428 Where There Is No Doctor 2011
Tick A crawling insect-like animal that buries its
head under the skin and sucks blood.
*Topical For the skin. A topical medicine is to be put
on the skin.
*Toxemia See Pre-eclampsia.
Toxic Poisonous.
Tract A system of body organs and parts that work
together to do a special job; for example, the urinary
tract cleans the blood and gets rid of urine.
Traditions Practices, beliefs, or customs handed
down from one generation to another by example or
word of mouth.
Transmit To pass on, transfer, or spread from one
person to another.
Tropical Having to do with the tropics or hot regions
of the world.
Tumor An abnormal mass of tissue without
inflammation. Some tumors are due to cancer.
U
Ulcer A break in the skin or mucus membrane; a
chronic open sore of the skin, the surface of the eye,
the stomach, or gut.
Umbilical cord The cord that connects a baby from
its navel to the placenta on the inside of its mother’s
womb.
Umbilical hernia A large, outward bulge of the
navel caused by a loop of intestine that has pushed
through the sac holding the guts.
Umbilicus See Navel.
Unconsciousness See Loss of consciousness.
Under-Fives Program A plan that helps mothers
learn about their children’s health needs, make
regular visits to a clinic for check-ups, and keep a
record (Child Health Chart) of the growth of their
children under five years old.
Urethra Urinary tube or canal. The tube that runs
from the bladder to the hole a person urinates from.
Urinary tract The system of organs that form and
get rid of urine—such as kidneys, bladder, and
urinary tube (urethra).
Urine Liquid waste from the body; piss; pee.
Uterus Womb.
V
Vaccinations See Immunization.
Vagina The tube or canal that goes from the
opening of the woman’s sex organs to the entrance of
her womb.
Vaginal Of or relating to the vagina.
Varicose veins Abnormally swollen veins, often
lumpy and winding, usually on the legs of older
people, pregnant women, and women who have had
a lot of children.
Vaseline See Petroleum Jelly.
Venereal disease A disease spread by sexual
contact. Now called ‘sexually transmitted infection’
or ‘STI’.
Vessels Tubes. Blood vessels are the veins and
arteries that carry the blood through the body.
Virus Germs smaller than bacteria, which cause
some infectious (easily spread) diseases.
Vitamins Protective foods that our bodies need to
work properly.
Vomiting Throwing up the contents out ot the
stomach through the mouth.
W
Welts Lumps or ridges raised on the body, usually
caused by a blow or an allergy (hives).
Womb The organ inside a woman’s belly where a
baby is made. The uterus.
X
Xerophthalmia Abnormal dryness of the eye due to
lack of vitamin A.