NexiumResearch - Glossary - Definitions
Some words have many meanings. A term will refer the reader to another definition only when the second definition gives additional information about a topic that is directly related to the first term.
All Definitions A - H
All Definitions Q - Z
All Definitions I - P
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I
Idiopathic
Of, relating to, or designating a disease having unknown cause.
Ileostomy
Pronounced - il-ee-AW-stuh-mee
A surgical procedure in which the lower part of the small intestine (the ileum) is cut and brought to an opening in the abdominal wall, where feces can be passed out of the body into a bag. This bag must be emptied several times a day.
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Step 1:
The doctor takes out most of the diseased part of the intestine. |
Step 2:
The doctor attaches the healthy part of the intestine to the stoma (a hole in the abdomen). |
Ileum
Pronounced - il-ee-um
The lower end of the small intestine.
Immune System
The collection of cells and organs whose role is to protect the body from foreign invaders. Includes the thymus, spleen, lymph nodes, B and T cells, and antigen-presenting cells.
Immunocompromised
Having an immune system that has been impaired by disease or treatment.
Immunoglobulin G (IgG)
An antibody containing substance produced by human plasma cells in diseased central nervous system plaques. Levels of IgG are increased in the cerebrospinal fluid of most MS patients.
Immunosuppression
Pronounced - IH-myoo-noh-suh-PREH-shun
Suppression of the immune system functions and its ability to fight infections and other diseases. Many medications under investigation for the treatment of MS are immunosuppressants.
Immunosuppressive
Pronounced - IH-myoo-noh-suh-PREH-siv
Describes the ability to decrease the body's immune system responses.
Incontinence
The inability to control the flow of urine from the bladder, called urinary incontinence, or the escape of stool from the rectum, called bowel incontinence or fecal incontinence.
Inflame
To cause to redden or grow hot.
Inflammation
Inflammation is used to describe an area on the body that is swollen, red, hot, and in pain.
Inflammatory
Causing inflammation.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
Pronounced - in-FLAM-uh-toh-ree BAH-wul duh-zeez
Long lasting problems that cause irritation and ulcers in the Gastrointestinal (GI) Tract. The most common disorders are ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.
Inherit
In genetics (genetics is the study of inheritance patterns of specific traits), to receive genetic material from your parents through biological processes.
Insoluble Fiber
Insoluble fiber often called roughage, does not dissolve in water, passes essentially unchanged through the intestines and produces little gas. Insouble fiber helps move waste through the digestive tract decreasing the time that potentially harmful substances may stay in the colon. Found in wheat bran and some vegetables.
Interferon
Pronounced - in-ter-FEER-on
A biological response modifier (a substance that can improve the body's natural response to infections and other diseases). Interferons interfere with the division of cancer cells and can slow tumor growth. There are several types of interferons, including interferon-alpha, -beta, and -gamma. The body normally produces these substances. They are also made in the laboratory to treat cancer and other diseases.
Intermittent
Stopping and starting at intervals, recurring or reappearing from time to time.
Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction
Pronounced - in-TES-tuh-nul SOO-doh ub-STRUK-shun
A disorder that causes symptoms of blockage, but when the intestines are examined, no blockage is found. Causes constipation, vomiting, and pain. More about Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction
Intestine
Pronounced - in-TESS-tin
The long, tube-shaped organ in the abdomen that completes the process of digestion. Also called the bowel. There are both large and small intestines.
Intravenous (IV)
Pronounced - IN-truh-VEE-nus
Intravenous usually refers to a way of giving a drug or other substance through a needle or tube inserted into or within a vein. Also called I.V.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Pronounced - EER-uh-tuh-bul BAH-wul sin-drohm
A disorder that comes and goes. Nerves that control the muscles in the Gastrointestinal (GI) Tract are too active. The Gastrointestinal (GI) Tract becomes sensitive to food, stool, gas, and stress. Causes abdominal pain, bloating, and constipation or diarrhea. Also called spastic colon or mucous colitis.
I.V.
Into or within a vein. I.V. usually refers to a way of giving a drug or other substance through a needle or tube inserted into a vein. Also called intravenous.
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J
Jaundice
Pronounced - JAWN-dus
Jaundice is a symptom of many disorders. Jaundice causes the skin and eyes to turn yellow from too much bilirubin in the blood.
Jejunostomy
Pronounced - juh-joo-NAW-stuh-mee
An operation to create an opening of the jejunum to a hole (stoma) in the abdomen.
Jejunum
Pronounced - juh-JOON-um
The middle section of the small intestine between the duodenum and ileum.
K
Kidney
One of two bean shaped organs that are part of the urinary tract. The kidneys are responsible for filtering the blood and removing waste products and excess water as urine. More about Kidneys
Koilonychia
Pronounced - koil-O-nik-E
Abnormal thinness and concavity of fingernails occurring especially in hypochromic anemias - also called spoon nails.
Kupffer's Cells
Pronounced - KOOP-furz selz
Cells that line the liver. These cells remove waste such as bacteria from the blood.
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L
Large Intestine
Pronounced - LARJ in-TES-tin
The part of the intestine that goes from the cecum to the rectum. The large intestine absorbs water from stool and changes it from a liquid to a solid form. The large intestine is 5 feet long and includes the appendix, cecum, colon, and rectum. Also called colon.
There are both large and small intestines, shown in the photo below.
Diagram of the Large Intestine, also called colon. The intestines are part of the digestive system.
Laryngospasm
A closure of the larynx that blocks the passage of air to the lungs. This syndrome results from a spasm in the adductor muscles, the muscles closing or bringing the vocal folds together. As soon as your voice box or the area of the windpipe below the voicebox detects the entry of water or other substance, the vocal folds spasm shut.This works very well to keep water out of the lungs if you start to drown or to keep out that bug that flew down your throat while you were starting to inhale. Those are the benefits, but they make breathing in very difficult. It can happen even when only the sensation is present of something other than air entering the windpipe. Symptoms of Laryngospasm:
- The symptoms are very characteristic.
- Abrupt, sudden onset.
- May occur anytime, but often noticable when eating and talking simultaneously and something feels like it went down the wrong way.
- May be awakened in the middle of the night unable to breath.
- Feels like you are going to die or never breathe again, yet typically, it lasts less than 30 or 60 seconds.
- Very noisy and difficult breathing in.
- Rather easy breathing out, still able to cough.
- Faster breathing in makes it worse. Knowing what the condition is and its short duration helps patients deal with the episodes more confidently.
Larynx
The larynx is the portion of the breathing, or respiratory, tract containing the vocal cords which produce vocal sound. It is located between the pharynx and the trachea. The larynx, also called the voice box, is a 2 inch long, tube shaped organ in the neck.
Laser Therapy
The use of an intensely powerful beam of light to kill cancer cells.
Lesion
An abnormal change in the structure of an organ due to disease or injury.
Liver
Pronounced - LIH-vur
The largest organ in the body, the liver produces many essential chemicals and regulates the levels of most vital substances in the blood.
Lower Esophageal Sphincter
Pronounced - LOH-wur uh-saw-fuh-JEE-ul SFEENK-tur
The muscle between the esophagus and stomach. When a person swallows, this muscle relaxes to let food pass from the esophagus to the stomach. It stays closed at other times to keep stomach contents from flowing back into the esophagus.
Lower GI Series
An x-ray that requires insertion of barium into the large intestine to make it show up better. Also called a barium enema x-ray.
Lupus
Lupus (also called systemic lupus erythematosus) is a disorder of the immune system. Normally, the immune system protects the body against invading infections and cancers. In lupus, the immune system is over active and produces increased amounts of abnormal antibodies that attack the body's tissues and organs. Lupus can affect many parts of the body, including the joints, skin, kidneys, lungs, heart, nervous system, and blood vessels. The signs and symptoms of lupus differ from person to person, the disease can range from mild to life threatening. More about Lupus
Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is caused by a bacterial organism that is transmitted to humans via the bite of an infected tick. Most people bitten by an infected tick develop a characteristic skin rash around the area of the bite. The rash may feel hot to the touch, and vary in size, shape, and color, but it will often have a "bull's eye" appearance (a red ring with a clear center). However, there are those who will not develop the rash, which makes Lyme disease hard to diagnose because its symptoms and signs mimic those of many other diseases. More about Lyme Disease
Lymph Node
Pronounced - limf node
A rounded mass of lymphatic tissue that is surrounded by a capsule of connective tissue. Lymph nodes filter lymph (lymphatic fluid), and they store lymphocytes (white blood cells). They are located along lymphatic vessels. Also called a lymph gland.
Lymphatic system
Pronounced - lim-FAT-ik SIS-tem
The tissues and organs that produce, store, and carry white blood cells that fight infections and other diseases. This system includes the bone marrow, spleen, thymus, lymph nodes, and lymphatic vessels (a network of thin tubes that carry lymph and white blood cells). Lymphatic vessels branch, like blood vessels, into all the tissues of the body.
Lymphoma
Tumor of the lymphoid tissue. Diagnosis is by biopsy. Treatment may be chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, or medication, depending on the age of the patient and type of tumor.
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M
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
Pronounced - mag-NEH-tik REH-zuh-nunts IH-muh-jing
A non-invasive scanning technique that enables investigators to see and track, for example, Multiple Sclerosis (MS) lesions as they evolve. MRI is a procedure in which radio waves and a powerful magnet linked to a computer are used to create detailed pictures of areas inside the body. These pictures can show the difference between normal and diseased tissue. MRI makes better images of organs and soft tissue than other scanning techniques, such as computed tomography (CT) or x-ray. MRI imaging is especially useful for imaging the brain, the spine, the soft tissue of joints, and the inside of bones. Also called MRI, nuclear magnetic resonance imaging or NMRI.
Malignant
Pronounced - ma-LIG-nant
Cancerous. Malignant tumors can invade and destroy nearby tissue and spread to other parts of the body.
Malnutrition
Poor nutrition because of an insufficient or poorly balanced diet or faulty digestion or utilization of foods.
Metastasis
Pronounced - meh-TAS-ta-sis
The spread of cancer from one part of the body to another. A tumor formed from cells that have spread is called a secondary tumor, a metastatic tumor, or a metastasis. The secondary tumor contains cells that are like those in the original (primary) tumor. The plural form of metastasis is metastases (pronounced - meh-TAS-ta-seez).
Molecule
The smallest particle of a substance that retains the chemical and physical properties of the substance and is composed of two or more atoms.
Motility
Pronounced - moh-TIL-uh-tee
The movement of food through the digestive tract.
Motility Disorders
Pronounced - moh-TIL-uh-tee dis-or-durz
Disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome. These conditions result from poor nerve and muscle function. Symptoms such as gas, pain, constipation, and diarrhea come back again and again, but there are no signs of disease or damage. Emotional stress can trigger symptoms. Also called functional disorders.
MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)
A procedure in which radio waves and a powerful magnet linked to a computer are used to create detailed pictures of areas inside the body. These pictures can show the difference between normal and diseased tissue. MRI makes better images of organs and soft tissue than other scanning techniques, such as computed tomography (CT) or x-ray. MRI is especially useful for imaging the brain, the spine, the soft tissue of joints, and the inside of bones. Also called magnetic resonance imaging, nuclear magnetic resonance imaging or NMRI.
MRSA - Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus
Some staph bacteria are resistant to antibiotics. Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a type of staph that is resistant to antibiotics called beta-lactams. Beta-lactam antibiotics include methicillin and other more common antibiotics such as oxacillin, penicillin and amoxicillin.
Skin infections start when bacteria get into a cut or scrape. Bacteria live on everyone's skin and usually causes no harm. But when Staphylococcus bacteria get into your body through a break in the skin, they can cause a "staph" (Pronounced - staff) infection.
Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), often referred to simply as "staph," are bacteria commonly carried on the skin or in the nose of healthy people. Staph bacteria are one of the most common causes of skin infection in the United States and have been around for a long time, causing mild to severe illness. About one-third of the people in the world have S. aureus bacteria on their bodies at any given time. The bacteria can be present without causing an active infection. Of the people with S. aureus present, about 1 percent has MRSA, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Most of these skin infections are minor - such as pimples or boils and can be red, swollen, painful, or have pus or other drainage - and can be treated without antibiotics (also known as antimicrobials or antibacterials). However, staph bacteria also can cause serious infections - such as surgical wound infections, bloodstream infections, and pneumonia.
Mucosa
Having to do with a mucous membrane (Mucous: Pertaining to mucus, a thick fluid produced by the lining of some tissues of the body).
Mucus
Pronounced - MYOO-kuhss
A clear, sticky discharge made by the intestines. It coats and protects tissues in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
Myelin
Pronounced - MY-eh-lin
A fatty covering insulating nerve cell fibers in the brain and spinal cord, myelin facilitates the smooth, high-speed transmission of electrochemical messages between these components of the central nervous system and the rest of the body. In MS, myelin is damaged through a process known as demyelination, which results in distorted or blocked signals.
Myelin Basic Protein (MBP)
A major component of myelin. When myelin breakdown occurs, as in Multiple Sclerosis (MS), MBP can often be found in abnormally high levels in the patient's cerebrospinal fluid. When injected into laboratory animals, MBP induces experimental allergic encephalomyelitis, a chronic (lasting a long time) brain and spinal cord disease similar to MS.
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N
Neonatal
Relating to a newborn baby during the first month of life.
Nerve Cells
Nerves are long fibers that carry messages from the body to the brain, and back again, like telephone lines. The messages often tell a body part what to do. Nerve cells are part of nerves. In the intestine, the nerve cells tell muscles how to push the stool along.
Neurological
Having to do with the nerves or the nervous system.
Nissen Fundoplication
Pronounced - NIH-sun FUN-doh-plih-KAY-shun
An operation to sew the top of the stomach (fundus) around the esophagus. Used to stop stomach contents from flowing back into the esophagus (reflux) and to repair a hiatal hernia.
Non-Invasive
Pronounced - NON-in-VAY-siv
In medicine, for example, non-invasive describes a procedure that does not require inserting an instrument through the skin or into a body opening. In cancer, non-invasive describes disease that has not spread outside the tissue in which it began.
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O
Obstruction
Pronounced - ub-STRUK-shun
A blockage in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract that prevents the flow of liquids or solids.
Oligodendrocyte
The cells that make and maintain myelin in the central nervous system.
Optic Neuritis
An inflammatory disorder of the optic nerve that usually occurs in only one eye and causes visual loss and sometimes blindness. It is generally temporary.
Origin
The beginning of existence of something.
Oropharynx
The area of the throat that is at the back of the mouth. The oropharynx is in contrast to the nasopharynx, the part of the throat that lies behind the nose.
Ostomy
Pronounced - AH-stuh-mee
An operation that makes it possible for stool to leave the body through an opening made in the abdomen. An ostomy is necessary when part or all of the intestines are removed. Colostomy and ileostomy are types of ostomy.
Otolaryngologist
Pronounced oh-toe-lair-in-goll-oh-jest
Doctors trained in the medical and surgical management and treatment of patients with diseases and disorders of the ear, nose, throat (ENT), and related structures of the head and neck. They are commonly referred to as ENT physicians.
Over-the-Counter (OTC)
Pronounced - oh-ver thuh kown-ter
Medicines you can buy at a pharmacy or on store shelves without a doctor's prescription, such as cold medicine, medicines for stomach pain, or pain relievers. A few examples - aspirin, advil (pain reliever), aleve (pain reliever), ibuprofen (pain reliever), antacids (heartburn, gas, indigestion), Monistat (treats yeast infections), laxatives (for constipation), sleep aids.
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P
Pancreas
Pronounced - PAN-kree-ahs
A gland that makes enzymes for digestion and the hormone insulin.
Parasite
A parasite is an animal or plant that gets nutrients by living on or in an organism of another species (host). A complete parasite gets all of its nutrients from the host organism, but a semi-parasite gets only some of its nutrients from the host.
Parasitic
Pronounced - PAYR-uh-SIH-tik
Having to do with or being a parasite. A parasite is an animal or plant that gets nutrients by living on or in an organism of another species (host). A complete parasite gets all of its nutrients from the host organism, but a semi-parasite gets only some of its nutrients from the host.
Paresthesia
Abnormal sensations such as numbness, prickling, or "pins and needles."
Pathogenesis
The origin and development of any disease condition.
Pathologist
A medical professional trained to examine tissues, cells, and specimens of body fluids for evidence of disease.
Pathology
The study of the nature and cause of disease, which involves changes in structure and function.
Pepsin
Pronounced - PEP-sin
An enzyme made in the stomach that breaks down proteins.
Peptic
Pronounced - PEP-tik
Related to the stomach and the duodenum, where pepsin is present.
Peptic Ulcer
Pronounced - PEP-tik UL-sur
A sore in the lining of the esophagus, stomach, or duodenum. Usually caused by the bacterium Helicobacter pylori. An ulcer in the stomach is a gastric ulcer; an ulcer in the duodenum is a duodenal ulcer.
Pharyngeal
Having to do with the throat (pharynx).
Pharynx
Pronounced - FAR-ingks
The space behind the mouth - the throat - which serves as a passage for food from the mouth to the esophagus and for air from the nose and mouth to the larynx.
Photodynamic Therapy
Pronounced - foe-toe-dye-NAM-ik
Treatment with drugs that become active when exposed to light. These drugs kill cancer cells.
Plaque
Pronounced - plak
Plaque is a small, abnormal patch of tissue on a body part or an organ. Plaques may also be a build-up of substances from a fluid, such as cholesterol in the blood vessels.
Polyp
An abnormal, often precancerous growth of tissue. Colorectal polyps are growths of tissue inside the intestine. Colorectal relates to the colon, rectum, or both.
Prokinetic Drugs
Pronounced - PROH-kih-NET-ik drugz
Medicines that cause muscles in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract to move food.
Prolong
To extend in time, continue, lengthen, to make something last longer.
Protein
A molecule made up of amino acids that are needed for the body to function properly. Proteins are the basis of body structures such as skin, hair and of substances such as enzymes, cytokines, and antibodies.
Pyloric Stenosis
Pronounced - py-LOR-ik stuh-NOH-sis
A narrowing of the opening between the stomach and the small intestine.
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