Health Terms 4 Digestive System

abdominoplasty

surgical repair of the abdomen

anorexia

An abnormal loss of the appetite for food

appendectomy

excision of the appendix

appendix

a small, tube-shaped pouch attached to the cecum of the LI

ascites

abnormal accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity

atresia

absence or abnormal narrowing of an opening or passage in the body

bile

digestive fluid produced by the liver that helps emulsify fats

borborygmus

rumbling or gurgling noise produced by movement of gas or fluid in the intestines

celiac

pertaining to the abdomen

cholecystectomy

excision of the gallbladder to remove stones

choledochotomy

surgical incision into the common bile duct

cholelithiasis

condition of gallstones

cholestasis

impaired flow of bile from the liver

cirrhosis

chronic degenerative disease of the liver

colostomy

creation of an artificial opening in the colon

Crohn’s Disease

A type of inflammatory bowel disease

Duodenum

first section of the SI, immediately after the stomach

Dyspepsia

difficult digestion

Dysphagia

difficult swallowing

Emulsification

breaking down large fat globules into smaller droplets for digestion

Etiology

cause or origin of a disease

Flatus

gas in the GI tract

Gastrorrhagia

bleeding from the stomach

Hematemesis

vomiting blood

Hemoptysis

coughing up blood from respiratory tract

Hepatomegaly

enlarged liver

Herniorrhaphy

suturing of a hernia

Hiatal Hernia

protrusion of part of the stomach through the diaphragm into the chest cavity

Hypoglossal

relating to the area beneath the tongue

Idiopathic

arising spontaneously or from an unknown cause

Jaundice

yellow discoloration of the skin and eyes

Lower GI series

x-ray imaging of the colon and rectum

Mastication

chewing

Paracentesis

procedure to remove fluid from the abdominal cavity using a needle

Parenteral

delivered outside the digestive tract, typically by injection

Peristalsis

wave-like muscular contractions that move food through the digestive tract

Peritoneal

pertaining to the peritoneum

Pharyngeal

relating to the pharynx (throat)

Polyphagia

excessive hunger or increased appetite

Postprandial

occurring after a meal

Pyloric Sphincter

muscular valve controlling passage of stomach contents into the duodenum

Stomatitis

inflammation of the mouth

Stool Guaiac

a test that detects hidden blood in stool

Sublingual

pertaining to under the tongue

Villi

finger-like projections in the SI that increase surface area for absorption

Upper GI series

x-ray imaging of the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum

Volvulus

twisting of the intestine causing obstruction