Word: Pulmonary Tuberculosis
Definition:Pulmonary tuberculosis (often shortened to "TB") is a serious illness that affects the lungs. It is caused by bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. When someone has pulmonary tuberculosis, they often have a long-lasting cough, chest pain, and may lose weight. It can be contagious, meaning it can spread from one person to another through the air, especially when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
Usage Instructions: - Use "pulmonary tuberculosis" in formal or medical contexts. - In everyday conversation, you might just say "TB" when talking about the disease.
Example Sentence: - "The doctor diagnosed him with pulmonary tuberculosis after he had a persistent cough for several weeks."
Advanced Usage: - In medical discussions, you might encounter terms like "latent tuberculosis" (where the bacteria are present but not causing symptoms) or "multi-drug resistant tuberculosis" (a form of TB that does not respond to standard treatments).
Word Variants: - "Tuberculosis" (noun) – the general term for the disease. - "Tuberculous" (adjective) – relating to or affected by tuberculosis.
Different Meanings:While "pulmonary tuberculosis" specifically refers to the lung infection, "tuberculosis" can also refer to the disease affecting other parts of the body, not just the lungs.
Synonyms: - TB (common abbreviation) - Consumption (an older term that was used historically to describe tuberculosis)
Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:There are no specific idioms or phrasal verbs directly related to "pulmonary tuberculosis." However, in medical discussions, you might hear phrases like "to test positive for TB," which means someone has been found to have the tuberculosis bacteria in their body.
Summary:Pulmonary tuberculosis is an important medical term referring to a serious lung disease caused by bacteria.