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Colitis
Colitis Inflammation of the large intestine (colon), especially of its mucous membranes. Spastic colitis is commonly "nervous," or psychosomatic, in origin and is usually a temporary upset rather than a chronic inflammation; this disorder may account for 50 percent of all digestive-tract illnesses. Its symptoms are abdominal pain, diarrhea (sometimes alternating with constipation), and erratic frequency of bowel movements. Treatment of this disorder is basically supportive and psychological in approach.
RELATED TERMS--------------------------------------
Inflammation
A reaction to an injury to the body - by infection, chemicals or physical agents. The symptoms can be - depending on the location of the injury- redness, swelling, heat and pain. The purpose of the inflammation is to dilute and destroy the agent causing the inflammation. To do this, the immune system starts a cascade of actions that causes active cells to gather at the affected location. It is these cells and fluids that cause the redness, swelling, heat and pain.
Intestine
The tube involved in digestion and extending from the stomach to the anus. Consists of the small intestine and the large intestine.
Mucous
Adj. Relating to or resembling mucus.
Membranes
Also know as the bag of waters, this thin sac contains the amniotic fluid and the fetus. The membranes will either rupture spontaneously during labor or be ruptured to speed up labor.
Colitis
Inflammation of the large intestine (colon), especially of its mucous membranes. Spastic colitis is commonly "nervous," or psychosomatic, in origin and is usually a temporary upset rather than a chronic inflammation; this disorder may account for 50 percent of all digestive-tract illnesses. Its symptoms are abdominal pain, diarrhea (sometimes alternating with constipation), and erratic frequency of bowel movements. Treatment of this disorder is basically supportive and psychological in approach.
Chronic
Ongoing or recurring. Chronic medical conditions include diabetes, epilepsy, and chronic fatigue syndrome.
Abdominal
Relating to the abdomen, the belly, that part of the body that contains all of the structures between the chest and the pelvis. The abdomen is separated anatomically from the chest by the diaphragm, the powerful muscle spanning the body cavity below the lungs. The abdomen includes a host of organs including the stomach, small intestine, colon, rectum, liver, spleen, pancreas, kidneys, appendix, gallbladder, and bladder. The word "abdomen" has a curious story behind it. It comes from the Latin "abdodere", to hide. The idea was that whatever was eaten was hidden in the abdomen.
Pain
An unpleasant sensory or emotional experience primarily associated with tissue damage, or described in terms of tissue damage, or both.
Diarrhea
Passage of excessively liquid or excessively frequent stools.
Bowel
Another word for the small and large intestines.
Psychological
Pertaining to mental life as manifested through language and behavior.
SIMILAR TERMS--------------------------------------
Colic
Attacks of abdominal pain, caused by muscle spasms in the intestines.
Colimas doctors
All doctors near Colimas, Mexico. Doctors who can assist a patient in Colimas.
Colinear
Arranged in the same linear order.
Coliseum Health System
Coliseum Health System is a hospital in Macon, Georgia (USA).
Colistimethate
Colistimethate is a prescription or over-the-counter drug which is (or once was) approved in the United States and possibly in other countries. Active ingredient(s): colistimethate sodium.
Colitis, amebic
Amebic dysentery (inflammation of the intestine) with ulcers in the colon due to infection with an ameba (Entamoeba histolytica), a single-celled parasite transmitted to humans via contaminated water and food.
Colitis, mucus
A common gastrointestinal disorder involving an abnormal condition of gut contractions (motility) characterized by abdominal pain, bloating, mucous in stools, and irregular bowel habits with alternating diarrhea and constipation, symptoms that tend to be chronic and to wax and wane over the years. Although the disorder can cause chronic recurrent discomfort, it does not lead to any serious organ problems.
Colitis, pseudomembranous
Severe inflammation of the inner lining of the colon due usually to the clostridium difficile (C.difficile) bacterium, one of the most common causes of infection of the large bowel (colon) in the United States, affecting millions of patients yearly. Patients taking antibiotics are at risk of becoming infected with C. difficile. Antibiotics disrupt the natural bacteria of the bowel, allowing C. difficile bacteria to become established in the colon. Many persons infected with C. difficile bacteria have no symptoms. These people become carriers of the bacteria and can infect others. In some people, a toxin produced by C. difficile causes diarrhea, abdominal pain, severe inflammation of the colon (colitis), fever, an elevated white blood count, vomiting and dehydration. Rarely, the walls of the colon wear away and holes develop (colon perforation), which can lead to a life-threatening infection of the abdomen.
Colitis, spastic
A common gastrointestinal disorder involving an abnormal condition of gut contractions (motility) characterized by abdominal pain, bloating, mucous in stools, and irregular bowel habits with alternating diarrhea and constipation, symptoms that tend to be chronic and to wax and wane over the years. Although the disorder can cause chronic recurrent discomfort, it does not lead to any serious organ problems.
Colitis, ulcerative
A relatively common disease that causes inflammation of the large intestine (the colon). The cause is unknown.
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Chronic pain
Chronic pain is medically defined as pain that has lasted 6 months or longer.This constant or intermittent pain has often outlived its purpose, as it does not help the body to prevent injury.It is often more difficult to treat than acute pain.
Colour blindness
The inability to perceive differences between some or all colors that other people can distinguish. It is most often of genetic nature, but might also occur because of eye, nerve, or brain damage, or due to exposure to certain chemicals.
Concussion
Any alteration in cerebral function caused by direct or indirect (rotation) force transmitted to the head resulting in one or more of the following: a brief loss of consciousness, lightheadedness, vertigo, cognitive and memory dysfunction, tinnitus, difficulty concentrating, amnesia, headache, balance disorder, nausea or vomiting.
Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory disease of the digestive tract and it can involve any part of it - from the mouth to the anus.It typically affects the terminal ileum as well as demarcated areas of large bowel with relatively normal bowel. It is often associated with auto-immune disorders outside the bowel, such as aphthous stomatitis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Cystic fibrosis
A disease that most commonly affects the lungs and digestive system, especially the pancreas. It causes the exocrine glands, which produce mucus and sweat, to produce abnormal secretions. CF causes the cells in the lung tissue to produce an abnormal amount of thick, sticky mucus that clogs the airways of the lungs, resulting in pulmonary obstructions and life-threatening bacterial infections.
Colitis
Corticosteroid
Hormones produced by the adrenal gland which are important to almost every function of cells and organs. They are divided into two groups: glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids. Glucocorticoids regulate protein, carbohydrate, and fat metabolism. Mineralocorticoids regulate electrolyte balances.
Cardiolipin
One of the components of a cell membrane.
Cirrhosis
A disease involving the destruction of liver cells and diminished liver function. Cirrhosis can block blood flow to the liver causing high blood pressure and/or jaundice.
Chiropractic medicine
Chiropractic medicine is a form of treatment that uses manipulative therapy
to correct subluxation, which many chiropracters hold are the cause of most
disease. Although manipulative therapy has been shown to have some efficacy
in treating back pain, headache, and other symptoms of spinal-related
conditions, the application of chiropractic medicine as a cure or outside of
this specific area is controversial and generally rejected by medical
doctors in most countries. Practictioners of chiropractic medicine generally hold themselves out as
doctors of chiropratic (D.C.). The use of manipulative therapy by D.C.'s to
treat back pain, headache, and other spinal and musculo-skeletal symptoms
enjoys wide acceptance by government medical authorities in many nations,
where it is covered by many health plans such as Medicare in the United
States. Although some medical doctors (M.D.'s) and many doctors of
osteopathy (D.O.'s) do perform manipulative therapy, more than 90% of the
treatment of back pain by manipulative therapy is performed by D.C.'s.
The studies have shown a high level of patient satisfaction with
manipulative therapy by persons with back problems.
Chorionic gonadotropin
Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a peptide hormone produced in pregnancy, that is made by the embryo soon after conception and later by the trophoblast (part of the placenta). Its role is to prevent the demise of the corpus luteum of the ovary and thereby maintain progesterone production that is critical for a pregnancy in humans. hCG may have additional functions, for instance it is thought that it affects the immune tolerance of the pregnancy.
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