IBD facts
Glossary
This glossary lists many of the words you may come across when you
are researching your condition.
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Faeces: The waste matter eliminated from the body
through the anus (other names are stools and motions).
Fibre optic: Flexible fibres that
carry light, e.g. in a colonoscope.
Fibrosis: The formation of fibrous
connective tissue, usually as a consequence of inflammation.
Fissure: A cleft or groove (crack) in the surface of the skin.
Fistula: An abnormal connection, usually between two organs or leading from an internal organ to the surface of the body.
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Flatus: Gas from the rectum.
Food Intolerance: An adverse reaction
to food that does not involve the immune system and therefore differs
from a food allergy.
Fulminant colitis: Colitis occurring suddenly with great intensity and severity.
Gastroenteritis: Inflammation of the stomach and intestine.
Granulomas: Nodules of cells, surrounded
by lymphocytes, which can be found in all layers of the bowel. If
present, they strongly suggest Crohn's disease.
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Haematochezia: The passage of bloody stools.
Haemorrhoids: Swollen veins in the area of the anus. They bleed easily and are often painful.
Harvey and Bradshaw Index: Simple measurement
of disease activity in Crohn's disease measured over a 24 hour period.
Hepatic flexure: That part of the colon where the ascending and transverse portions meet, below the liver.
Heredity: The transmission of characteristics
from parent to child.
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Histology: The examination of tissues under the microscope to assist diagnosis.
Hypoalbuminaemia: Decreased levels of albumin (protein) in the blood.
Hypokalaemia: Decreased levels of potassium in the blood.
Ileo-anal anastomosis: The surgical joining of the end of the ileum to the anus to bypass the colon.
Ileostomy: This is when the open end of the healthy ileum is diverted to the surface of the abdomen and secured there to form a new exit for waste matter.
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Ileum: The lowest part of the small intestine.
Immune response: The body's reaction to invasion
by foreign substances; it involves inflammation of the affected part of the body.
Immunosuppressed: A person's immune response is
not activated by a foreign substance.
Inflammation: The body's natural defence mechanism in which blood rushes to any site of damage or infection causing reddening, swelling and pain. The area is usually hot to touch.
Iritis: Painful inflammation of
the iris in the eyes.
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Irritable bowel syndrome: Increased
sensitivity of the intestine, characterised by recurrent abdominal
cramps, bloating, mucus in stools, irregular bowel habits, diarrhoea
and constipation.
Jejunum: The portion of the small
intestine that lies between the duodenum and the ileum.
Laxative: An agent that acts to
cause emptying of the bowel. This may be by purging (irritating
the lining) or increasing the volume of stool (bulking).
Lesion: A term used to describe any structural abnormality in the body.
Leucocytes: White cells in the blood
that help fight infection.
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Leucocytosis: An increase in the number of circulating white cells in the blood.
Leucopenia: A decrease in the number of circulating white cells in the blood.
Lymphocytes: A particular kind of leucocyte.
MRI scan: Magnetic resonance imaging scan. A diagnostic technique that uses high frequency radio waves and a computer to visualise the organs of the body. It does not use potentially harmful X-rays.
Mucus: A white, slimy lubricant
produced by the intestines. It is found in excess in the stools
of patients with colitis.
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Nausea: Feeling sick.
Oedema: Accumulation (build up)
of excessive amounts of fluid in the tissues resulting in swelling.
Oesophagus: The portion of the intestine
that runs from the throat to the stomach. Also known as the 'gullet'.
Osteoporosis: Weakening of the bones due to calcium loss. May be caused by long-term use of steroids or low levels of the hormones oestrogen or testosterone.
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