adult respiratory distress syndrome

Friendly

Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)

Definition: Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) is a serious medical condition that affects the lungs. It happens when the lungs become inflamed and fill with fluid, making it very hard for a person to breathe. This can cause severe coughing and a sound called "rales," which are crackling sounds when breathing. ARDS often occurs in adults who have been exposed to harmful substances, like strong chemicals or smoke, or who have had serious infections or injuries.

Usage Instructions:

• ARDS is a medical term and is mostly used in healthcare settings.
• You may encounter it in conversations about health, medical reports, or when discussing serious illnesses.

Example Sentence:

• "After the chemical spill, many workers were diagnosed with Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome due to inhaling toxic vapors."

Advanced Usage:

• In medical discussions, ARDS is often discussed in terms of its causes (like pneumonia or trauma), symptoms (such as difficulty breathing), and treatments (like oxygen therapy or mechanical ventilation).

Word Variants:

• Acute Lung Injury (ALI): This is a less severe condition that can lead to ARDS.
• Respiratory: This adjective relates to the organs involved in breathing.
• Distress: This noun refers to suffering or difficulty.

Different Meanings:

• While "adult respiratory distress syndrome" specifically refers to a medical condition, the individual words can have broader meanings. For example:
  • "Adult" refers to a fully grown person.
  • "Respiratory" refers to anything related to breathing.
  • "Distress" can also mean emotional suffering, not just physical.

Synonyms:

• Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) is another way to refer to the same condition.
• Lung injury can be a more general term.

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• Although there are no direct idioms or phrasal verbs specifically related to ARDS, you might hear phrases like:
  • "In dire straits" - meaning in a very difficult situation, sometimes used to describe severe health conditions.
  • "Breathe easy" - meaning to feel relieved, which is the opposite of the experience of someone with ARDS.

Summary:

Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome is a serious condition that affects breathing due to lung inflammation and fluid buildup.

Academic

Noun

1. acute lung injury characterized by coughing and rales; inflammation of the lungs which become stiff and fibrous and cannot exchange oxygen; occurs among persons exposed to irritants such as corrosive chemical vapors or ammonia or chlorine etc.

Synonyms

• ARDS
• wet lung
• white lung