What it means
A flare of a chronic illness: the symptoms become stronger or new ones appear, after a time when the disease was calm. The word is used with conditions such as COPDsee-oh-pee-dee (said as letters)Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a long-term lung disease that makes it hard to move air out of the lungs.chronic long-lastingobstructive blockingpulmon/o lung-ary relating toFull entry , asthma, multiple sclerosisMUL-tih-pul skluh-ROH-sisA long-term disease in which the immune system damages the protective covering of nerves in the brain and spinal cord.scler/o hard-osis conditionFull entry , inflammatory bowel diseasein-FLAM-uh-tor-ee BOW-ul dih-ZEEZA group of long-term diseases, mainly Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis, in which the lining of the digestive tract becomes inflamed.Full entry and lupusLOO-pusSystemic lupus erythematosus: a long-term autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the body's own tissues.Full entry . The calm period between flares is called remission.
For the nurse
Teach clients with chronic illness the early signs of a flare for their disease and what usually brings one on, such as infection, stress or stopping a medicine, and when to call their provider.
In a chart
"Admitted with COPD exacerbation: increased cough, thicker sputum and worse dyspnea for three days."
At a glance
| Everyday words | flare-up |
|---|---|
| Spanish | exacerbación |
| Also written | exacerbations |
Related terms
COPD
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a long-term lung disease that makes it hard to move air out of the lungs.
inflammatory bowel disease
A group of long-term diseases, mainly Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis, in which the lining of the digestive tract becomes inflamed.
multiple sclerosis
A long-term disease in which the immune system damages the protective covering of nerves in the brain and spinal cord.