Anal Itching Glossary of Medical Terms

Allergic reaction: The hypersensitive response of the immune system of an allergic individual to a substance.
See the entire definition of Allergic reaction

Anal itching : Irritation of the skin around the anus accompanied by a desire to scratch. The intensity of itching increases with moisture, pressure, and sitting. At its most intense, anal itching causes intolerable discomfort described as burning and soreness. Treatment is to shower gently without directly rubbing or irritating the skin, clean and dry the anus thoroughly, and use moist pads rather than toilet paper after bowel movements. Local application of cortisone cream may help.
See the entire definition of Anal itching

Antibiotic: A drug used to treat infections caused by bacteria and other microorganisms. Originally, an antibiotic was a substance produced by one microorganism that selectively inhibits the growth of another. Synthetic antibiotics, usually chemically related to natural antibiotics, have since been produced that accomplish comparable tasks.
See the entire definition of Antibiotic

Anus: The opening of the rectum to the outside of the body.
See the entire definition of Anus

Bacterial: Of or pertaining to bacteria . For example, a bacterial lung infection .
See the entire definition of Bacterial

Blood: The familiar red fluid in the body that contains white and red blood cells , platelets , proteins , and other elements. The blood is transported throughout the body by the circulatory system . Blood functions in two directions: arterial and venous. Arterial blood is the means by which oxygen and nutrients are transported to tissues while venous blood is the means by which carbon dioxide and metabolic by-products are transported to the lungs and kidneys, respectively, for removal from the body.
See the entire definition of Blood

Bowel: Another name for the intestine . The small bowel and the large bowel are the small intestine and large intestine , respectively.
See the entire definition of Bowel

Caffeine: A stimulant found naturally in coffee beans, tea leaves, cocoa beans (chocolate) and kola nuts (cola) and added to soft drinks, foods, and medicines. A cup of coffee has 100-250 milligrams of caffeine. Black tea brewed for 4 minutes has 40-100 milligrams. Green tea has one-third as much caffeine as black tea.
See the entire definition of Caffeine

Cancer: An abnormal growth of cells which tend to proliferate in an uncontrolled way and, in some cases, to metastasize (spread).
See the entire definition of Cancer

Chocolate: A food or flavoring made from the seeds of the cacao or chocolate tree. Chocolate is rich in flavinoids, compounds that act as antioxidants. Flavinoids may also lower blood pressure and improve blood flow, by regulating the synthesis of nitric oxide, which dilates blood vessels. Flavinoids, like aspirin, help keep platelets from aggregating on vessel walls. Thus, chocolate may have health benefits, provided it is consumed in moderation.
See the entire definition of Chocolate

Chronic: This important term in medicine comes from the Greek chronos, time and means lasting a long time.
See the entire definition of Chronic

Diabetes: Refers to diabetes mellitus or, less often, to diabetes insipidus . Diabetes mellitus and diabetes insipidus share the name "diabetes" because they are both conditions characterized by excessive urination (polyuria).
See the entire definition of Diabetes

Diarrhea : A familiar phenomenon with unusually frequent or unusually liquid bowel movements, excessive watery evacuations of fecal material. The opposite of constipation . The word "diarrhea" with its odd spelling is a near steal from the Greek "diarrhoia" meaning "a flowing through." Plato and Aristotle may have had diarrhoia while today we have diarrhea. There are myriad infectious and noninfectious causes of diarrhea.
See the entire definition of Diarrhea

Discharge: 1.The flow of fluid from part of the body, such as from the nose or vagina.
2. The passing of an action potential, such as through a nerve or muscle fiber .
3. The release of a patient from a course of care. The doctor may then dictate a discharge summary.
See the entire definition of Discharge

Dry skin: Abnormally dry skin . Can be caused by a dry climate, winter weather, deficiency of vitamin A , systemic illness, overexposure to sunlight, or medication . The skin loses moisture. It may crack and peel. Or it may become irritated, inflamed, and itch . Bathing frequently, especially with soaps, can contribute to dry skin.
See the entire definition of Dry skin

Emergency department: The department of a hospital responsible for the provision of medical and surgical care to patients arriving at the hospital in need of immediate care. Emergency department personnel may also respond to certain situations within the hospital such cardiac arrests.
See the entire definition of Emergency department

Family practice: The medical specialty which provides continuing and comprehensive health care for the individual and family . It is the specialty in breadth which integrates the biological, clinical, and behavioral sciences. The scope of family practice encompasses all ages, both sexes, each organ system, and every disease entity. (From the American Academy of Family Physicians )
See the entire definition of Family practice

Fever : Although a fever technically is any body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degrees F. (37 degrees C.), in practice a person is usually not considered to have a significant fever until the temperature is above 100.4 degrees F (38 degrees C.).
See the entire definition of Fever

Genital: Pertaining to the external and internal organs of reproduction. (Not to be confused with genetic.)
See the entire definition of Genital

Germ: 1. A cell or group of cells (called a primordium ) capable of developing into an organ , a part or an organism in its entirety. Eggs and sperm are germ cells .

2. A pathogenic a microorganism. A microbe capable of causing disease . The germ theory of disease held, correctly, that these minute bodies can cause disease.

3. The figurative source or wellspring. Dr. Watson told Holmes he had the germ of an idea.
See the entire definition of Germ

Hemorrhoids: See: Hemorrhoid .
See the entire definition of Hemorrhoids

Hospital: It may seem unnecessary to define a "hospital" since everyone knows the nature of a hospital. A hospital began as a charitable institution for the needy, aged, infirm, or young.
See the entire definition of Hospital

Infection: The growth of a parasitic organism within the body. (A parasitic organism is one that lives on or in another organism and draws its nourishment therefrom.) A person with an infection has another organism (a "germ") growing within him, drawing its nourishment from the person.
See the entire definition of Infection

Itching: An uncomfortable sensation in the skin that feels as if something is crawling on the skin or in the skin, and makes the person want to scratch the affected area.
See the entire definition of Itching

Ointment: A medication preparation that is applied topically (onto the skin). An ointment has an oil base whereas a cream is water-soluble. (The word ointment comes from the Latin ungere meaning anoint with oil).
See the entire definition of Ointment

Pharmacy: A location where prescription drugs are sold. A pharmacy is, by law, constantly supervised by a licensed pharmacist.
See the entire definition of Pharmacy

Prescription: A physician's order for the preparation and administration of a drug or device for a patient. A prescription has several parts. They include the superscription or heading with the symbol "R" or "Rx", which stands for the word recipe (meaning, in Latin, to take); the inscription, which contains the names and quantities of the ingredients; the subscription or directions for compounding the drug; and the signature which is often preceded by the sign "s" standing for signa (Latin for mark), giving the directions to be marked on the container.
See the entire definition of Prescription

Pruritus: Itching. Pruritus can result from drug reaction, food allergy , kidney or liver disease, cancers, parasites, aging or dry skin, contact skin reaction, such as poison ivy , and for unknown reasons.
See the entire definition of Pruritus

Pruritus ani: A medical name for itchiness of the anus. See Anal itching .
See the entire definition of Pruritus ani

Psoriasis : A reddish, scaly rash often located over the surfaces of the elbows, knees, scalp, and around or in the ears, navel, genitals or buttocks. Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease that is mediated by T lymphocytes. It is also a very common disease, Chronic plaque psoriasis affects approximately 2% of people around the world. About 10-15% of patients with psoriasis develop joint inflammation (inflammatory arthritis ). Treatment options include topical steroid creams, tar soap preparations, and exposure to ultraviolet light.
See the entire definition of Psoriasis

Rash : Breaking out (eruption) of the skin. Medically, a rash is referred to as an exanthem.
See the entire definition of Rash

Rectal itching: See Anal itching .
See the entire definition of Rectal itching

Seborrhea : A chronic inflammatory disease of the skin characterized by the accumulation of scales of greasy skin. There may be yellow crusted patches that are itchy. Seborrhea often affects the scalp. Other sites include the face, ears, eyebrows and eyelids, umbilicus, and genitalia, Seborrhea of the scalp is commonly known as dandruff.
See the entire definition of Seborrhea

Sign: Any objective evidence of disease. Gross blood in the stool is a sign of disease. It can be recognized by the patient, doctor, nurse, or others. In contrast, a symptom is, by its nature, subjective. Abdominal pain is a symptom. It is something only the patient can know.
See the entire definition of Sign

Skin: The skin is the body's outer covering. It protects us against heat and light, injury, and infection. It regulates body temperature and stores water, fat, and vitamin D. Weighing about 6 pounds, the skin is the body's largest organ. It is made up of two main layers; the outer epidermis and the inner dermis.

See the entire definition of Skin

Sweat: A colorless transparent acidic fluid with a distinctive odor secreted by the small tubular sudoriferous (sweat) glands situated within the skin and under it in the subcutaneous tissue . The sweat glands discharge their fluid through tiny openings in the surface of the skin.
See the entire definition of Sweat

Sweating: The act of secreting fluid from the skin by the sweat (sudoriferous) glands. These are small tubular glands situated within and under the skin (in the subcutaneous tissue). They discharge by tiny openings in the surface of the skin.
See the entire definition of Sweating

Symptom: Any subjective evidence of disease. Anxiety, lower back pain , and fatigue are all symptoms. They are sensations only the patient can perceive. In contrast, a sign is objective evidence of disease. A bloody nose is a sign. It is evident to the patient, doctor, nurse and other observers.
See the entire definition of Symptom

Toilet: 1. In medicine, cleansing of a wound and the skin around it. 2. In obstetrics, cleansing of a woman just after childbirth. 3. In dentistry, the cleaning out of a cavity before a restoration. 4. A device for the disposal of urine and feces. Or the room containing such a device.
See the entire definition of Toilet

Yeast: A group of single-celled fungi that reproduce by budding.
See the entire definition of Yeast

Yeast infection: Overgrowth of yeast can affect the skin (yeast rash ), mouth (thrush), digestive tract, esophagus, vagina ( vaginitis ), and other parts of the body. Yeast infections occur most frequently in moist areas of the body. Although Candida albicans and other Candida yeasts are the most frequent offenders, other yeast groups are known to cause illness, primarily in immunocompromised patients. These include Torulopsis, Cryptococcus, Malassezia, and Trichosporon yeasts. Diagnosis is by observation, and can be confirmed by culturing a stool or mucosa sample, or a scraping from the affected area. Treatment is by topical or oral antifungal medications. Acidophilous, a helpful bacteria that normally helps to keep yeast in check, can also be tried in supplement form or in yogurt with live cultures.
See the entire definition of Yeast infection

Most Popular Topics

Explore 80+ Centers

Search Medical Dictionary

or A-Z List

We subscribe to the HONcode principles. Verify here.

©2008 WebMD, Inc. All rights reserved.
eMedicineHealth does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See Additional Information.