Disease Terminology
Acute - Disease characterized by abrupt or sudden onset, usually with severe symptoms. Acute disease, as a rule, lasts a comparatively short time—no more than a few weeks. Chronic - Disease characterized by longer duration, often months or years. It is usually associated with symptoms of less severe intensity. Communicable - Disease that is transmissible by direct or indirect contact with infection. Complicating - Disease that occurs during or after an illness and has the same cause as the original disease or results from changes produced by the original disease. Congenital - Disease present in an infant at birth; it may be caused by hereditary factors or result from a prenatal condition or disease. Contagious - Highly transmissible disease. Deficiency - Disease resulting from a lack of vitamins or minerals in the diet or a failure to absorb vitamins or minerals from food. Endemic - Disease that occurs continuously or recurrently in a particular geographic region. Epidemic - D