Interstitial Cystitis Glossary of Terms

1. Urinary Incontinence in Women Slideshow Pictures
2. Urinary Incontinence in Men Slideshow Pictures
3. Food & Drinks That Make You Gotta Go Slideshow Pictures

Abdomen: The belly, that part of the body that contains all of the structures between the...

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 ...

Adverse effect: A harmful or abnormal result. An adverse effect may be caused by administr...

Allergy: A misguided reaction to foreign substances by the immune system, the body system ...

Amitriptyline: An antidepressant medication. In some patients with depression, abnormal l...

Anesthesia: Loss of feeling or awareness, as when an anesthetic is administered before sur...

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

Anticoagulant: An agent that is used to prevent the formation of blood clots. Anticoagulan...

Antidepressants: Anything, and especially a drug, used to prevent or treat depression.

Antihistamines: Drugs that combat the histamine released during an allergic reaction by bl...

Atopic: A predisposition toward developing certain allergic hypersensitivity reactions. At...

Autoimmune: Pertaining to autoimmunity, a misdirected immune response that occurs when the...

Bacterial: Of or pertaining to bacteria, as in a bacterial lung infection.

Biofeedback: A method of treatment that uses a monitor to measure patients' physiologic in...

Biopsy: The removal of a sample of tissue for examination under a microscope to check for ...

Bladder: A hollow organ in the lower abdomen that stores urine. The kidneys filter waste f...

Bladder cancer: A common form of cancer that begins in the lining of the bladder. The most...

Bladder infection: Infection of the urinary bladder. Some people are at more risk for blad...

Bladder pain: Pain from the urinary bladder. Among the symptoms of bladder infection are f...

Body odor: An unpleasant smell produced after perspiration. Body odor occurs when sweat c...

Bowel: The small and large intestine.

Caffeine: A stimulant compound found naturally in coffee, tea, cocoa (chocolate), and kola...

Cancer: An abnormal growth of cells which tend to proliferate in an uncontrolled way and, ...

Catheter: A thin, flexible tube.

Cell: The basic structural and functional unit of any living thing. Each cell is a small c...

Chloride: The major anion (negatively charged substance) in the blood and extracellular fl...

Clinical trials: Trials to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of medications or medical...

Cure: 1. To heal, to make well, to restore to good health. 2. A time withou...

Cystectomy: Surgery to remove the bladder.

Cystitis: Inflammation of the bladder. Cystitis can be due for example to infection from ...

Cystoscope: An optical instrument (a scope) that is inserted through the urethra into the...

Cystoscopy: A procedure in which a lighted optical instrument called a cystoscope is inser...

Depression: An illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts and that affects the way...

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. ...

Distention: The state of being distended, enlarged, swollen from internal pressure.

Dizziness: Painless head discomfort with many possible causes including disturbances of ...

Dyspepsia: Indigestion. A condition characterized by upper abdominal symptoms that may inc...

Endometriosis: The presence of tissue that normally grows inside the uterus (womb) in an ...

Epithelium: The outside layer of cells that covers all the free, open surfaces of the body...

FDA: Food and Drug Administration.

Fibromyalgia: A disease characterized by chronic pain, stiffness, and tenderness of muscle...

Food and Drug Administration: An agency within the US Public Health Service that provides ...

Gene: The basic biological unit of heredity. A segment of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) need...

Genital: Pertaining to the external and/or internal organs of reproduction.

Gynecology: The branch of medicine that is particularly concerned with the health of the f...

Hair loss: Hair loss is the thinning of hair on the scalp. The medical term for hair loss ...

Headache: A pain in the head with the pain being above the eyes or the ears, behind the he...

Heart: The muscle that pumps blood received from veins into arteries throughout the body. ...

Heart disease: Any disorder that affects the heart. Sometimes the term "heart disease" is ...

Heparin: An anticoagulant (anti-clotting) medication. Heparin is useful in preventing thro...

Histamine: A substance that plays a major role in many allergic reactions, dilating blood ...

Hypertension: High blood pressure, defined as a repeatedly elevated blood pressure exceedi...

Incidence: The frequency with which something, such as a disease or trait, appears in a pa...

Incontinence: The inability to control excretions, to hold urine in the bladder, or to kee...

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...

Injury: Harm or hurt. To harm, hurt, or wound. The word injure may be in physical or emot...

Interstitial: Pertaining to being between things, especially between things that are norma...

Intestine: The long, tubelike organ in the abdomen that completes the process of digestion...

Kidney: One of a pair of organs located in the right and left side of the abdomen. The kid...

Laparoscopy: A type of surgery in which small incisions are made in the abdominal wall thr...

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

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

Lung cancer: Cancer of the major organ of respiration - the lung. Lung cancer kills more m...

Lupus: A chronic inflammatory disease that is caused by autoimmunity. Patients with lupus ...

Mast cell: A granulocyte found in connective tissue whose normal function is unknown but t...

Menstrual: Pertaining to menstruation (the menses), as in last menstrual period, menstrua...

Menstrual cycle: The monthly cycle of changes in the ovaries and the lining of the uteru...

Microscopic: So small it cannot be seen without the aid of microscope. As opposed to macro...

Nerve: A bundle of fibers that uses electrical and chemical signals to transmit sensory an...

Neurogenic: Giving rise to or arising from the nerves or the nervous system. For example, ...

NIH: National Institutes of Health.

Nocturia: Excessive urinating at night. Nocturia can be normal and more common with aging....

Obstetrics: The art and science of managing pregnancy, labor, and the puerperium (the time...

Oncology: The field of medicine that is devoted to cancer. Clinical oncology consists of t...

Onset: In medicine, the first appearance of the signs or symptoms of an illness as, for ex...

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

Orgasm: A series of muscle contractions in the genital region that is accompanied by sudde...

Overactive bladder: A sudden involuntary contraction of the muscular wall of the bladder c...

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

Painful urination: See: Dysuria.

Pelvic: Having to do with the pelvis, the lower part of the abdomen, located between the h...

Pelvic pain: : Pain perceived in the area of the pelvis, the lower part of the abdomen loc...

Penis: The external male sex organ. The penis contains two chambers, the corpora cavernosa...

Perineal: Pertaining to the perineum.

Peripheral: Situated away from the center, as opposed to centrally located.

Peripheral vascular disease: A disease of blood vessels outside the heart. Peripheral vasc...

Pharmacy: A location where prescription medications are sold. A pharmacy is constantly sup...

Physical therapy: A branch of rehabilitative health that uses specially designed exercises...

Potassium: The major positive ion (cation) found inside cells. The chemical notation for p...

Prostatitis: Inflammation of the prostate gland. Prostatitis can result from infection or ...

Protein: One of the three nutrients used as energy sources (calories) by the body. Protein...

Quality of life: The patient's ability to enjoy normal life activities. Quality of life is...

Radiation: 1. Rays of energy. Gamma rays and X-rays are two of the types of energy ...

Rash: Breaking out (eruption) of the skin. A rash can be caused by an underlying medical c...

Recur: To occur again; to return. For example, a symptom, sign, or disease can recur.

REM sleep: REM sleep is the portion of sleep when there are rapid eye movements (REMs).

Remission: Disappearance of the signs and symptoms of cancer or other disease. A remission...

Resection: Surgical removal of part of an organ.

Risk factor: Something that increases a person's chances of developing a disease. For exam...

Rule out: Term used in medicine, meaning to eliminate or exclude something from considera...

Sacral: Referring to the sacrum. For example, sacral agenesis is absence of all or part of...

Scleroderma: A disease of connective tissue that causes scar tissue (fibrosis) to form in ...

Scrotum: The pouch of skin that contains the testes, epididymides, and lower portions of t...

Sensitivity: 1. In psychology, the quality of being sensitive. As, for example, sen...

Sjogren syndrome: An autoimmune disease that classically combines dry eyes, dry mouth, and...

Sleep: The body's rest cycle.

Sodium: The major positive ion (cation) in the fluid surrounding cells in the body. The ch...

Sore: 1. (adjective) A popular term for painful, such as a sore throat. 2. (...

Stoma: An opening into the body from the outside that is created by a surgeon.

Stress: In a medical or biological context stress is a physical, mental, or emotional fact...

Stroke: The sudden death of brain cells due to lack of oxygen, caused by blockage of blood...

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

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...

Syndrome: A combination of symptoms and signs that together represent a disease process.

Systemic: Affecting the entire body. A systemic disease such as diabetes can affect the wh...

Systemic lupus erythematosus: A chronic inflammatory condition caused by an autoimmune di...

Testicles: The testicles (also called testes or gonads) are the male sex glands. They are ...

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

Tricyclic antidepressants: One of a class of medications used to treat depression. The tri...

Tuberculous: Pertaining to tuberculosis. Affected by tuberculosis. Caused by Mycobacterium...

Tubes: The "tubes" are medically known as the Fallopian tubes. There are two Fallopian tub...

Ulcer: A lesion that is eroding away the skin or mucous membrane. Ulcers can have various ...

Urethra: The tube that leads from the bladder and transports and discharges urine outside ...

Urge incontinence: A sudden involuntary contraction of the muscular wall of the bladder ca...

Urinary: Having to do with the function or anatomy of the kidneys, ureters, bladder, or ur...

Urinary incontinence: The unintentional loss of urine. Inability to hold urine in the blad...

Urinary tract: The organs of the body that produce, store, and discharge urine. These orga...

Urinary tract infection: An infection of the kidney, ureter, bladder, or urethra. Abbrevia...

Urinary urgency: An immediate unstoppable urge to urinate, due to a sudden involuntary con...

Urine: Liquid waste produced by the kidneys. Urine is a clear, transparent fluid that norm...

Vagina: The muscular canal that extends from the cervix to the outside of the body. It is ...

Vascular: Relating to blood vessels. For example, the vascular system in the body includes...

Vulva: The female external genital organs, including the labia, clitoris, and entrance to ...