Medical Phrases Unfurled

                 

                                

 While studying my subject books during my medical course, some of the quotes and phrases from the books fascinated me with their meanings and wordplay.

   ' Planning is part of everyday life.' ( This is from my 'Social and Preventive medicine' book )

     Truly our planning never ends, whether big or small.  Infact however big the plan may be- or however long the persistence or operation of the plan may be- that plan includes everyday planning. Right? 

    ' Man is a social animal ' (This is also from the same book )

    This goes without saying any explanation. Every human being needs another human being or many human beings to live a peaceful life, which includes from the relatives and friends upto the known and unknown people who makes food, health, other worldly things and fun.

      ' It licks the joint and bites the heart . ' 

      This quote refers to the inflammatory sequelae resulting from  untreated or partially treated throat infection caused by  streptococcus . This starts as  a simple sore throat and produces fever, joint pain and lastly cardiac problem. It is called as Rheumatic fever. The resulting condition is the immune response of the body  supposed to be against the pathogen, but here against the body tissues making the tissues suffer. To say simply, the immune system attacking the healthy body tissue. The patient will get joint pain and swelling, which is migrating from one joint to another.  And finally the valves and muscles of the heart are affected. Slowly the joint pain subsides and fever goes away.  But, the heart valves get damaged permanently. Because of this only is the statement above.

      ' Skin is the best dressing. '   (This is from the first page of my Surgery book )

      The weight of this sentence will be felt as you practice and grow as a doctor in the years to come. The value would be known well by dermatologists and plastic surgeons. Surely once skin is lost, it is very difficult to get it back. Some times plastic surgery is needed. This sentence is said by Joseph Lister, who is known as the father of modern surgery.

     ' Cancer can ulcerate, ulcer never cancerates '. This phrase is about the gastric ulcer. It means that a cancerous growth developing in the stomach may get ulcer like form on the surface of the growth. But, an ulcer developing because of the erosion of the inner line of stomach will remain the same and it will not change to cancer. But, the recent school of thought is that in rare cases, an ulcer may turn into cancer. So, be beware of  that.                                  

     ' Once an ulcer, always an ulcer.' This is also about the acid peptic disorder. As long as  the symptoms of  gastritis present with out development of an ulcer, the condition may get cured and the mucosa may heal, even though it may come again. But, once an ulcer develops in the gastric mucosa, the damage is already done and the ulcer may get somewhat coated with mucosa again, but deep down the ulcer crater remains.

    ' Pink puffers, blue bloaters ' - these two phrases refer to the people with  COPD, that means Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, wheezing, in which pink puffers are with lung condition known as Emphysema, usually their facial skin remains pink, suffer for breathing, taking breath in small gasps and pursing lips sometimes. So, pink puffers. Blue bloaters are the one who have chronic bronchitis. These type gets cyanosis, that means bluish discoloration  of the skin, lips and nail beds, because of hypoxia (decreased oxygen supply). Sometimes, these patients also have obesity. So, blue bloaters.

     ' Pump fails, filter leaks, tube bursts.' - This phrase is referring to the complications of Hypertension (High blood pressure), where the heart as a pump fails, the kidney as a filter leaks and the blood vessel as a tube bursts. As these above denote , heart failure, kidney failure and haemorrhagic stroke may occur. But, apart from these, high BP may cause eye problems, memory decrease and fits in pregnant women.

     ' All wheezing are not asthma.' Wheezing is the condition, where the person suffers for breathing and a typical shrill whistling sound is produced. Asthma is a chronic lung problem where there is wheezing along with other respiratory symptoms including cough. Usually whenever a patient presents with wheezing everyone's first thought is about asthma. But, wheezing occurs in allergies, foreign body in the respiratory tract, heart failure, vocal cord dysfunction etc. 

     ' Common things are common.' This actually comes with a joke. Whenever the diagnosis of a symptom is asked to medical students, they  would say big  and rare diagnoses, like cancer, heart failure, tuberculosis etc, because they are catchy and easily come to mind. At these the teaching doctors remind the students that common things are common and ask to come to a simple diagnosis first. 

    ' Rarest of the rare ' - This phrase is not only used in medical field, but in other fields as well. And the meaning is obvious- very rare.

    ' Health is a state of physical, mental, social and psychological well-being.'  This is learnt from social and preventive medicine.  Not having any bodily disease does not mean one is healthy. Must not have any obvious or hidden mind disorders and must be able to move in the society in an apropriate manner. Period.