Proctitis Glossary of Terms

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Abnormal: Outside the expected norm, or uncharacteristic of a particular patient.

Acute: Of abrupt onset, in reference to a disease. Acute often also connotes an illness th...

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

Anemia: The condition of having a lower-than-normal number of red blood cells or quantity ...

Antibiotic: A drug used to treat infections caused by bacteria and other microorganisms. ...

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

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

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

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

Bisexual: An individual who engages in both heterosexual and homosexual sexual relations. ...

Bowel: The small and large intestine.

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

Cervix: The cervix is the lower, narrow part of the uterus (womb). The uterus, a hollow, ...

Chlamydia: The agent of a sexually transmitted disease, a type of bacteria found in the ce...

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

Chronic illness: An illness that lasts 3 months or more.

Colitis: Inflammation of the large intestine (the colon). There are many forms of coliti...

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

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

Contrast: Short for "contrast media." Contrast media are X-ray dyes used to provide contra...

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. ...

Discharge: 1.The flow of fluid from part of the body, such as from the nose or vag...

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

Emergency department: The department of a hospital responsible for the provision of medica...

Fecal: Relating to the feces, the stool. The excrement discharged from the intestines.

Feces: The excrement discharged from the 'intestines.

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

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

GI tract: Short for gastrointestinal tract. See: Gastrointestinal tract.

Gonorrhea: A bacterial infection that is transmitted by sexual contact. Gonorrhea is one o...

Groin: The area where the thigh meets the hip.

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

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

Herpes: A family of viruses. Herpes also refers to infection with one of the human herpesv...

Herpes simplex type 2: A herpes virus that causes genital herpes, which is characterized ...

Homosexual: A person sexually attracted to persons of the same sex. Homosexuals include m...

HPV: Human papillomavirus.

Human papillomavirus: HPV. A family of over 100 viruses including those which cause warts ...

Immune: Protected against infection, usually by the presence of antibodies.

Immune system: A complex system that is responsible for distinguishing a person from every...

Impotence: A common problem among men characterized by the consistent inability to sustai...

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 ...

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

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

Involuntary: Done other than in accordance with the conscious will of the individual. The ...

Iron: An essential mineral. Iron is necessary for the transport of oxygen (via hemoglobin ...

Iron deficiency anemia: A common form of nutritional disorder, iron deficiency results in...

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

Lymph: The almost colorless fluid that travels through the lymphatic system, carrying cell...

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

Mouth: 1. The upper opening of the digestive tract, beginning with the lips and con...

Mucous: Pertaining to mucus, a thick fluid produced by the lining of some tissues of the b...

Mucus: A thick fluid that is produced by the lining of some organs of the body.

Organ: A relatively independent part of the body that carries out one or more special func...

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

Palpitations: Unpleasant sensations of irregular and/or forceful beating of the heart. In ...

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

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

Proctitis: Inflammation of the rectum. Proctitis may be due to a considerable number of ca...

Proctosigmoidoscopy: An examination of the rectum and the lower part of the colon, using a...

Prostate: A gland within the male reproductive system that is located just below the blad...

Prostate cancer: A malignant tumor of the prostate, the gland that produces some of the co...

Pus: A thick, whitish-yellow fluid that results from the accumulation of white blood cells...

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

Radiation therapy: The use of high-energy rays to damage cancer cells, stopping them from ...

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

Relapse: The return of signs and symptoms of a disease after a remission.

Safe sex: Sexual practices that do not involve the exchange of bodily fluids, including bl...

Sexually transmitted disease: Any disease transmitted by sexual contact; caused by microo...

Sexually transmitted infection: An infection that can be transferred from one person to an...

Shortness of breath: Difficulty in breathing. Medically referred to as dyspnea. Shortness ...

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

Spasm: A brief, automatic jerking movement. A muscle spasm can be quite painful, with the ...

Stage: As regards cancer, the extent of a cancer, especially whether the disease has spre...

STD: Sexually transmitted disease.

Steroid: One of a large group of chemical substances classified by a specific carbon struc...

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...

Syphilis: A sexually transmitted disease caused by Treponema pallidum, a microscopic orga...

Syphilitic: 1. Relating to syphilis, caused by it, or suffering from it.
2...

Tear: A drop of the salty secretion of the lacrimal glands which serves to moisten the con...

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

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

Thigh: The thick, muscular portion of the leg that extends from the hip to the knee. The t...

Trauma: A physical or emotional injury.

Trigger: Something that either sets off a disease in people who are genetically predispose...

Ulcerative colitis: A bowel disease that is characterized by inflammation with ulcer forma...

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

Urogenital: Relating to both the urinary system and the genital system (the interior and e...

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

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

Virus: A microorganism that is smaller than a bacterium that cannot grow or reproduce apar...

Viruses: Small living particles that can infect cells and change how the cells function. I...