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Abdomen
Pronounced – AB-doh-men
The area between your chest and your hips in the front of your body. Contains the stomach, small intestine, large intestine, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, and spleen.

Accessory Digestive Organs
Pronounced – ak-SES-uh-ree dy-JES-tiv or-gunz
Organs that help with digestion but are not part of the digestive tract. These organs are the tongue, glands in the mouth that make saliva, pancreas, liver, and gallbladder.

Achalasia
Pronounced – AK-uh-LAYZ-ya
A rare disorder of the esophagus. The muscle at the end of the esophagus does not relax enough for the passage to open properly. Esophagus (pronounced – eh-SAW-fuh-gus), also spelled oesophagus, is the organ that connects the mouth to the stomach. Also called gullet.

Achlorhydria
Pronounced – AY-klor-HY-dree-uh
A lack of hydrochloric acid in stomach juice.

Activated Charcoal
Pronounced – AK-tuh-vay-ted CHAR-kohl
An over-the-counter product that may help relieve intestinal gas.

Acute
Sudden, severe, and not long lasting.

Adenocarcinoma
Pronounced – AD-in-o-kar-sin-O-ma
Cancer that begins in cells that line certain internal organs and that have glandular (secretory) properties.

Aerophagia
Pronounced – AIR-oh-FAY-jee-uh
A condition that occurs when a person swallows too much air. Causes gas and frequent belching.

Aetiological
Causing or contributing to the cause of a disease or condition.

Alactasia
Pronounced – ay-lak-TAYZ-ya
An inherited condition causing the lack of the enzyme needed to digest milk sugar.

Alagille Syndrome
Pronounced – al-uh-GEEL sin-drohm
A condition of babies in their first year. The bile ducts in the liver disappear, and the bile ducts outside the liver get very narrow. May lead to a buildup of bile in the liver and damage to liver cells and other organs.

Ameliorate
To make something better or become better, improve.

Amino Acid
Any of a class of 20 molecules that are combined to form proteins in living things. The sequence of amino acids in a protein and hence protein function are determined by the genetic code.

Amyloidosis
Proteins are important building blocks for all body parts, including muscles, bones, hair, and nails. Proteins circulate throughout the body in the blood and are normally harmless. Occasionally, cells produce abnormal proteins that can settle in body tissue, forming deposits and causing disease. When these deposits of abnormal proteins were first discovered, they were called amyloid, and the disease process amyloidosis.

In recent years, researchers have discovered that different kinds of proteins can form amyloid deposits and have identified several types of amyloidosis. Two of these types are closely related to kidney disease. In primary amyloidosis, abnormal protein production occurs as a first step and can lead to kidney disease. Dialysis related amyloidosis (DRA), on the other hand, is a result of kidney disease.

Analgesic
A drug’s ability to relieve pain, or a drug that alleviates pain. The term comes from the Greek word algos, which means pain.

Anemia
Pronounced – uh-NEE-mee-uh
Not enough red blood, red blood cells, or hemoglobin (pronounced – HEE-muh-gloh-bin) in the body. Hemoglobin is a protein in the blood that contains iron.

Anti-Inflammatory
Pronounced – AN-tee-in-FLAM-uh-toh-ree
Preventing or reducing inflammation.

Antibiotic
Pronounced – an-ty-by-ah-tik
An antibiotic is a drug used to fight many infections caused by bacteria. Some antibiotics are effective against only certain types of bacteria, which are called Narrow-Spectrum Antibiotics. Other antibiotics can effectively fight a wide range of bacteria, which are called Broad-Spectrum Antibiotics.

Antibiotics are a substance produced by bacteria or fungi that destroys or prevents the growth of other bacteria and fungi. Antibiotics fight bacterial infections by killing bacteria or stopping it from growing. Antibiotics are not effective against viruses, like colds and flu. It may surprise you to know that they also do not work on most ear infections and bronchitis.

Antibiotics can help your body’s immune system fight off infections. If you have ever had strep throat, your doctor probably gave you an antibiotic drug to take. Remember, only take antibiotic drugs when they are prescribed by your health care provider. Taking them when they are not needed can create stronger germs, like MRSA. And if you get a prescription drug from your doctor, always finsih the whole bottle, (unless your doctor tells you to stop taking it) the last few pills kill the toughest germs. Do not save antibiotics for later use. Do not use someone else’s antibiotics, or give your antibiotics to someone else.

Antibody
Pronounced – an-ty-bod-ee
Proteins made by the immune system that bind to structures (antigens) they recognize as foreign to the body.

Antigen
A structure foreign to the body, such as a virus. The body usually responds to antigens by producing antibodies.

Antipyretic
A drug’s ability to reduce fever. The term comes from the Greek word pyresis, which means fire.

Anus
Pronounced – AY-nus
The opening at the end of the digestive tract where bowel contents leave the body.

Apathy
A lack of emotion or interest, without feeling.

Appendix
Pronounced – uh-PEN-diks
A 4 inch pouch attached to the first part of the large intestine (cecum). No one knows what function the appendix has, if any.

Ascites
Pronounced – uh-SY-teez
A buildup of fluid in the abdomen. The abdomen is the area between your chest and your hips in the front of your body.

Asthma
Pronounced – AZ-muh
A lung disorder that affects your airways. When the airways are inflamed, a person may wheeze, feel short of breath, cough, and feel tightness in the chest.

Asymptomatic
Presenting no symptoms of disease.

Ataxia
A condition in which the muscles fail to function in a coordinated manner.

Atrophy
The partial or complete wasting away of a part of the body. Causes of atrophy include poor circulation, loss of hormonal support to the organ, loss of nerve supply, poor nourishment, disuse, disease, lack of exercise, or aging. For example, muscle atrophy is the condition resulting from reduced muscle mass which is due to disuse of the muscles.

Autoimmune
Pronounced – AW-toh-im-YOON
A term that refers to a person’s immune system attacking his or her own body.

Autoimmune Disease
A disease in which the body’s defense system malfunctions and attacks a part of the body itself rather than foreign matter.

Autoimmune Hepatitis
Autoimmune hepatitis is inflammation of the liver caused by immune cells that mistake the liver’s normal cells as harmful invaders.