Glossary
Health Meditations
Health Information for Body, Mind and Spirit
Health Information for Body, Mind and Spirit
- A Holistic Approach to Health
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
U
ultrasound — a painless, harmless test that uses sound waves to produce images of the
organs and structures of the body on a screen. Also called sonography.
umbilical cord — connected to the placenta and provides the transfer of nutrients and waste
between the woman and the fetus.
unsaturated fat -- fat that is usually liquid at room and refrigerator temperatures. Unsaturated
fat occurs in vegetable oils, most nuts, olives, avocados, and fatty fish, such as salmon. There
are types of unsaturated fat—monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. When used instead of
saturated fat, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats help lower blood cholesterol levels.
Monounsaturated fat is found in greatest amounts in foods from plants, including olive, canola,
sunflower, and peanut oils. Polyunsaturated fat is found in greatest amounts in foods from
plants, including safflower, sunflower, corn, soybean, and cottonseed oils, and many kinds of
nuts. A type of polyunsaturated fat is called omega-3 fatty acids, which are being studied to see
if they help guard against heart disease. Good sources of omega-3 fatty acids are some fatty
fish, such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel.
ureters — the tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder.
urethra — the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body.
urethritis — inflammation of the urethra.
urinalysis — a test that looks at urine to find out its content. Can be used to detect some types
of diseases.
urinary tract infection — Also called UTI. An infection anywhere in the urinary tract, or organs
that collect and store urine and release it from your body (the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and
urethra). An infection occurs when microorganisms, usually bacteria from the digestive tract,
cling to the urethra (opening to the urinary tract) and begin to multiply.
urine — liquid waste filtered from the blood by the kidneys, stored in the bladder, and expelled
from the body through the urethra by the act of voiding or urinating.
uterine contractions — During the birthing process, a woman's uterus tightens, or contracts.
Contractions can be strong and regular (meaning that they can happen every 5 minutes, every 3
minutes, and so on) during labor until the baby is delivered. Women can have contractions
before labor starts; these are not regular and do not progress, or increase in intensity or
duration.
uterine fibroids — common, benign (noncancerous) tumors that grow in the muscle of the
uterus, or womb. Fibroids often cause no symptoms and need no treatment, and they usually
shrink after menopause. But sometimes fibroids cause heavy bleeding or pain, and require
treatment.
uterus — a woman's womb, or the hollow, pear-shaped organ located in a woman's lower
abdomen between the bladder and the rectum.
V
vaccine — medicine that protects the body from the disease.
vasculitis — an inflammation of the blood vessels in the body. In vasculitis, the body’s immune
system mistakenly attacks the body’s own blood vessels, causing them to become inflamed.
Inflammation can damage the blood vessels and lead to a number of serious complications.
Vasculitis can affect any of the body’s blood vessels. When a blood vessel becomes inflamed,
it can narrow, making it more difficult for blood to get through, close of completely so that blood
can’t get through at all, or, in rare cases, stretch and weaken so much that it bulges and may
possibly burst. The disruption in blood flow from inflammation can damage the body’s organs.
Specific signs and symptoms depend on which organ has been damaged and the extent of the
damage. Typical signs and symptoms of inflammation (fever, swelling and a general sense of
feeling ill) are common among people with vasculitis.
vagina — The muscular tube in a woman that extends from the cervix to the outside of the body.
Its walls are lined with mucus membranes and tiny glands that make vaginal secretions. It is
sometimes called the birth canal.
varicocele — varicose veins in the scrotum. Varicoceles may be linked to male infertility and
should be checked by a doctor.
varicose veins — varicose veins are swollen veins that are visible just under the surface of the
skin. They appear most commonly in the legs, but also can develop in other parts of the body.
Veins have one-way valves that help to keep the blood flowing toward the heart. When the
valves don’t work well, blood backs up and pools in the veins. This causes the veins to swell
and become varicose veins. Varicose veins usually don’t cause medical problems. On
occasion, they require treatment for pain, skin problems, blood clots, or other complications.
People may choose to cosmetic treatment to improve the appearance of varicose veins.
ventricular septal defect (VSD) — a hole in the wall that separates the lower chambers of the
heart. The heart has four chambers, two upper chambers called atria and two lower chambers
called ventricles. The wall between the ventricles is call the ventricular septum. In the normal
heart, the septum prevents blood from flowing directly from one ventricle to the other. In a heart
with a VSD, blood can flow directly between the two ventricles and cause congestive heart failure.
viruses — small microscopic organisms that often cause disease.
void — to urinate or empty the bladder.
voyeurism — looking at sexual acts or naked people, often without their knowledge.
vulva — opening to the vagina.
W
wheezing — breathing with difficulty, with a whistling noise. Wheezing is a symptom of asthma.
X — no entries
Y
yeast infections — a common infection in women caused by an overgrowth of the fungus
Candida. It is normal to have some yeast in your vagina, but sometimes it can overgrow
because of hormonal changes in your body, such as during pregnancy, or from taking certain
medications, such as antibiotics. Symptoms include itching, burning, and irritation of the vagina;
pain when urinating or with intercourse; and cottage cheese-looking vaginal discharge.
Z — no entries
U
ultrasound — a painless, harmless test that uses sound waves to produce images of the
organs and structures of the body on a screen. Also called sonography.
umbilical cord — connected to the placenta and provides the transfer of nutrients and waste
between the woman and the fetus.
unsaturated fat -- fat that is usually liquid at room and refrigerator temperatures. Unsaturated
fat occurs in vegetable oils, most nuts, olives, avocados, and fatty fish, such as salmon. There
are types of unsaturated fat—monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. When used instead of
saturated fat, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats help lower blood cholesterol levels.
Monounsaturated fat is found in greatest amounts in foods from plants, including olive, canola,
sunflower, and peanut oils. Polyunsaturated fat is found in greatest amounts in foods from
plants, including safflower, sunflower, corn, soybean, and cottonseed oils, and many kinds of
nuts. A type of polyunsaturated fat is called omega-3 fatty acids, which are being studied to see
if they help guard against heart disease. Good sources of omega-3 fatty acids are some fatty
fish, such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel.
ureters — the tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder.
urethra — the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body.
urethritis — inflammation of the urethra.
urinalysis — a test that looks at urine to find out its content. Can be used to detect some types
of diseases.
urinary tract infection — Also called UTI. An infection anywhere in the urinary tract, or organs
that collect and store urine and release it from your body (the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and
urethra). An infection occurs when microorganisms, usually bacteria from the digestive tract,
cling to the urethra (opening to the urinary tract) and begin to multiply.
urine — liquid waste filtered from the blood by the kidneys, stored in the bladder, and expelled
from the body through the urethra by the act of voiding or urinating.
uterine contractions — During the birthing process, a woman's uterus tightens, or contracts.
Contractions can be strong and regular (meaning that they can happen every 5 minutes, every 3
minutes, and so on) during labor until the baby is delivered. Women can have contractions
before labor starts; these are not regular and do not progress, or increase in intensity or
duration.
uterine fibroids — common, benign (noncancerous) tumors that grow in the muscle of the
uterus, or womb. Fibroids often cause no symptoms and need no treatment, and they usually
shrink after menopause. But sometimes fibroids cause heavy bleeding or pain, and require
treatment.
uterus — a woman's womb, or the hollow, pear-shaped organ located in a woman's lower
abdomen between the bladder and the rectum.
V
vaccine — medicine that protects the body from the disease.
vasculitis — an inflammation of the blood vessels in the body. In vasculitis, the body’s immune
system mistakenly attacks the body’s own blood vessels, causing them to become inflamed.
Inflammation can damage the blood vessels and lead to a number of serious complications.
Vasculitis can affect any of the body’s blood vessels. When a blood vessel becomes inflamed,
it can narrow, making it more difficult for blood to get through, close of completely so that blood
can’t get through at all, or, in rare cases, stretch and weaken so much that it bulges and may
possibly burst. The disruption in blood flow from inflammation can damage the body’s organs.
Specific signs and symptoms depend on which organ has been damaged and the extent of the
damage. Typical signs and symptoms of inflammation (fever, swelling and a general sense of
feeling ill) are common among people with vasculitis.
vagina — The muscular tube in a woman that extends from the cervix to the outside of the body.
Its walls are lined with mucus membranes and tiny glands that make vaginal secretions. It is
sometimes called the birth canal.
varicocele — varicose veins in the scrotum. Varicoceles may be linked to male infertility and
should be checked by a doctor.
varicose veins — varicose veins are swollen veins that are visible just under the surface of the
skin. They appear most commonly in the legs, but also can develop in other parts of the body.
Veins have one-way valves that help to keep the blood flowing toward the heart. When the
valves don’t work well, blood backs up and pools in the veins. This causes the veins to swell
and become varicose veins. Varicose veins usually don’t cause medical problems. On
occasion, they require treatment for pain, skin problems, blood clots, or other complications.
People may choose to cosmetic treatment to improve the appearance of varicose veins.
ventricular septal defect (VSD) — a hole in the wall that separates the lower chambers of the
heart. The heart has four chambers, two upper chambers called atria and two lower chambers
called ventricles. The wall between the ventricles is call the ventricular septum. In the normal
heart, the septum prevents blood from flowing directly from one ventricle to the other. In a heart
with a VSD, blood can flow directly between the two ventricles and cause congestive heart failure.
viruses — small microscopic organisms that often cause disease.
void — to urinate or empty the bladder.
voyeurism — looking at sexual acts or naked people, often without their knowledge.
vulva — opening to the vagina.
W
wheezing — breathing with difficulty, with a whistling noise. Wheezing is a symptom of asthma.
X — no entries
Y
yeast infections — a common infection in women caused by an overgrowth of the fungus
Candida. It is normal to have some yeast in your vagina, but sometimes it can overgrow
because of hormonal changes in your body, such as during pregnancy, or from taking certain
medications, such as antibiotics. Symptoms include itching, burning, and irritation of the vagina;
pain when urinating or with intercourse; and cottage cheese-looking vaginal discharge.
Z — no entries
| Dr Deborah White Email: drdwhite@healthmeditations.com |
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