Glossary Of Common Terms Associated With Digestive Disorders
Glossary of Common Terms Associated with Digestive Disorders
A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z
A
Abscess
A collection of purulent material (pus), the result of confined infection.
Achalasia
A disorder of esophageal function leading to difficulty swallowing.
Colitis
Implies inflammation of the colon (unless accompanied by the term spastic or mucous; when it implies an irritable colon). Can be of an infectious or non-infectious cause.
Crohn's Disease
An inflammatory disorder affecting the lining of the gastrointestinal tract, usually the small intestine and/or large intestine, characterized by a granulomatous tissue reaction.
Diverticulitis
Inflammation of the colon adjacent to colonic diverticula, usually the result of small perforations of the diverticula.
Dysphagia
Difficulty transporting food from the mouth into the esophagus or esophagus into the stomach.
Endoscopy
Describes a procedure in which an endoscope an instrument which enables the viewing of internal organs by passage into the gastrointestinal tract through the mouth (upper endoscopy; enteroscopy) or rectum (sigmoidoscopy; colonoscopy; ileoscopy).
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
Describes the condition in which stomach contents move backwards into the esophagus. Responsible for the symptom of heartburn and, sometimes, chest pain, palpitations, hoarseness, sore throats, and dental problems.
Heartburn
The sensation of burning behind the breast bone (sternum), associated usually with reflux (regurgitation) of gastric and/or duodenal contents into the esophagus.
Hemoccult Positive
Making reference to the reaction that stool containing blood gives on a Hemoccult card once developing solution is added.
Hiatus Hernia
The result of upward displacement of the stomach through an opening in the diaphragm; may be associated with chest pain or heartburn.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Small and/or large intestine damage resulting from a deprivation of arterial blood flow to the affected organ, presenting usually with abdominal pain and rectal bleeding.
Ischemic Bowel Disease
An all encompassing term which describes a few or many symptoms affecting the gastrointestinal tract for which no specific cause can be identified, i.e. bloating, flatulence, abdominal pain, fullness after meals, alternating bowel habits, etc.
Melena
Black stools, often sticky, containing digested blood.
Polyp
An abnormal growth affecting the GI tract lining (mucosa) which may produce no symptoms or be associated with blood in the stool.
Ulcerative Colitis
Colonic inflammation of unknown cause.
