Understanding Some Important Medical Terms

KYW's Medical Reports Sponsored By Independence Blue Cross

By Dr. Brian McDonough, Medical Editor

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- There are many technical terms in medicine.

I am sure you know this if you have ever gone online and looked up an illness or treatment. But some are very important and make sense. A great example are the terms primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention.

Primary prevention is where you tell someone to exercise so they can prevent heart disease. In other words, a step you can take to improve your life.

Secondary prevention is when we make a diagnosis. We notice that someone has high blood pressure through a test in the examination room, and we tell them they have high blood pressure and they're going to need treatment. We recognize a problem that needs to be addressed.

Tertiary prevention is when we actually go out there and take steps to treat something.

These are terms that are second nature for those who work in health care, but they really help explain what we do to improve people's health.