Vaginal 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 ...

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

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

Anovulatory: Not accompanied by ovulation, the release of an ovum (egg) from the ovary. Fo...

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

Aspirin: Once the Bayer trademark for acetylsalicylic acid, now the common name for this a...

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

Birth control: Birth control is the use of any practices, methods, or devices to prevent p...

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

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

Cervicitis: Inflammation of the uterine cervix.

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...

Complication: In medicine, an unanticipated problem that arises following, and is a result...

Cysts: Cysts are abnormal, closed sac-like structures within a tissue that contain a liqui...

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

Ectopic: In the wrong place, out of place. For example, an ectopic kidney is a kidney that...

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

Endometrial biopsy: A common procedure for sampling the inner lining of the uterus (the en...

Endometritis: Inflammation of the endometrium, the inner layer of the uterus.

Estrogen: A female steroid hormone that is produced by the ovaries and, in lesser amounts,...

Fibroids: Fibroids are common, benign tumors of smooth muscle in the uterus (womb). Uterin...

Genitalia: The male or female reproductive organs. The genitalia include internal and exte...

Gland: A group of cells that secrete a substance for use in the body. For example, the thy...

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

Gynecologist: A physician who specializes in treating diseases of the female reproductive ...

Hemophilia: An inherited disorder in which the ability of blood to clot normally is impair...

Hormone: A chemical substance produced in the body that controls and regulates the activit...

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

Lesion: An area of abnormal tissue change. Lesions vary in severity from harmless to serio...

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

Menometrorrhagia: Excessive uterine bleeding, both at the usual time of menstrual periods...

Menopause: The time in a woman's life when menstrual periods permanently stop; it is also...

Menorrhagia: Excessive uterine bleeding occurring at the expected intervals of the menstru...

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...

Metrorrhagia: Uterine bleeding at irregular intervals, particularly between the expected m...

Neck: The part of the body joining the head to the shoulders. Also, any narrow or constric...

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

Ovarian: Of or pertaining to the ovary.

Ovary: The female gonad, one of a pair of reproductive glands in women. The ovaries are lo...

Ovulation: The release of the ripe egg (ovum) from the ovary. The egg is released when the...

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

Pap Smear: A screening test for cervical cancer based on the examination of cells under th...

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

Pelvic exam: An examination of the organs of the female reproductive system.

Pelvis: The lower part of the abdomen, located between the hip bones. Structures in the fe...

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

Platelet: An irregular, disc-shaped element in the blood that assists in blood clotting....

Polyp: A mass of tissue that develops on the inside wall of a hollow organ, such as the co...

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

Pregnant: The state of carrying a developing fetus within the body.

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

Progesterone: A female hormone, the principal hormone that prepares the uterus to receive ...

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...

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...

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

Sperm: A sperm is the male "gamete" or sex cell. It combines with the female &qu...

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

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

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

Thyroid: 1. The thyroid gland. Also, pertaining to the thyroid gland. 2. A p...

Thyroid gland: A gland that makes and stores hormones that help regulate the heart rate, b...

Trauma: A physical or emotional injury.

Ultrasound: High-frequency sound waves. Ultra-sound waves can be bounced off tissues by us...

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

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

Uterine bleeding: See: Menstruation. See also Menometrorrhagia; Menorrhagia; Metrorrhagia....

Uterine fibroids: Uterine fibroids are benign tumors of the uterus (the womb). They are th...

Uterine lining: The inner layer of the uterus (womb); the cells that line the womb; anatom...

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 ...

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