Clinical Definition Ulcerative colitis is a common and chronic gastrointestinal disorder classified as an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The other common type of IBD is Crohns disease. In IBD, the immune system is thought to have an abnormal response to food, bacteria and other materials in the intestine, mistaking them for foreign substances and attacking…
Unstable Angina
Clinical Definition Unstable angina is a cardiac condition, causing acute chest pain. The chest pain occurs due to decreased blood flow to the myocardium. The most common underlying cause of unstable angina is atherosclerosis. Unstable angina characteristically does not have a pattern and may occur without physical exertion. In Our Own Words Unstable angina is…
Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome
Clinical Definition Upper airway resistance syndrome is a sleep breathing disorder in which resistance to airflow in the upper airway occurs and causes increased workload and frequent respiratory effort-related arousals. It is also one cause of daytime somnolence. Unlike obstructive sleep apnea, it does not cause periods of hypoxia or apnea. In Our Own Words…
Urethra
Clinical Definition The urethra is the tube that transports urine (and semen, in males) out of the body. The urethra begins at the bladder in men and extends through the prostate gland, perineum and the length of the penis. In females, the urethral length is shorter and extends from the bladder to just in front…
Urethritis
Clinical Definition Urethritis is inflammation and swelling of the urethra, a tube that transports urine from the bladder to outside the body. In men, the urethra carries urine from the bladder to the penis to void urine. In women, the urethra’s opening is in front of the vagina. The urethra can become inflamed due to…
Urgent Care
Clinical Definition Urgent care is a category of medical services intended to treat acute and chronic medical problems. Considered ambulatory care, it is delivered on a walk-in basis. It differs from an emergency room in the seriousness of illnesses, injuries and conditions treated. Staff in the urgent care setting treat patients who require immediate medical…
Urticaria
Clinical Definition Urticaria, commonly called hives, is a vascular reaction to histamine in the upper dermis layers characterized by itching and patches of dermis that are redder than surrounding tissue. In Our Own Words Urticaria is commonly known as hives. Hives are itchy, raised, red splotches caused by a reaction to histamine, which the body…
Uterine Polyps
Clinical Definition Uterine polyps are growths that occur in the endometrium, or the inner lining of the uterus, formed by the overgrowth of endometrial tissues. Hormones and estrogen level variations may be involved in their growth. In Our Own Words Uterine polyps are growths in the inner lining of the uterus. While the exact cause…
Uterus
Clinical Definition The uterus, or womb, is the female organ that carries the fetus. When a woman becomes pregnant, fertilization normally takes place in the fallopian tube; next the fused egg and sperm travel to the lining of the uterus, implant and grow. Menstruation is the monthly shedding of the uterine lining; the monthly flow…