"What did the doctor say?" - Understanding Medical Terminology

PEG tube/Feeding tube - A tube inserted through the skin directly into the stomach or inserted through the nostril into the stomach for persons who cannot swallow or chew food. Often used in the last stage of Alzheimer's to prevent choking or inhaling of food into the lungs and to provide proper and sufficient nutrition.

Incontinence - The inablity to retain urine, semen or feces though loss of muscle control.

Myoclonus - Quick, single jerking movements of the arms, legs or body. Not seizures and not a cause for alarm.

UTI - Urinary tract infection. An infection in the tube that removes urine from the body. Common in hospitalized, bed-ridden and elderly persons. Treatment is normally with antibiotics and proper hygiene.

Sundowning - A worsening of symptoms in a person with dementia as evening approaches. Not clearly understood why this occurs but it is very common in Alzheimer's Disease. A time when wandering and agitation may occur.

Investing in a good medical dictionary that is geared towards the layperson is always a worthwhile expense. Just knowing what the words mean can often lessen the fear and anxiety of visiting the doctor and undergoing various medical procedures.

Look up the words in a medical dictionary or on the internet. Take a course in terminology. Most technical schools offer evening classes in terminology. Ask a trusted friend if they know what the terms or tests mean.

Call your local Agency on Aging or the Alzheimer's Association in your area. Many organizations have printouts and pamphlets outlining the commonly used medical terms.

The best and most important thing to do is ASK. Stop the doctor or nurse and ask them to explain what they just said to you. If they don't or won't, find a new doctor. We must always be our own and our loved ones' advocate.

The following are a few sites I found for you to look up medical terms:

The PersonalMD web site offers an online Merriam Webster medical dictionary. It can be found on their home page under their Resources heading. You simply type in the word you are looking for in the search box. You can find the dictionary HERE

The Merriam Webster medical dictionary is also available at Discovery Health. The dictionary can be found HERE

For my International readers, I have found a Multilingual Glossary of technical and popular medical terms in nine European Languages. You can access it HERE

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