Plain language for terms people might see on your site

A. BRAIN INJURY (TBI) TERMS

Acquired Brain Injury
Medical term for any brain damage that happens after birth due to injury, stroke, infection, lack of oxygen, or toxins.
Plain language: Brain damage that wasn’t there at birth but developed because something harmed the brain.

Acute vs Chronic
“Acute” means short-term or right away after injury. “Chronic” means ongoing over a long period.
Plain language: Think “new” versus “long-standing.”

Cognitive Function
How your brain thinks, remembers, solves problems, pays attention, and makes decisions.
Plain language: Your brain’s everyday thinking power.

Concussion
A mild form of brain injury usually from a bump, blow, or jolt to the head.
Plain language: A brain shake-up that can change thinking or balance for a bit.

Diffuse Axonal Injury
A more serious type of brain injury where brain fibers stretch or tear during a violent movement of the head.
Plain language: Wires inside the brain get twisted or stretched during a bad hit.

Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS)
A scoring system doctors use right after injury to gauge alertness and basic brain function.
Plain language: A quick score doctors give to see how responsive someone is.

Neuroimaging
Scans like CT or MRI that show pictures of the brain.
Plain language: Big camera snapshots of the brain inside the skull.

Neuropsychological Testing
Detailed tests that measure memory, thinking, and how the brain is working.
Plain language: A series of brain puzzles to see how thinking skills are doing.

Severe vs Moderate vs Mild TBI
Categories of brain injury severity based on function and symptoms.
Plain language: How bad the injury is, from light to serious.

Symptom Tracking
A diary people keep of symptoms like headache, dizziness, concentration issues.
Plain language: Writing down what symptoms you have and when so doctors can see patterns.

B. NEUROPATHY TERMS

Peripheral Neuropathy
Damage to the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord, usually hands and feet.
Plain language: When the wires from your spine to your arms or legs are not sending signals right.

Axon
The part of a nerve that sends signals to other nerves or muscles.
Plain language: The long “wire” part of a nerve.

Demyelination
Loss of the protective coating around nerves, which slows signals.
Plain language: Think of the plastic coating coming off an electrical wire.

Electromyography (EMG)
A test that measures electrical activity in muscles.
Plain language: A check on how muscles fire using small electric readings.

Nerve Conduction Study (NCS)
A test that checks how fast nerves send signals.
Plain language: Timing how quickly a nerve carries a message.

Neuropathic Pain
Pain caused by nerve damage, often burning, tingling, or stabbing.
Plain language: When damaged nerves send pain signals even without injury.

Sensory Symptoms
Changes in feeling like numbness or tingling.
Plain language: Odd feelings like pins-and-needles or nothing at all.

Motor Symptoms
Changes in strength or muscle control.
Plain language: Trouble moving or weak muscles.

Stocking and Glove Pattern
A pattern of neuropathy where feet and hands are affected first.
Plain language: Nerve problems usually start at the ends of arms and legs, like socks and gloves.

C. BLADDER CONTROL & PELVIC FLOOR TERMS

Urinary Incontinence
Loss of bladder control or leaking urine.
Plain language: Pee leaks out when you do not mean for it to.

Cystitis / Bladder Irritation
Inflammation or irritation of the bladder.
Plain language: Bladder lining gets inflamed and feels uncomfortable.

Urodynamic Testing
A group of tests that show how well the bladder stores and releases urine.
Plain language: A detailed bladder exam that checks filling and emptying.

Stress Incontinence
Leakage with coughing, sneezing, or lifting.
Plain language: Pee leaks when you put pressure on the bladder.

Urge Incontinence
Sudden strong need to urinate followed by leakage.
Plain language: Having to go bad enough that you cannot hold it.

Overflow Incontinence
Bladder does not empty well and drips.
Plain language: The bladder gets too full and dribbles out.

Pelvic Floor Muscles
Muscles under the pelvis that support bladder, bowel, and sexual organs.
Plain language: The hammock of muscles holding up important organs.

Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
When these muscles do not coordinate right.
Plain language: Muscles that are supposed to help do not work in sync.

Bladder Diary
A record someone keeps of fluid intake, bathroom trips, and leakage episodes.
Plain language: A log of what you drink and when you go, so patterns are clear.

D. URINARY TRACT & GENERAL HEALTH TERMS

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)
An infection in the urinary system, often bladder or urethra.
Plain language: Germs in the pee tubes that can cause burning and urgency.

Hydration Status
How well the body is balanced with fluids.
Plain language: Whether you have enough water in your system.

Kidney Stones
Hard mineral pieces that form in the kidney and can travel down the urinary tract.
Plain language: Small hard lumps that can block flow and cause pain.

Prostate Enlargement
Common in men with aging and can affect urinary flow.
Plain language: The prostate grows and can pinch the pee tube.

Bladder Training
Techniques that help hold urine longer and increase time between bathroom trips.
Plain language: Practicing delaying the urge to make routines more predictable.

E. DIAGNOSTIC TESTS & MEASURES (GENERAL)

CT Scan
A series of X-rays that create detailed cross-section pictures.
Plain language: A powerful internal camera built from many X-rays.

MRI
A machine that uses magnets to create detailed images of soft tissues.
Plain language: A detailed picture of insides without X-rays.

Blood Tests
Lab tests that measure chemicals, cells, and organ work.
Plain language: Samples of blood checked for signs of health or disease.

Urinalysis
A test of urine to check infection, blood, sugar, or other changes.
Plain language: Pee is checked like a lab sample for clues.

Symptom Severity Scale
A way doctors measure how bad symptoms are over time.
Plain language: A score to track how much the problem affects life.

F. PAIN & FUNCTION TERMS

Neuropathic Pain
Pain caused by nerve signals that are abnormal.
Plain language: Pain that comes from the wiring being faulty.

Chronic Pain
Long-lasting pain that does not go away quickly.
Plain language: Pain that sticks around beyond what is expected.

Functional Impairment
Loss of ability to do normal daily tasks.
Plain language: Trouble doing everyday things because of symptoms.