because they get into soft places like pillows, blankets, mattresses, and stuffed animals.
E
Exercise-Induced Asthma (EK-sur-syze in-DOOSED AZ-muh): Some people have asthma symptoms (such as coughing, wheezing, or trouble breathing) only when they're doing sports or being active. Being active may be the only cause of their breathing trouble, or it can be just one trigger that causes problems. Kids who have this kind of asthma need to see a doctor and find out how to treat it. But once they do, they usually can be active and do sports like anyone else. In fact, some Olympic athletes have exercise-induced asthma that they've learned to control.
Exhale (EX-hail): Put one hand on your chest and take a deep breath ... hold it! Now let the air out. Do you know why your chest seems to get smaller when you breathe out? It's called exhaling. This means you're pushing the air you breathed in out of your body. Your lungs are kind of like balloons, and when you breathe in (inhale), they get bigger. Then when you exhale and let that air back out, they get smaller. That's why your chest goes up and down when you breathe.
H
Hyperventilate (hi-pur-VEN-tuh-layte): Have you ever breathed too deeply? How about too quickly? Put those two things together and you will be hyperventilating. When you hyperventilate, there is less carbon dioxide in your blood. This can make you feel lightheaded, short of breath, and numb or tingly in your hands and feet. Different things can make you hyperventilate, like a fever, intense exercise, or stress.
I
Inhale (IN-hail): You're doing it now ... and now ... and now ... and now! You're breathing in, or inhaling, that is. You need to inhale air into your lungs to keep every cell in your body alive. Your lungs are kind of like balloons, and when you breathe in (inhale), they get bigger. Then when you breathe out (exhale) and let that air back out, they get smaller. That's why your chest goes up and down when you breathe.
Inhaler (in-HAY-lur): An inhaler is a device that can get asthma medicine directly into a person's lungs. The medicine is a mist, spray, or powder that the person breathes in (inhales). In the lungs, this medicine can go right to work, opening narrowed airways (breathing tubes). When the tubes are open and clear, the person can breathe more easily, without as much coughing or wheezing. Using an inhaler takes a little practice, but many kids become experts at it. Spacers can make inhalers easier to use.
N
Nebulizer (NEH-byuh-lye-zur): A nebulizer may sound like a space gun, but you don't have to be on a spaceship to use it. A nebulizer is a machine that turns liquid medicine into a mist that can be breathed in. So it's a great way for people with asthma to get their medicine right where they need it — in their lungs. Lots of kids with asthma use nebulizers to help them breathe easier.
P
Peak Flow Meter (PEEK FLO MEE-tur): If you have asthma, your doctor might ask you to use a peak flow meter to check how well your lungs are working. To use it, a person blows into it and then checks the reading to see if the airways have narrowed. It's portable, it doesn't need to be plugged in, and it can be used at home.
Pneumonia (nuh-MOAN-ya): Pneumonia is a lung infection usually caused by viruses or bacteria. A person with pneumonia may have a fever and cough, and it may be hard to breathe for a little while. A doctor can tell if someone has pneumonia by listening to their lungs or looking at a chest X-ray. Pneumonia can be serious, so sometimes a person who has it needs care in a hospital. But doctors usually can treat it while a person gets better at home.
Pulmonary (POL-meh-nair-ee): Breathe in ... breathe out ... and feel your pulmonary power! Pulmonary is a fancy word that means having to do with the lungs.
Pulmonologist (pol-muh-NOL-uh-jist): A pulmonologist is a doctor who specializes in lungs and breathing. Pulmonologists help people who have trouble with their lungs, like kids who have asthma.
R
REM: REM is short for rapid eye movement, the stage of sleep when your eyes move back and forth under your closed eyelids and you have dreams.
Rescue Medicines (also called Fast-Acting or Quick-Relief Medicines): Quick-relief medicines are a type of asthma medicine that works quickly. They "rescue" the person from wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath. Most of these medicines are inhaled and work by relaxing the muscle around the airways. When the muscles are relaxed, the airways are wider, which makes it easier to move air in and out of the lungs. But quick-relief medicines won't prevent future asthma flare-ups and may not be enough to keep someone's asthma under control. Long-term control medicine, taken daily, is often needed to keep the airways from getting swollen and narrow in the first place.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RES-per-eh-tor-ee sin-SISH-ul VY-rus): RSV is an infection of the lungs and breathing passages caused by a virus. It's common in little kids and is very contagious. When babies get RSV, it can make it hard for them to breathe. Older kids who get RSV usually just have the same symptoms as a cold. Kids who have RSV need to rest and drink lots of fluids to get better.
S
Spacer: A spacer makes it easier to use an inhaler. It attaches to the inhaler on one end and to a mouthpiece or mask on the other end. When the asthma medicine from the inhaler is released, it stays in the spacer until the person is ready for it. If someone uses an inhaler alone, they need to inhale (breathe in) a split-second after releasing the spray medicine. If they don't inhale at the right moment, the medicine may end up in their mouth instead of in the lungs, where it's needed. So most kids who use an inhaler use a spacer with it.
Spirometer (spy-RAH-meh-tur): A spirometer is an instrument that measures how well the lungs are working. To use one, a person breathes into a mouthpiece. The doctor may ask the person to breathe normally or to take a deep breath and blow the air quickly out of the lungs, like blowing up a balloon. A recording device measures the amount of air inhaled or exhaled and how much time each breath took. These measurements can help the doctor find out if the person has a lung problem, like asthma.
Sternutation (stern-yuh-TAY-shun): This is a long word for something that happens in a short time: sneezing! Sternutation can happen at amazing speeds — up to 100 miles an hour!
Sulfites: Sulfites are food preservatives that can cause breathing problems in some people with asthma. For them, sulfites are considered an asthma trigger because they bring on symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, or shortness of breath. Sulfites are used in many food products to prevent spoilage, such as wine, beer, dried fruits and vegetables, shrimp, and pickles.
T
Trachea (TRAY-kee-uh): Your trachea is also called your windpipe. It carries air in and out of your lungs.
Triggers: In asthma, a trigger is anything that brings on symptoms like coughing, wheezing, and trouble breathing. Triggers can vary from person to person and from season to season. They also can change as a kid grows older. Common triggers include colds, smoke, cold air, exercise, and anything that causes an allergic reaction, such as dust mites or pollen.
W
Wheezing: Wheezing is the whistling sound air makes when the breathing tubes are narrowed. This is what happens during an asthma flare-up. If the breathing tubes get too narrow, a person may have trouble breathing. Sometimes you can hear someone wheeze, but usually a doctor needs to listen to a person's lungs with a stethoscope to hear it.