Digestion & Elimination Glossary
A
Anus (AY-nus): The anus is the opening where your bowel movements (also known as poop) come out. In other words, it's the hole in your bottom.
B
Borborygmus (bor-buh-RIG-mis): How do you know it's lunchtime? Your stomach just made a growling sound called borborygmus. That's because when the muscles in your digestive system move food, liquid, and gas through your stomach and small intestine, it produces a rumbling sound. Borborygmus can happen anytime, but is louder and happens more often when you're hungry because your stomach is empty. Growl!
Bowels (BOW-uls): Bowels are your intestines, and bowel movements are the stuff that's in them (otherwise known as poop). It might sound yucky, but your bowels have an important waste-removing job!
C
Constipation (kon-stuh-PAY-shun): Sometimes your bowel movements — you know, the stuff inside your intestines we call poop — might be hard and dry. Yeah, it's kind of gross, but it can also be bad for you if this happens too much. One way to fight constipation is to eat more fiber (found in fruits and vegetables and other stuff), and drink more water and juice. Tell your parents if your poop is hard and dry, you have trouble pushing it out, or you don't poop very often. They can take you to a doctor who can help.
D
Diarrhea (dy-uh-REE-uh): If you've ever had a bad time in the bathroom, then you know what this is. Diarrhea happens when there's too much water in your bowel movements. With diarrhea, you have to go to the bathroom a lot and your poop is runny and watery.
E
Encopresis (en-kuh-PREE-sis): Kids with encopresis have a bowel problem that dulls the normal urge to use the bathroom and they can't control the accidents that follow. When a kid is very constipated, some liquid stuff that seems like diarrhea might leak around the hard poop that hasn't come out yet. Treating constipation will make encopresis better.
Enuresis (en-yuh-REE-sis): Enuresis is the fancy name for pee accidents. It can mean accidents that happen in the day or night, but most of the time enuresis refers to wetting the bed while sleeping. Not many kids talk about it, but many kids do it. The good news is that some kids will stop wetting the bed without any special treatment. Others may need to train their bodies to hold the pee longer and can get encouragement from a chart that tracks their dry nights.
Esophagus (ih-SOF-eh-guss): This part of the digestive system is like a stretchy pipe that's about 10 inches (25 centimeters) long. It moves food from the back of your throat to your stomach.
F
Fiber (FY-bur): Foods with fiber are really good for you and your bowels! Fiber is found in plants and can't be digested, so it helps clean out your intestines by moving bowel movements (also called poop) along.
It's important to eat some fiber every day. Foods that are naturally high in fiber include:
- whole grains, such as 100% whole-wheat bread, brown rice, and oatmeal
- cooked dried beans, such as black beans, lentils, and split peas
- fruit and vegetables
- nuts and seeds
For healthy, fiber-full snack options, try:
- air-popped popcorn
- yogurt, cereal, or oatmeal topped with fruit and nuts
G
Gastric Juices (GAS-trik JOOS-es): You don't drink these juices with your breakfast! These juices are in the stomach, and their job is to begin breaking down food after you've swallowed it so it can be digested.
Gastritis (gas-TRY-tuss): Gastritis is irritation and swelling of the stomach lining. Some medicines, smoking, alcohol, certain diseases, and some infections cause gastritis. It can cause stomachaches or nausea, or even make you throw up.
GERD: GERD stands for gastroesophageal (gass-troh-eh-soff-eh-JEE-el) reflux (REE-fluks) disease. Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) is when food and acid from the stomach go back up into the esophagus. This causes an uncomfortable feeling in the chest, often called heartburn. Reflux that happens a lot and causes problems like poor growth, vomiting, or damage to the esophagus is called GERD. It's more serious than GER and is usually treated with medicine.
I
Ileus (ill-EE-us): Your intestines have an important job. They break down food and help your body get the nutrition and water it needs. An ileus is when the intestines stop working and don't move food, fluid, and gas the way they are supposed to. It can happen as a side effect of surgery or be caused by illness or an injury.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (EAR-it-uh-bul BOW-ul SIN-drum): When you don't get enough sleep, you might feel irritable. But did you know that some kids have intestines that get irritable? This can happen when the muscles in the large intestine have trouble doing their job. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can cause cramps, gas, and bloating in the belly. It also can make kids have to poop a lot (diarrhea) or have trouble pooping (constipation).
J
Jaundice (JON-diss): To understand jaundice, there's another word you need to know: bilirubin (bih-lee-ROO-bin). Bilirubin comes from the normal breakdown of red blood cells. Usually, your liver does a great job of getting rid of bilirubin. But sometimes the liver can't break down the bilirubin fast enough. When that happens, a person gets jaundice. Doctors can tell when people have jaundice because the whites of their eyes and even their skin look yellow.
K
Kidneys (KID-nees): The kidneys are a pair of organs on either side of your spine, just below the ribcage. They filter waste materials out of the blood. The waste passes out of your body as pee. Kidneys make important hormones and regulate blood pressure and the levels of water, salts, and minerals in the body. Kidney damage can happen in someone who has had diabetes for many years, especially if their diabetes isn't controlled.
L
Laxatives (LAK-suh-tivs): Laxatives are medicines that help you out when your bowels aren't moving. This is called constipation (kon-stuh-PAY-shun). Constipation can be bad for your body, so a doctor may tell you to take a laxative to move things along.
M
Mucus (MYOO-kus): When you think of mucus, you might think of snot, which is that sticky stuff inside your nose. But that's only part of the story. You'll also find mucus in your mouth, lungs, stomach, and intestines. Wherever you find mucus, it protects and lubricates mucous membranes in your body.
N
Nausea (NAW-zee-uh): "Ooh, I'm sick to my stomach!" is another way of putting it. Nausea is the feeling you get when you feel like you're going to puke (throw up).
P
Peritonitis (pare-eh-teh-NY-tis): When you get a stomachache, it might be an actual problem right in your stomach, but not necessarily. The problem could be in your abdomen. Your abdomen is more than your stomach and more than your intestines. It's the whole area between your chest and your hipbones. Peritonitis is when the tissue that covers the inside wall of the abdomen gets swollen and irritated, usually due to an infection. Appendicitis can cause peritonitis if it isn't treated before the appendix bursts.
Perspiration (pur-spuh-RAY-shun): Perspiration is another name for sweat, the stuff that comes out of your skin through tiny holes called pores. Perspiration — which is mostly water — is how your body keeps you cool when you get hot from exercise or hot weather. So next time you sweat, don't sweat it! It's just your body's way of chillin' you out.
R
Rotavirus (RO-tuh-vy-rus): Have you ever had bad diarrhea or thrown up a lot? Then you might have had rotavirus. This is a very contagious virus that affects the digestive system. Most cases of rotavirus happen in babies or young kids. There is a vaccine for rotavirus that babies now get to protect them.
U
Urinary Tract Infection/UTI (YUR-ih-nair-ee TRAKT in-FEK-shun): The urinary tract includes the kidneys, ureter, bladder, and urethra. The kidneys make pee, then the ureter carries the pee to the bladder, where it is stored. The urethra carries pee out of the body when you pee. A urinary tract infection (UTI) is when one of these parts (usually the bladder) gets infected.
You might have a UTI if it hurts to pee, you have to pee a lot, your pee looks cloudy or bloody, or your pee smells bad. You also may have a fever, lower belly pain, or back pain. Kids with UTIs usually take antibiotics to get better.
Urine (YOOR-in): The kidneys remove waste from the blood and make urine, also called pee. Urine is mostly water, so if you don't take in a lot of fluids (or if you sweat a lot), your urine has less water in it and it looks darker. If you drink lots of fluids, the extra fluid comes out in your pee, which looks lighter. Urine is stored in the bladder until it's peed out.
Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice,
diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.
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