| Term |
Synonyms |
Definition |
| U-100 |
|
Unit of insulin. U-100 insulin means 100 units of insulin per milliliter or cubic centimeter of solution. |
| Ulcer |
|
An open sore on the skin or a mucous membrane. |
| Ulcerative colitis |
|
A disease characterized by inflammation of the lining of the colon and rectum. |
| Ulna |
|
Larger of the two bones in the forearm. |
| Ultralente Insulin |
|
A type of insulin that is long acting. |
| Ultrasonography |
|
A diagnostic technique in which high-frequency sound waves are bounced off tissues inside the body and converts the echoes into pictures. Tissues of different densities reflect sound waves differently. |
| Ultrasound |
|
Sound waves of a frequency beyond human hearing; a device that can detect echoes and produce an image for diagnostic purposes. |
| Ultrasound scanning |
|
An imaging procedure used to examine internal organs in which high-frequency sound waves are passed into the body, reflected back, and used to build an image; also sometimes called sonography. |
| Ultraviolet light |
|
A form of invisible light in sunlight that is responsible for the tanning and burning of skin and can cause cataracts and skin cancer. |
| Ultraviolet radiation |
|
Invisible rays that are part of the energy that comes from the sun. Ultraviolet radiation can burn the skin and cause skin cancer. It is made up of two types of rays, UVA and UVB. UVB rays are more likely than UVA rays to cause
sunburn, but UVA rays pass further into the skin. Scientists have long thought that UVB radiation can cause melamona and other types of skin cancer. They now think that UVA radiation also may add to skin damage that can lead to cancer. For this reason,
skin specialists recommend that people use sunscreens that block both kinds of radiation. |
| Umbel |
|
Umbrella-like; a flower where the petioles all arise from the top of the stem. |
| Umbilical artery |
|
One of (normally) two high-pressure, narrow-calibre, blood vessels carrying oxygen-poor blood from the fetus to the placenta, and accompanying a single umbilical vein. |
| Umbilical cord |
|
The structure that transports nutrients and oxygen from the placenta to the fetus and carries fetal waste products away. |
| Umbilical hernia |
|
A bulge caused by stretched tissue around the umbilicus. |
| Umbilicus |
|
The scar formed at the site of attachment of the umbilical cord to the fetus; the navel. |
| Unconsciousness |
|
A temporary or prolonged loss of awareness of self and of surroundings. |
| Undescended testicle |
|
Failure of a testicle to enter the scrotum. |
| Unit of insulin |
|
The basic measure of insulin. U-40 insulin means 40 units of insulin diluted in one milliliter or cubic centimeter (cc) of solution. U-100 insulin means 100 units of insulin per milliliter or cubic centimeter of
solution. |
| Unproven methods |
|
Treatments that use substances or methods of treating disease that have not been shown effective by accepted scientific clinical methods and therefore are not officaly recognised by the medical establishment. |
| Unsaturated fat |
|
A fat or oil found mainly in vegetables; thought to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. |
| Unsealed internal radiation therapy |
|
Internal radiation therapy given by injecting a radioactive substance into the bloodstream or a body cavity. This substance is not sealed in a container. |
| Unstable angina |
|
New or increasing angina. |
| Unstable diabetes |
Brittle diabetes, Labile diabetes |
A type of diabetes in which blood glucose (sugar) levels swings very quickly from high to low and from low to high. |
| Upper GI series |
Barium meal |
X-rays of the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum. The patient swallows barium first. Barium makes the organs show up on x-rays. |
| Urea |
|
Principal waste product in urine; a nitrogen-containing by-product of protein metabolism. |
| Urea breath test |
|
A test used to detect Helicobacter pylori infection. The test measures breath samples for urease, an enzyme H. pylori makes. |
| Uremia |
|
Buildup of urea in the bloodstream. |
| Ureter |
|
Tube that carries urine from the kidney to the bladder. |
| Urethra |
|
Tube draining the bladder to outside the body; in the male, this canal is also the passage for semen. |
| Urethral stenosis |
|
Narrowing of the anatomical tube which drains the urinary bladder. |
| Urethritis |
|
An inflammation of the urethra. |
| Urethrocele |
|
A bulging of the urethra into the vagina. |
| Urethrocystitis |
|
An inflammation of the urethra and the bladder. |
| Uric acid |
|
A by-product of purine metabolism related to the development of gout. |
| Urinalysis |
|
A test that determines the content of the urine. |
| Urination |
|
Act of voiding urine. |
| Urinary diversion |
|
An operation to allow urine passage when the bladder or urethra has become blocked or been removed. |
| Urinary incontinence |
|
The involuntary release of urine because of the inability to control bladder muscles; may occur as a natural part of the aging process or be caused by an injury or disorder. |
| Urinary tract |
|
The organs of the body that produce and discharge urine. These include the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra. |
| Urinary tract infection |
|
Refers to an infection anywhere in the whole length of the urinary system from the kidneys, through their collecting channels, the ureters, bladder and urethra. |
| Urination |
|
Act of voiding urine. |
| Urine |
|
Fluid waste produced in the kidneys, stored in the bladder, and released through the urethra. |
| Uroflowmetry |
|
Measurement of pressures generated in the bladder during voiding. |
| Urologist |
|
A doctor who specializes in diseases of the urinary organs in females and the urinary and sex organs in males. |
| Urticaria |
Welts, Nettle rash |
See Hives. |
| Uterine |
|
Pertaining to the uterus. |
| Uterine boarders |
|
The edges of the uterus, felt through the woman's abdomen. |
| Uterine inversion |
|
A turning inside out of the uterus after delivery. |
| Uterine prolapse |
|
A condition in which the uterus moves downward into the vagina due to a weakness. |
| Uterine rupture |
|
A tearing of the wall of the uterus during pregnancy or labor. |
| Uterus |
|
The female organ in which the unborn baby develops; pear-shaped, muscular organ sometimes known as the womb. |
| Uvea |
|
Layer of the eye beneath the sclera, consisting of the iris, ciliary body and choroid. The visible pigments in the eye are seen in the uvea. |
| Uveitis |
|
An inflammation of the uvea. |
| Uvula |
|
Pendulous tissue at the back of the palate. |
