Cluster Headache Glossary of Terms

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Abortive: Tending to cut short the course of a disease, as in abortive polio (polio cut sh...

Acupuncture: The practice of inserting needles into the body to reduce pain or induce anes...

Amitriptyline: An antidepressant medication. In some patients with depression, abnormal l...

Antidepressant: Anything, and especially a drug, used to prevent or treat depression.

Antidepressants: Anything, and especially a drug, used to prevent or treat depression.

Atypical: Unusual, or not fitting a single diagnostic
category.

Aura: A sensation perceived by a patient that precedes a condition affecting the brain. An...

Brain: The portion of the central nervous system that is located within the skull. It func...

Brain tumor: A benign or malignant growth in the brain. Primary brain tumors initially for...

Calcium: A mineral found mainly in the hard part of bones, where it is stored. Calcium is ...

Cavernous sinus: A large channel of venous blood creating a "sinus" cavity bordered by the...

Chronic: In medicine, lasting a long time. A chronic condition is one that lasts 3 months ...

Cluster: In epidemiology, an aggregation of cases of a disease or another health-related c...

Cluster headache: A distinctive episodic syndrome of headaches. The most common cluster he...

Consultant: An individual to whom one refers for expert advice or services. The use of con...

Contrast: Short for "contrast media." Contrast media are X-ray dyes used to provide contra...

CT scan: Computerized tomography scan. Pictures of structures within the body created by a...

Dehydration: Excessive loss of body water. Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract that ca...

Emergency department: The department of a hospital responsible for the provision of medica...

Eyelid: The lid or cover of the eye, a movable fold of skin and muscle that can be closed ...

Headache: A pain in the head with the pain being above the eyes or the ears, behind the he...

Hemorrhage: Bleeding or the abnormal flow of blood.

Histamine: A substance that plays a major role in many allergic reactions, dilating blood ...

Histamine cephalalgia: A distinctive syndrome of headaches, also known as cluster head...

Hypothalamus: The area of the brain that secretes substances that influence pituitary and ...

Infection: The invasion and multiplication of microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, an...

JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association. JAMA began publication in 1883. It ...

Jaw: The movable junction of the bones below the mouth (the mandible) and the bone just ab...

Joint: The area where two bones are attached for the purpose of permitting body parts to m...

Lumbar: Referring to the five lumbar vertebrae, the disks below them, and the correspondin...

Lumbar puncture: A procedure in which cerebrospinal fluid is removed from the spinal canal...

Malnutrition: A term used to refer to any condition in which the body does not receive eno...

Migraine: Usually, periodic attacks of headaches on one or both sides of the head. These ...

Migraine headache: The most common type of vascular headache involving abnormal sensitivit...

MRI: Magnetic resonance imaging.

Nasal: Having to do with the nose.

Nausea: Stomach queasiness, the urge to vomit. Nausea can be brought on by many causes, in...

Nerve: A bundle of fibers that uses electrical and chemical signals to transmit sensory an...

Neuralgia: Pain along the course of a nerve.

Neurological: Having to do with the nerves or the nervous system as, for example, a neurol...

Neurologist: A physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of th...

Neurology: The medical specialty concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of disorders o...

Neuromuscular: Pertaining to both nerves and muscles, as in neuromuscular blockade by an a...

Nose: The external midline projection from the face. The purpose of the nose is to warm, c...

Oxygen: The odorless gas that is present in the air and necessary to maintain life. Oxygen...

Pain: An unpleasant sensation that can range from mild, localized discomfort to agony. Pa...

Pain management: The process of providing medical care that alleviates or reduces pain. Mi...

Pharmacy: A location where prescription medications are sold. A pharmacy is constantly sup...

Pupil: The opening of the iris. The pupil may appear to open (dilate) and close (constrict...

Reuptake: The reabsorption of a secreted substance by the cell that originally produced an...

Rule out: Term used in medicine, meaning to eliminate or exclude something from considera...

Runny nose: The production of extra mucus by the nose. Rhinorrhea is the medical term for ...

Scan: As a noun, the data or image obtained from the examination of organs or regions of...

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor: A selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) is...

Sensation: In medicine and physiology, sensation refers to the registration of an incoming...

Serotonin: A neurotransmitter that is involved in the transmission of nerve impulses. Sero...

Sinus: 1. An air-filled cavity in a dense portion of a skull bone. The sinuses decr...

Skull: The skull is a collection of bones which encase the brain and give form to the hea...

Sleep: The body's rest cycle.

Sphenopalatine neuralgia: A distinctive syndrome of headaches, better known today as clust...

Spinal tap: Also known as a lumbar puncture or "LP", a spinal tap is a procedure whereby ...

SSRI: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, one of a family of antidepressant medication...

Stroke: The sudden death of brain cells due to lack of oxygen, caused by blockage of blood...

Subarachnoid: Literally, beneath the arachnoid, the middle of three membranes that cover t...

Subarachnoid hemorrhage: A bleeding into the subarachnoid, the space between the arachnoid...

Sumatriptan: A triptan drug for the treatment of migraine. Marketed under the brand name I...

Surgery: The branch of medicine that employs operations in the treatment of disease or inj...

Sweating: The act of secreting fluid from the skin by the sweat (sudoriferous) glands. The...

Syndrome: A combination of symptoms and signs that together represent a disease process.

Tear: A drop of the salty secretion of the lacrimal glands which serves to moisten the con...

Tension: 1) The pressure within a vessel, such as blood pressure: the pressure within t...

Throat: The throat is the anterior (front) portion of the neck beginning at the back of th...

Tricyclic antidepressants: One of a class of medications used to treat depression. The tri...

Trigeminal nerve: The chief nerve of sensation for the face, which is also the motor nerve...

Trigeminal neuralgia: Also called tic douloureux. Inflammation of the trigeminal nerve (th...

Triptan: A class of drugs introduced in the 1990s for the treatment of migraine that act a...

Tumor: An abnormal mass of tissue. Tumors are a classic sign of inflammation, and can be ...

Vascular: Relating to blood vessels. For example, the vascular system in the body includes...

Zolmitriptan: A triptan drug for the treatment of migraine. Marketed under the brand name ...