The medical world is full of big words that don’t mean anything unless you are in the field. The other term for this is JARGON. A lot of medical workers forget that most people aren’t familiar with the medical language they use every day. If you don’t understand, please ask them to explain in laymen’s terms.
Acute: 1. (time) right now, sudden, the last 3 months. 2. (severity) extreme, dangerous, or severe.
Chronic: 1. lasting 3-6 months or more 2. Ongoing 3. Often stable or getting worse with time.
Disease: 1. Any health problem. 2. An abnormal condition that affects the structure or function of part or all of the body and is usually associated with specific signs and symptoms.
Health: 1. state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. 2. balance in mental or physical well-being
Provider: 1. A health professional that can order treatments or medications. 2. Can include doctors, physician assistants (PA), or nurse practitioners (NP)
Nurse: 1. A licensed health worker who enacts a provider’s orders. 2. Includes registered nurses (RN) or licensed vocational/practical nurse (LVN/LPN) 3. Bound by state specific code of conduct
Therapy: 1. Any treatment 2. A service provided by a licensed therapist examples: physical therapy, occupational, speech, mobility, vision, etc.
Chronic Living Blog 
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