Rectal Bleeding Glossary of Terms

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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 ...

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

Anal fissure: A tear in the anal canal, one of the most common causes of red blood in the ...

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

Angiography: A procedure performed to view blood vessels after injecting them with a radio...

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.

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

Barium: 1. A metallic element belonging to the alkaline earths with an atomic numbe...

Barium enema: An enema using a white, chalky solution containing barium, in preparation fo...

Barium enema x-ray: See: Lower GI series.

Benign: Not malignant. A benign tumor is one that does not invade surrounding tissue or sp...

Blood pressure: The blood pressure is the pressure of the blood within the arteries. It is...

Blood transfusion: The transfer of blood or blood components from one person (the donor) i...

Bowel: The small and large intestine.

Breathing: The process of respiration, during which air is inhaled into the lungs through ...

Campylobacter jejuni: A bacterium that typically infects the bowels. Now the leading cause...

Capillaries: Capillaries are the smallest of blood vessels. They serve to distribute oxyge...

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

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

Clostridium: A group of anaerobic bacteria (bacteria that thrive in the absence of oxygen)...

Clostridium difficile: A bacterium that is one of the most common causes of infection of t...

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...

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

Colorectal: Related to the colon and/or rectum.

Colorectal surgeon: A general surgeon who has had further training and is expert in the di...

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...

CT scan: Computerized tomography scan. Pictures of structures within the body created by a...

Cuts: Severed skin. Washing a cut or scrape with soap and water and keeping it clean and d...

Dehydration: Excessive loss of body water. Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract that ca...

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. ...

Diverticula: The plural of diverticulum.

Diverticulitis: Inflammation of the diverticula (small outpouchings) along the wall of th...

Diverticulosis: Diverticulosis is the condition of having diverticula, small outpouchings...

Diverticulum: A small bulging sac pushing outward from the colon wall is a diverticulum. A...

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

Duodenum: The first part of the small intestine. The duodenum is a common site for peptic ...

Dysentery: Inflammation of the intestine, with pain, diarrhea, bloody stools, and often a ...

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

Enema: Liquid injected into the rectum. An enema may be used for therapeutic (such as to s...

Escherichia coli: Full term for E. coli, the colon bacillus.

Esophagus: The tube that connects the pharynx (throat) with the stomach. The esophagus lie...

Essential: In medicine, of unknown cause, as in essential hypertension (high blood pressur...

Exacerbate: To make worse. For example, smoking may exacerbate lung disease.

Fatigue: A condition characterized by a lessened capacity for work and reduced efficiency ...

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...

Fissure: A cleft or groove. A fissure can be normal or abnormal.

Gastric: Having to do with the stomach.

Gastritis: Inflammation of the stomach.

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

Gastrointestinal: Adjective referring collectively to the stomach and small and large inte...

Gastrointestinal tract: The stomach and intestines. Abbreviated GI tract.

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

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

Heart rate: The number of heartbeats per unit of time, usually per minute. The heart rate ...

Hematochezia: Bright red blood in the stool, usually from the lower gastrointestinal tract...

Hemorrhage: Bleeding or the abnormal flow of blood.

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

Indicate: In medicine, to make a treatment or procedure advisable because of a particular ...

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...

Insertion: A chromosome abnormality that is due to insertion of a segment from one chromos...

Intestinal obstruction: Blockage of the intestine by infolding (intussusception), malform...

Intussusception: Infolding (prolapse) of a portion of the intestine within another immedia...

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

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

Large bowel: Another name for the large intestine.

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

Liter: A metric measure of capacity that is equal to the volume of 1 kilogram of water at ...

Low blood pressure: Any blood pressure that is below the normal expected for an individua...

Malignant: 1. Tending to be severe and become progressively worse, as in malignant ...

Melena: Stool or vomit that is stained black by blood pigment or dark blood products.

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

Nasogastric: Referring to the passage from the nose to the stomach. Abbreviated NG.

Nasogastric tube: A tube that is passed through the nose and down through the nasopharynx ...

Nausea: Stomach queasiness, the urge to vomit. Nausea can be brought on by many causes, in...

Nose: The external midline projection from the face. The purpose of the nose is to warm, c...

Nuclear medicine: The branch of medicine concerned with the use of radioisotopes in the di...

Obstruction: Blockage of a passageway. See, for example: Airway obstruction; Intestinal o...

Occult: Hidden. For example, occult blood in the stool is hidden from the eye but can be d...

Oxygen: The odorless gas that is present in the air and necessary to maintain life. Oxygen...

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 ...

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

Precancerous: Pertaining to something that is not yet overtly cancerous, but appears to be...

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

Prescription: A physician's order for the preparation and administration of a drug or dev...

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

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...

Red blood cell: The blood cell that carries oxygen. Red cells contain hemoglobin and it is...

Salmonella: A group of bacteria that cause typhoid fever and a number of other illnesses...

Scan: As a noun, the data or image obtained from the examination of organs or regions of...

Sensation: In medicine and physiology, sensation refers to the registration of an incoming...

Shigella: A group of bacteria that can cause infantile gastroenteritis, summer diarrhea of...

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

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

Stomach: The digestive organ that is located in the upper abdomen, under the ribs. The upp...

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...

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

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

Thrombosis: The formation or presence of a blood clot in a blood vessel. The vessel may be...

Transfusion: The transfer of blood or blood products from one person (the donor) into the ...

Trauma: A physical or emotional injury.

Tumor: An abnormal mass of tissue. Tumors are a classic sign of inflammation, and can be ...

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

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

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

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

Vital: Necessary to maintain life. For example, breathing is a vital function.

Weight loss: Weight loss is a decrease in body weight resulting from either voluntary (die...

X-ray: High-energy radiation with waves shorter than those of visible light. X-ray is used...