Hemorrhoids Glossary of Terms

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Abdominal: Relating to the abdomen, the belly, that part of the body that contains all of ...

Abdominal pain: Pain in the belly. Abdominal pain can be acute or chronic. It may reflect ...

Anal itching: Irritation of the skin at the exit of the rectum, accompanied by the desire ...

Anesthetic: A substance that causes lack of feeling or awareness, dulling pain to permit s...

Anoscopy: Anoscopy is a procedure used to visualize the wall of the anus and lowest portio...

Anus: The opening of the rectum to the outside of the body.

Blood clot: A mass of coagulated blood. A blood clot can block a major blood vessel, causi...

Blood count: The calculated number of white or red blood cells (WBCs or RBCs) in a cubic m...

Bowel: The small and large intestine.

CBC: A commonly used abbreviation in medicine that stands for complete blood count, a set...

Chronic: In medicine, lasting a long time. A chronic condition is one that lasts 3 months ...

Colon: The long, coiled, tubelike organ that removes water from digested food. The remaini...

Colonoscopy: A procedure whereby a physician inserts a viewing tube (colonoscope) into the...

Complete blood count: A set values of the cellular (formed elements) of blood. These meas...

Constipation: Infrequent and frequently incomplete bowel movements. Constipation is the op...

Corticosteroid: Any of the steroid hormones made by the outer portion (cortex) of the adre...

Diagnosis: 1 The nature of a disease; the identification of an illness. 2 A ...

Diarrhea: A common condition that involves unusually frequent and liquid bowel movements. ...

Fever: Although a fever technically is any body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degr...

Fiber: The parts of fruits and vegetables that cannot be digested. Fiber is of vital impor...

Flare: 1. an exacerbation of a chronic disease. Sometimes referred to as a flare-up, a fla...

Gastroenterologist: A physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases...

Gastroenterology: The medical specialty devoted to the study, diagnosis and treatment of d...

Hematocrit: The proportion of the blood that consists of packed red blood cells. The hema...

Hemoglobin: The oxygen-carrying pigment and predominant protein in the red blood cells. He...

Hemorrhoid: A dilated (enlarged) vein in the walls of the anus and sometimes around the re...

Hemorrhoidectomy: Surgical removal of hemorrhoids (enlarged and dilated veins in and aroun...

Hemorrhoids: Dilated (enlarged) veins in the walls of the anus and sometimes around the re...

Incision: A cut through skin or other tissue performed by a health care professional.

Infection: The invasion and multiplication of microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, an...

Inflammation: A localized reaction that produces redness, warmth, swelling, and pain as a ...

Inflammatory bowel disease: A group of chronic intestinal diseases characterized by infla...

Internal medicine: The medical specialty dedicated to the diagnosis and medical treatment ...

Itching: An uncomfortable sensation in the skin that feels as if something is crawling on ...

Laser: A powerful beam of light that is used in some types of surgery to cut or destroy ti...

Laxative: Something that promotes emptying of the bowels. Laxatives are used to combat con...

Lightheadedness: A feeling you are "going to faint." Lightheadedness is medically distinc...

Liver: The largest solid organ in the body, situated in the upper part of the abdomen on t...

Liver disease: Liver disease refers to any disorder of the liver. The liver is a large org...

Medical history: 1. In clinical medicine, the patient's past and present which may ...

Operating room: A facility that is equipped for performing surgery. Abbreviated OR.

Pain: An unpleasant sensation that can range from mild, localized discomfort to agony. Pa...

Pharmacist: A professional who fills prescriptions and, in the case of a compounding pharm...

Piles: 1. A term in use since the 15th century for hemorrhoids. 2. A street ...

Pregnancy: The state of carrying a developing embryo or fetus within the female body. Thi...

Prognosis: The forecast of the probable outcome or course of a disease; the patient's chan...

Prothrombin: A coagulation (clotting) factor that is needed for the normal clotting of blo...

Prothrombin time: A test that is done to gauge the integrity of part of the blood clotting...

Pruritus: Itching. Pruritus can result from drug reaction, food allergy, kidney or liver...

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

Rectal bleeding: Blood passed rectally. Blood in the stool can be bright red or maroon in ...

Rectum: The last 6 to 8 inches of the large intestine. The rectum stores solid waste until...

Sclerotherapy: The injection of a chemical irritant into a vein to sclerose ('harden') it....

Sigmoidoscopy: A procedure in which a physician inserts a viewing tube (sigmoidoscope) int...

Stenosis: A narrowing. For example, aortic stenosis is a narrowing of the aortic valve in ...

Stool: The solid matter that is discharged in a bowel movement.

Surgeon: A physician who treats disease, injury, or deformity via operative or manual meth...

Surgery: The branch of medicine that employs operations in the treatment of disease or inj...

Suture: 1. A type of joint between the bones of the skull where the bones are held ...

Symptom: Any subjective evidence of disease. In contrast, a sign is objective. Blood comin...

Symptomatic: 1 With symptoms, as a symptomatic infection. 2 Characteristic o...

Symptomatic treatment: Therapy that eases the symptoms without addressing the basic cause ...

Tenesmus: Straining to defecate or urinate. Tenesmus refers especially to ineffectual and ...

Therapy: The treatment of disease. Therapy is synonymous with treatment.

Uterus: A hollow, pear-shaped organ that is located in a woman's lower abdomen, between th...

Vein: A blood vessel that carries blood that is low in oxygen content from the body back t...

Warfarin: An anticoagulant drug (brand names: Coumarin, Panwarfin, Sofarin) taken to prev...