Understand medical jargon

Horripilation, borborygmus, and rhinorrhea are three perfectly respectable medical terms for everyday conditions (goosebumps, intestinal rumbling due to gas, and a runny nose). But, there’s little chance of knowing what on earth your doctor is talking about if he or she happens to use those words to describe what’s ailing you. And that’s just scratching the surface. (Maybe that itch is formication — the feeling that bugs are crawling on your skin!)

A study in JAMA Network Open reveals that medical jargon is often mysterious to patients, and it’s frequently misinterpreted to mean the opposite of its true definition. For example, while 80% of the study’s 215 participants recognized that “an unremarkable chest radiography” was good news, only 21% knew that if their doctor said their “chest X-ray was impressive” that it was probably bad news. Another example: 96% knew that hearing they had a “negative cancer screening” meant they didn’t have cancer. But only 79% understood “your tumor is progressing” was bad news. And a third of patients don’t tell their doctors if they don’t understand treatment recommendations (or disagree with them).

So where does this leave you, the perplexed patient? With the responsibility of asking your doctors — over and over — “Can you explain exactly what that means?” even if you think you know! As I explain in “The Great Age Reboot,” you need to speak up about how you’re feeling, your concerns, and what you don’t understand, if you’re going to take advantage of the incredible health and longevity boosters of today and tomorrow.

Health pioneer Michael Roizen, M.D., is chief wellness officer emeritus at the Cleveland Clinic and author of four No. 1 New York Times bestsellers. His next book is “The Great Age Reboot: Cracking the Longevity Code for a Younger Tomorrow.” Do you have a topic Dr. Mike should cover in a future column? If so, please email questions@ GreatAgeReboot.com.