trauma

/ˈtrɑmə/

/ˈtrɔmə/

Other forms: traumas; traumata

A trauma is a shock to the body or spirit. A car accident can cause physical trauma like broken bones while losing your dog on a walk is an emotional trauma.

When you think of trauma think of blunt force. Trauma tends to come on all at once and be quite serious. Someone who experiences trauma will have either a traumatic injury or traumatic distress. Try not to use this term lightly. If you say that having to wait twenty minutes for a burger was a trauma, people will rightly accuse you of drama.

Definitions of trauma

1. noun

   an emotional wound or shock often having long-lasting effects
   synonyms: psychic trauma

   types:

   birth trauma

   emotional injury inflicted on an infant by events incident to birth that is alleged to appear in symbolic form in patients with mental illness

   type of:

   mental condition, mental state, psychological condition, psychological state

   (psychology) a mental condition in which the qualities of a state are relatively constant even though the state itself may be dynamic
2. noun

   any physical damage to the body caused by violence or accident or fracture etc.
   synonyms: harm, hurt, injury

   types:

   brain damage

   injury to the brain that impairs its functions (especially permanently); can be caused by trauma to the head, infection, hemorrhage, inadequate oxygen, genetic abnormality, etc.

   birth trauma

   physical injury to an infant during the birth process

   blast trauma

   injury caused the explosion of a bomb (especially in enclosed spaces)

   bleeding, haemorrhage, hemorrhage

   the flow of blood from a ruptured blood vessel

   blunt trauma

   injury incurred when the human body hits or is hit by a large outside object (as a car)

   bruise, contusion

   an injury that doesn't break the skin but results in some discoloration

   bump

   a lump on the body caused by a blow

   burn

   an injury caused by exposure to heat or chemicals or radiation

   dislocation

   a displacement of a part (especially a bone) from its normal position (as in the shoulder or the vertebral column)

   electric shock

   trauma caused by the passage of electric current through the body (as from contact with high voltage lines or being struck by lightning); usually involves burns and abnormal heart rhythm and unconsciousness

   break, fracture

   breaking of hard tissue such as bone

   cryopathy, frostbite

   destruction of tissue by freezing and characterized by tingling, blistering and possibly gangrene

   intravasation

   entry of foreign matter into a blood vessel

   penetrating injury, penetrating trauma

   injury incurred when an object (as a knife or bullet or shrapnel) penetrates into the body

   pinch

   an injury resulting from getting some body part squeezed

   rupture

   the state of being torn or burst open

   bite, insect bite, sting

   a painful wound caused by the thrust of an insect's stinger into skin

   strain

   injury to a muscle (often caused by overuse); results in swelling and pain

   whiplash, whiplash injury

   an injury to the neck (the cervical vertebrae) resulting from rapid acceleration or deceleration (as in an automobile accident)

   wale, weal, welt, wheal

   a raised mark on the skin (as produced by the blow of a whip); characteristic of many allergic reactions

   lesion, wound

   an injury to living tissue (especially an injury involving a cut or break in the skin)

   pull, twist, wrench

   a sharp strain on muscles or ligaments

   raw wound

   a wound that exposes subcutaneous tissue

   stigmata

   marks resembling the wounds on the crucified body of Christ

   abrasion, excoriation, scrape, scratch

   an abraded area where the skin is torn or worn off

   cut, gash, slash, slice

   a wound made by cutting

   laceration

   a torn ragged wound

   bite

   a wound resulting from biting by an animal or a person

   bee sting

   a sting inflicted by a bee

   flea bite

   sting inflicted by a flea

   mosquito bite

   a sting inflicted by a mosquito

   haemorrhagic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke

   stroke caused by the rupture of a blood vessel in the brain

   ecchymosis

   the purple or black-and-blue area resulting from a bruise

   petechia

   a minute red or purple spot on the surface of the skin as the result of tiny hemorrhages of blood vessels in the skin (as in typhoid fever)

   black eye, mouse, shiner

   a swollen bruise caused by a blow to the eye

   electric burn

   a burn caused by heat produced by an electric current

   scorch, singe

   a surface burn

   scald

   a burn cause by hot liquid or steam

   first-degree burn

   burn causing redness of the skin surface

   second-degree burn

   burn causing blisters on the skin and superficial destruction of the dermis

   third-degree burn

   burn characterized by destruction of both epidermis and dermis

   comminuted fracture

   fracture in which the bone is splintered or crushed

   complete fracture

   break involving the entire width of the bone

   compound fracture, open fracture

   bone fracture associated with lacerated soft tissue or an open wound

   compression fracture

   fracture in which the bone collapses (especially in short bones such as vertebrae)

   depressed fracture

   fracture of the skull where the bone is pushed in

   displaced fracture

   fracture in which the two ends of the broken bone are separated from one another

   fatigue fracture, stress fracture

   fracture resulting from excessive activity rather than a specific injury

   capillary fracture, hairline fracture

   a fracture without separation of the fragments and the line of the break being very thin

   incomplete fracture

   fracture that does not go across the entire width of the bone

   impacted fracture

   fracture in which one broken end is wedged into the other broken end

   closed fracture, simple fracture

   an uncomplicated fracture in which the broken bones to not pierce the skin

   abarticulation

   dislocation of a joint

   diastasis

   separation of an epiphysis from the long bone to which it is normally attached without fracture of the bone

   spondylolisthesis

   a forward dislocation of one vertebra over the one beneath it producing pressure on spinal nerves

   hernia, herniation

   rupture in smooth muscle tissue through which a bodily structure protrudes

   herniated disc, ruptured intervertebral disc, slipped disc

   a painful rupture of the fibrocartilage of the disc between spinal vertebrae; occurs most often in the lumbar region

   sprain

   a painful injury to a joint caused by a sudden wrenching of its ligaments

   immersion foot, trench foot

   resembling frostbite but without freezing; resulting from exposure to cold and wet

   cerebral hemorrhage

   bleeding from a ruptured blood vessel in the brain

   blood extravasation

   the leakage of blood from a vessel into tissues surrounding it; can occur in injuries or burns or allergic reactions

   hyphema

   bleeding into the interior chamber of the eye

   metrorrhagia

   bleeding from the uterus that is not due to menstruation; usually indicative of disease (as cervical cancer)

   epistaxis, nosebleed

   bleeding from the nose

   ulemorrhagia

   bleeding of the gums

   type of:

   health problem, ill health, unhealthiness

   a state in which you are unable to function normally and without pain