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Terms and Definition
Terms and Definitions
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Allergen | a substance that causes an allergic reaction |
| Alveoli | tiny air sacs in the lungs where oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange takes place |
| Anticholinergic | an agent that inhibits the physiological action of acetylcholine |
| Antihistamine | a drug or other compound that inhibits the effects of histamine; often used to treat allergies |
| Antitussive | a drug that can decrease the central nervous system coughing reflex |
| Aspiration | to draw a foreign substance into the respiratory tract during inhalation |
| Bronchi | the major lung air passages that diverge from the windpipe |
| Bronchioles | small branches that divide from the bronchus in the lungs |
| Cilia | short, microscopic, hair-like structures |
| Decongestant | a drug that shrinks the swollen membranes in the nasal cavity, making it easier to breathe |
| Diaphragm | a dome-shaped, muscular partition separating the thorax from the abdomen that plays a major role in breathing |
| Dyspnea | difficult or laboring breathing |
| Expectorant | a drug that helps remove mucous secretions from the respiratory system; it loosens and thins sputum and bronchial secretions for ease of expectoration |
| Expiration | the act of breathing out; exhalation |
| Influenza | a respiratory tract infection caused by an influenza virus |
| Inspiration | the act of breathing in; inhalation |
| Prophylactic | treatment given before an event or exposure to prevent the condition or symptom |
| Sputum | fluid (mucous) expectorated from the lungs and bronchial tissue |