Exacerbation

Exacerbation

Exacerbation (/ɛksˌæsərˈbeɪʃən/) is a term used in medicine to describe an increase in the severity of a disease or its signs and symptoms. The term is often used in the context of chronic diseases, where an exacerbation is a sudden worsening of the condition.

Etymology

The term "exacerbation" comes from the Latin exacerbare, which means "to make worse". It is composed of ex-, meaning "out of" and acerbare, meaning "to make harsh or bitter".

Related Terms

• Chronic disease: A long-term health condition that may not have a cure. Exacerbations are common in many chronic diseases.
• Remission: A period of time when the symptoms of a disease are reduced or disappear completely. The opposite of an exacerbation.
• Relapse: A return of symptoms after a period of improvement or remission. Similar to an exacerbation, but often used in the context of mental health or addiction.
• Flare-up: Another term for an exacerbation, often used in the context of autoimmune diseases or skin conditions.
• Acute: A term used to describe symptoms or conditions that are severe and sudden in onset. This could describe an exacerbation.

See Also

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• Asthma
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Multiple sclerosis

External links

• Medical encyclopedia article on Exacerbation
• Wikipedia's article - Exacerbation

This WikiMD article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.

---

Languages: - East Asian 中文, 日本, 한국어, South Asian हिन्दी, Urdu, বাংলা, తెలుగు, தமிழ், ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai, မြန်မာဘာသာ, European español, Deutsch, français, русский, português do Brasil, Italian, polski