disease - intestines

Coronary Artery Disease

interferon - a group of proteins with a carbohydrate component, which is produced by different cell types in response to an exposure of a virus, bacterium, or parasite, that prevents replication (of the virus, bacterium, or parasite) in newly infected cells.

interstitial cystitis - a long-lasting condition also known as painful bladder syndrome or frequency-urgency-dysuria syndrome. The wall of the bladder becomes inflamed or irritated, which affects the amount of urine the bladder can hold and causes scarring, stiffening, and bleeding in the bladder.

intestines - also known as the bowels, or the long, tube-like organ in the human body that completes digestion or the breaking down of food. They consist of the small intestine and the large intestine.

intimidation - To make someone fearful in order to make them do what another person wants them to do.

intrauterine device - a small device that is placed inside a woman's uterus by a health care provider, which prevents pregnancy by changing the environment of the uterus (or womb).

intravenous analgesic - An analgesic is a drug that relieves pain. During labor, a woman can be given pain-relieving drugs intravenously (through a tube inserted into her vein).

inverted nipple - a nipple that retracts, rather than protrudes when the areola is compressed.

ischemia - decrease in the blood supply to a an organ, tissue, or other part caused by the narrowing or blockage of the blood vessels.

jaundice - a yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes, caused by too much bilirubin in the blood. While not a disease, jaundice can signal a liver or gallbladder problem. Newborns can develop jaundice, which is only temporary and goes away.

kidney stones - hard mass developed from crystals that separate from the urine and build up on the inner surfaces of the kidney.

lactation - breastfeeding, or the secretion of breast milk.

lactiferous sinuses - enlarged portion of the mammary or milk duct where breast milk pools during breastfeeding. The sinuses are behind the areola and connect to the nipple.

lactose - a sugar found in milk and milk products like cheese, cream, and butter.

lamaze - a philosophy of giving birth developed by Dr. Ferdinand Lamaze. The goal of Lamaze classes is to increase women's confidence in their ability to give birth. Lamaze classes teach women simple coping strategies for labor, including focused breathing. But Lamaze also teaches that breathing techniques are just one of the many things that help women in labor. Movement, positioning, labor support, massage, relaxation, hydrotherapy and the use of heat and cold are some others.

laxative - medicines that will make you have a bowel movement.

lead - a metal that can make infants and young children sick.

lesion - an infected or diseased area of skin.

let-down reflex, or milk-ejection reflex - A conditioned reflex ejecting milk from the alveoli through the ducts to the sinuses of the breast and the nipple.

libido - sexual drive.

local analgesic - An analgesic is a drug that relieves pain. Pain-relieving drugs can be given to a woman during labor and delivery locally through a needle inserted into a muscle (intra-muscular) or under the skin (subcutaneous).

luteal phase defect - problems with the uterine lining that can affect a woman’s ability to get pregnant and have a successful pregnancy.

luteinizing hormone - a hormone that triggers ovulation and stimulates the corpus luteum (empty follicle) to make progesterone.

Lyme disease - a bacterial illness caused by a bacterium called a "spirochete" that is transmitted to humans from the bite of a deer tick. It can cause abnormalities in the skin, joints, heart and nervous system.

lymph - the almost colorless fluid that travels through the lymphatic system and carries cells that help fight infection and disease. Lymph tissue in the breast helps remove waste.