Medical terms, in plain English
Short, careful explanations of the phrases that show up on lab and imaging reports — what they usually mean, what they don't mean, and what to ask your clinician.
Disc bulge vs. herniation: what do those words mean on my spine MRI?
both describe a spinal disc pushing beyond its normal boundary — they differ in *how much* of the disc is involved and *how* it's pushing out. A **bulge** is a
What do "degenerative changes" mean on my spine MRI or X-ray?
wear and tear. "Degenerative changes" is the radiologist's umbrella term for the gradual, age-related changes in your spine — things like discs losing height or
What do "nonspecific findings" mean on my MRI or CT report?
the radiologist saw *something*, but the way it looks doesn't point clearly to any one cause. "Nonspecific" means the finding shows up in many different conditi
What does "atelectasis" mean on my chest X-ray or CT report?
a small area of your lung isn't fully expanded. "Atelectasis" (from Greek, roughly "incomplete expansion") means some of the tiny air sacs in part of a lung hav
What does "lymphadenopathy" mean on my CT or ultrasound report?
enlarged lymph nodes were seen on your scan. "Lymphadenopathy" is the medical term for lymph nodes that are bigger than expected. Lymph nodes are small, bean-sh
What does "unremarkable" mean on my imaging report?
What does my A1C result mean on my diabetes labs?
A1C tells you your *average* blood sugar over the past 2–3 months. It's reported as a percentage: the higher the number, the more sugar has been sticking to you
What does my BUN/creatinine ratio mean on my metabolic panel?
it's a comparison of two kidney waste products that helps your doctor figure out *why* a lab value might be off. BUN (blood urea nitrogen) and creatinine are bo
What does my TSH result mean on my thyroid labs?
TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) is the signal your brain sends to your thyroid gland — and it's the first test doctors run when checking thyroid function. Her
What does my eGFR result mean on my kidney labs?
eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate) is your doctor's best estimate of how well your kidneys are filtering waste from your blood. It's a number — higher