irritativ

Irritativ is an adjective used in some languages and in certain technical writings to denote something that causes or relates to irritation. In practice, irritativ describes stimuli, tissues, or responses that provoke irritation rather than inflammation or infection.

The form derives from Latin irritativus or irritare "to irritate," with a productive adjectival suffix -ativ. In English, the corresponding term irritative is more common; irritativ appears mainly as a loanword or in non-English medical texts.

In medical and physiological contexts, irritativ is applied to describe tactile, chemical, or thermal stimuli that activate sensory nerve endings (nociceptors or mechanoreceptors) leading to sensations of irritation. It is contrasted with inflammatory or infectious processes. Examples include an irritativ cough due to airway mucosa irritation, and irritativ symptoms of the lower urinary tract when the bladder is irritated.

Limitations and usage: The term is not widely used in modern English clinical language; when encountered, the exact meaning can vary by language and discipline. In most English texts, irritative is preferred. Some writers reserve irritativ for specific linguistic or cross-linguistic contexts where a direct cognate of irritative is intended.