Health Tips

Amenorrhoea: Complete absence or stoppage of periods

Angina: A disease marked by brief attacks of chest pain

Anovulation: Failure to ovulate

Benign: Not cancer (non-cancerous)

Bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy: The removal of both fallopian tubes and both ovaries

Bioidentical hormone therapy: Some women visit alternative medicine doctors and get a prescription for natural products, which are made from different plant hormones that are like those in a woman’s body. Each prescription is hand-mixed, and the dose can vary from patient to patient

Biopsy: A minor surgical procedure for which a small tissue specimen is removed and examined for the presence of disease

Bladder: A sac-like organ in the pelvic region where urine is stored before it leaves the body

Cancer: A disease of the body’s cells. Cells become abnormal and grow out of control. They can also spread to other parts of the body

Cardiovascular disease: (CVD) disorders of the heart and circulatory system

CAT scan: A special kind of body imaging that is processed by a computer and displayed on a screen for viewing

Cervix: The lower, narrow end of the uterus

Chronic condition: A condition that lasts or keeps coming back over a long period of time

Corpus luteum: The sac remaining after an ovarian follicle has burst

Cystectomy: Surgical removal of an ovarian cyst, usually done along with laparoscopy (see “Laparoscopy”).

D & C (dilation and curettage): A surgical procedure that involves opening the cervix and scraping the uterine lining (endometrium)

Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT): Blockage of a blood vessel caused by a blood clot

Dysfunctional uterine bleeding: Abnormal uterine bleeding that’s not associated with a tumor, inflammation, or pregnancy

Dysplasia: The growth of abnormal cells. Dysplasia is a precancerous condition that may or may not turn into cancer at a later time

Early Menopause: Menopause, whether naturally or induced, that comes before the average age of normal menopause, when in your 20’s, 30’s, or early 40’s. Also called premature menopause

Embryo: The developing fertilized egg from the time of fertilization until organ development is complete

Endometrial ablation: A surgical procedure in which lasers and electrical currents are used to remove the endometrium

Endometrial biopsy: A sample of endometrial tissue is removed and examined for abnormal cells (See “Biopsy”)

Endometriosis: A condition in which the same kind of tissue that lines the walls of the uterus grows outside the uterus in the pelvic cavity or some other area of the body
Endometrium: The tissues lining the uterus that’s produced every month and shed during menstrual cycle

Estrogen Replacement Therapy (ERT): The use of estrogen alone for the treatment of menopausal symptoms and prevention of some long-term effects of menopause
Estrogen: A hormone produced in the ovaries affecting the growth and health of female reproductive functions and organs

Fallopian tubes: Tubes located on either side of the uterus that carry eggs from the ovary to the uterus

Fertilization: The moment at which sperm penetrates an egg and a baby begins to grow

Fibroids: Non-cancerous growths that occur most often in the walls of the uterus

Follicle: A fluid-filled area in the ovaries that grows in every menstrual cycle and produces a mature egg capable of fertilization

Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH): Produced by the pituitary gland and acts on the ovaries to stimulate follicle growth

Gamete: A sperm or an egg

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH): A hormone produced by the hypothalamus that stimulates the pituitary gland to produce FSH. Sometimes prescribed to shrink fibroid tumors

Hormone: A chemical produced by the body that regulates certain bodily functions

Human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG): A hormone similar to LH used to stimulate ovulation during fertility drug treatments. It’s produced in large amounts during pregnancy and is the basis of pregnancy tests

Human menopausal gonadotrophin (hMG): A hormone extracted from the urine of post-menopausal women that contains FSH and LH and is given by injection to induce ovulation

Hyperplasia: An overgrowth of the uterine lining, probably caused by excess estrogen. This is sometimes considered to be a precancerous condition, particularly in women who are near or through menopause

Hysterectomy: Surgical removal of the uterus. Sometimes, the cervix and/or ovaries and fallopian tubes are also removed

Hysteroscope: A thin, lighted tube that is inserted into the vagina to examine the cervix and inside of the uterus

HDL: High density lipoprotein cholesterol, the “good” cholesterol thought to have a cleansing effect in the bloodstream

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): The use of estrogen combined with progestin for the treatment of menopausal symptoms and prevention of some long-term effects of menopause

LDL: Low density lipoprotein cholesterol, the “bad” cholesterol believed to be linked to fat accumulation in the arteries

Kegel exercises: Special exercises to tighten the pelvic muscles. Method used to treat uterine prolapse and urinary incontinence (losing urine when you don’t want to)

Laparoscopy: A surgical procedure that allows the doctor to look inside the pelvic cavity by inserting a tube-like instrument through a small cut in the abdomen

Leiomyoma: The technical term for a fibroid tumor

Ligaments: A band of tissue that can stretch and that supports other parts of the body

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): An imaging technique that allows the soft tissues of the body to be seen

Menopause: The time when a woman stops having her period (menstruating)

Menstrual cycle: The 4-week period each month when an egg develops in the ovary, the lining of the uterus thickens, and the egg is released. If the egg is not fertilized, the cycle is completed when the lining of the uterus is shed through menstruation

Menstruation: The shedding of the lining of the uterus that occurs each month when a woman doesn’t become pregnant. A woman’s “period”

Myometrium: The wall of the womb

Myomectomy: An operation to remove fibroid tumors

Occult ovarian failure: Term describes a lesser form of partial ovarian failure whereby the serum FSH concentration is raised but menstrual cycles persist

Oophorectomy: Surgical removal of an ovary

Oral contraceptives: Pills which usually consist of synthetic estrogen and progesterone that are taken for three weeks after the last day of a menstrual period. They inhibit ovulation, thereby preventing pregnancy

Osteoporosis: A disease in which bones become thin, weak and are easily fractured

Ovaries: Small organs that produce hormones, such as estrogen, and eggs. One ovary is located on each side of the uterus

PAP test: A painless procedure in which cells are removed from the cervix during a vaginal exam, placed on a slide, and examined through a microscope to look for cancer or precancerous conditions
Parathyroid: Glands in the neck which produce a hormone that affects calcium metabolism

Perimenopause: The time around menopause, usually beginning 3 to 5 years before the final period

Phytoestrogens: Estrogen-like substances from a plant. Sources include soy, herbs such as black cohosh, a member of the buttercup family, wild yam, dong quai, and Valerian root

Pituitary: A gland at the base of the brain that releases FSH and LH as well as other hormones

Premature menopause: See Early menopause

Progesterone: The hormone that prepares the lining of the uterus (endometrium) to receive a fertilized egg

Progestin: The synthetic form of progesterone

Prolapse: A prolapse womb is one which has sunk into the vagina because the supporting structures have weakened.

Reproductive system: The organs of the body that allow a woman to become pregnant and carry and give birth. These include the uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries, and vagina

Sexually transmitted disease (STD): A disease that can be given from one person to another during sexual contact; for example, syphilis, gonorrhea, or AIDS

Sonogram: An imaging procedure in which echoes from sound waves passing through tissues create pictures of structures deep within the body

Speculum: A metal or plastic instrument the doctor inserts into the vagina to help examine the vagina and cervix

Uterus: The organ where babies grow; the womb

Urinary incontinence: Loss of bladder control

Vagina: The tube-like opening leading away from the uterus to the outside of the body

Vasectomy: In males, the surgical removal of part of the sperm duct to induce infertility

Vasomotor: Menopausal symptoms such as night sweats and hot flushes

Womb: Another name for the uterus