obstruktiv

Obstruktiv is an adjective used in several European languages to denote obstruction or blockage in a biological or medical context. It describes processes, tissues, or conditions in which the normal flow of air, bile, urine, or other bodily contents is impeded. The term is derived from the Latin obstruere, meaning to block, and has become part of contemporary medical vocabulary through Germanic and Romance language traditions.

In medical usage, obstruktiv typically refers to conditions characterized by obstructed flow or passage. Examples include obstructive airway diseases, such as obstructive sleep apnea, and obstructive jaundice or obstructive uropathy, where ducts or pathways are partially blocked. In Scandinavian languages, the term often appears in compound phrases such as obstruktiv sömnapné (obstructive sleep apnea). The specific domains of application span pulmonology, hepatology, nephrology, and otolaryngology, among others, reflecting the broad concept of blockage within the body's passages.

Linguistic note: the word obstruktiv in these medical contexts should not be confused with obstruent in linguistics, where the term refers to consonants that obstruct the airstream (such as stops, fricatives, and affricates). Although related by a common root concerning obstruction, obstruktiv in medicine and obstruent in phonetics describe different phenomena.

See also obstructive, obstruction, obstructive diseases.