Become familiar with some terms below:
biliary atresia - condition present from birth in which the bile ducts inside or outside the liver do not have normal openings. Bile becomes trapped in the liver, causing jaundice and cirrhosis. Without surgery, the condition may cause death.
biliary stricture - narrowing of the biliary tract from scar tissue. The scar tissue may result from injury, disease, pancreatitis, infection, or gallstones. See also stricture.
biliary tract - gallbladder and the bile ducts. Also called biliary system or biliary tree.
bilirubin - substance formed when hemoglobin breaks down. Bilirubin gives bile its color. Bilirubin is normally passed in stool. Too much bilirubin causes jaundice.
bismuth subsalicylate - nonprescription medicine used to treat diarrhea, heartburn, indigestion, and nausea; also part of the treatment for ulcers caused by the bacterium Helicobacter pylori.
bloating - fullness or swelling in the abdomen that often occurs after meals.
borborygmi - rumbling sounds caused by gas moving through the intestines (stomach "growling").
bowel - another word for the small and large intestines.
