Meaning & use
ascites
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Meaning
noununcountable
A build-up of fluid inside the abdomen, which causes it to swell, most often as a result of liver disease.
Grammar: Used as a mass noun, with no plural: the patient has ascites.
Patterns
- develop ascites
- ascites due to something
The patient developed ascites as his liver disease worsened.
Doctors drained the fluid because the ascites made breathing hard.
Swelling of the stomach can be a sign of ascites.
Common combinations
- develop ascites
- People with advanced cirrhosis may develop ascites.
- drain the ascites
- The doctor drained the ascites with a thin needle.
- cause of ascites
- The cause of ascites was found to be liver failure.
- severe ascites
- Severe ascites can make the belly feel tight and heavy.
- ascites fluid
- A sample of the ascites fluid was sent to the lab.
Synonyms and how they differ
- abdominal dropsy
- This is an old name for the same condition and sounds out of date, while ascites is the current medical term.
- fluid in the abdomen
- This is a plain description patients use, while ascites is the exact name doctors use.
- peritoneal effusion
- This is a very technical phrase meaning fluid in the peritoneal space, and is less common than ascites.
Word family
- ascitic adjective
- relating to or affected by ascites
- paracentesis noun
- the procedure of draining fluid from the abdomen
- edema noun
- swelling caused by fluid in tissue
Commonly confused: ascites or asthma?
ascites vs asthma
Asthma is a lung condition affecting breathing, while ascites is fluid collecting in the abdomen.
Practice
Which description best matches ascites?
Choose one answer.
Ascites is a build-up of fluid inside the abdomen. A narrowing of the airways is tempting because it sounds like asthma, but that is a lung problem.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “ascites”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.