Glossary

The part of the body below the lungs and above the pelvis (hips).

Abdominal pain
Pain in the region of the stomach and bowels: also known as stomach ache, belly ache, a sore tummy, gut pain, abdominal cramps, and many other terms.

Abdominal cramps
Cramps, or spasms with acute pain, in the region of the stomach and bowels.

Acute
Lasting for a short time.

Analgesic
Pain relieving medication.

Antispasmodic
Medication that relieved gastro-intestinal muscle cramps, especially in the abdomen.

Bile
A liquid produced in the liver that helps digest food, in particular fats.

Bloating
Swelling of the abdomen.

Chronic
Lasting for a long time or returning.

Colon
The large intestine or bowel: the organ at the end of the digestive tract.

Constipation
A person is constipated when he/she has less than three bowel movements a week; has to strain severely in order to defecate; produces hard stools; produces less than 30 g (one ounce) of stool with each bowel movement.

Diarrhoea
Passing loose or watery stools.

Digestive juices
Acids, enzymes and other chemicals produced by the body to break down the food we eat into nutrients that can be absorbed and used.

Digestive tract
The series of organs from the mouth to the anus that have the function of digesting food.

Duboisia
A native Australian rainforest tree; also known as Corkwood. Scientific name: Duboisia myoporoides, family Solanaceae.

Dysmenorrhoea
Pain before or during menstruation resulting from cramps of the uterus, colon and small intestine.

Dyspepsia
Pain caused by stomach acid going up into the oesophagus; also known as heartburn or indigestion.

Enzyme
A special chemical substance (protein) that breaks down large molecules into smaller molecules, aiding digestion.

Fever
Normal body temperature for a healthy adult lies between 36° and 38° Celsius ( 96.8° and 100.4° Fahrenheit). Body temperature above 38° C (100.4° F) is considered to be fever.

Flatulence
Producing too much gas in the digestive process; gas (methane and carbon dioxide) are by-products of the body's natural digestive process.

Gastritis
An inflammation of the lining of the stomach.

Hyoscine butylbromide
The active ingredient in Buscopan^® IBS Relief derived from natural hyoscine extracted from the leaves of the Australian plant Duboisia. Hyoscine butylbromide is chemically known as a methylatropine quaternary ammonium.

IBS - Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Disorder of the digestive system that is characterized by a group of symptoms: crampy abdominal pain, bloating, and constipation often alternating with diarrhoea. This diagnosis can only be given after your doctor has tested you for any other probable cause of abdominal pain.

Lactose
A special type of sugar found in milk.

Menstruation
The monthly shedding of the lining of the uterus in non-pregnant women between puberty and menopause.

Neurotransmitter
A chemical that passes electrical impulses from the end of one nerve to the next.

Smooth muscle
A special type of muscle that is found in several organs. In the digestive tract it forms the outer walls of the digestive tract.

Spasm
An involuntary and abnormal contraction of a muscle.

Stool
A piece of faeces; the waste that remains after food has been digested, pushed out of the rectum when we go to the toilet.

Uterus
Also known as the womb; the organ in which babies develop before birth .