Floaters Glossary of Terms

1. Eye Diseases and Conditions Slideshow Pictures
2. Pink Eye Slideshow Pictures
3. Laser Eye Surgery Slideshow Pictures

Abnormal: Outside the expected norm, or uncharacteristic of a particular patient.

Absorb: 1. To take something in, as through the skin or the intestine.
2....

Adult-onset diabetes: Type 2 diabetes. See also Diabetes, type 2.

Anesthetic: A substance that causes lack of feeling or awareness, dulling pain to permit s...

Angiography: A procedure performed to view blood vessels after injecting them with a radio...

Anterior: The front, as opposed to the posterior. The anterior surface of the heart is tow...

Anticoagulant: An agent that is used to prevent the formation of blood clots. Anticoagulan...

Arthritis: Inflammation of a joint. When joints are inflamed they can develop stiffness, w...

Aspirin: Once the Bayer trademark for acetylsalicylic acid, now the common name for this a...

Benign: Not malignant. A benign tumor is one that does not invade surrounding tissue or sp...

Biotechnology: The fusion of biology and technology, the application of biological techniq...

Blindness: Loss of useful sight. Blindness can be temporary or permanent. Damage to any p...

Blood pressure: The blood pressure is the pressure of the blood within the arteries. It is...

Blood sugar: Blood glucose. See also: High blood sugar; Low blood sugar.

Blurred vision: Lack of sharpness of vision with, as a result, the inability to see fine d...

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

Breech: The buttocks.

Cascade: A sequence of successive activation reactions involving enzymes (enzyme cascade) ...

Cataract: A clouding or loss of transparency of the lens in the eye as a result of tissu...

Chemotherapy: 1. In the original sense, a chemical that binds to and specifically k...

Clinical trials: Trials to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of medications or medical...

Complication: In medicine, an unanticipated problem that arises following, and is a result...

Compress: Cloth or another material applied under pressure to an area of the skin and held...

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

Cornea: The clear front window of the eye, which transmits and focuses light into the eye....

Cryotherapy: Literally, "cold therapy." Cryotherapy, sometimes referred to as cryosurgery,...

Deep vein thrombosis: A blood clot within a deep vein, typically in the thigh or leg. The ...

Diabetes: Refers to diabetes mellitus or, less often, to diabetes insipidus. Diabetes mell...

Diabetes mellitus: Better known just as "diabetes" -- a chronic disease associated with ab...

Diabetic eye disease: 1. A disease of the small blood vessels of the retina of the ...

Diabetic retinopathy: Disease of the retina caused by diabetes that involves damage to the...

Diagnosis: 1 The nature of a disease; the identification of an illness. 2 A ...

Dilation: The process of enlargement, stretching, or expansion. The word "dilatation" mean...

Discharge: 1.The flow of fluid from part of the body, such as from the nose or vag...

Elective: In medicine, something chosen (elected). An elective procedure is one that is ch...

Embolism: The obstruction of a blood vessel by a foreign substance or a blood clot that tr...

Enzyme: A protein (or protein-based molecule) that speeds up a chemical reaction in a livi...

Essential: In medicine, of unknown cause, as in essential hypertension (high blood pressur...

Etiology: The study of causes, as in the causes of a disease. The form aetiology is genera...

Family practice: The medical specialty which provides continuing and comprehensive health ...

Floater: A blurry spot that seems to drift in front of the eyes but does not block vision....

Fluorescein angiography: A test to examine blood vessels in the retina, choroid, and iris ...

Forceps: An instrument that has two blades and a handle and is used for handling, grasping...

Glaucoma: A common eye condition in which the fluid pressure inside the eyes rises becaus...

Heart: The muscle that pumps blood received from veins into arteries throughout the body. ...

Heart attack: The death of heart muscle due to the loss of blood supply. The loss of bloo...

Hemorrhage: Bleeding or the abnormal flow of blood.

Hemorrhagic: Pertaining to bleeding or the abnormal flow of blood.

Hyaluronic acid: A viscous slippery substance that lubricates the joints, maintains the sh...

Ibuprofen: A nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that is commonly used to treat pa...

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

Inflammation: A localized reaction that produces redness, warmth, swelling, and pain as a ...

Injury: Harm or hurt. To harm, hurt, or wound. The word injure may be in physical or emot...

Internist: A physician who specializes in the diagnosis and medical treatment of adults. T...

Intervention: The act of intervening, interfering or interceding with the intent of modify...

Intraocular: In the eye. For example, intraocular pressure is the pressure within the eye....

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

Juncture: In anatomy, a place where two or more structures join; a joint. From the Latin j...

Labor: Childbirth, the process of delivering a baby and the placenta, membranes, and umbil...

Laser: A powerful beam of light that is used in some types of surgery to cut or destroy ti...

Laser surgery: A type of surgery that uses the cutting power of a laser beam to make blood...

Lens: The transparent structure inside the eye that focuses light rays onto the retina.

Lubricant: An oily or slippery substance. A vaginal lubricant may be helpful for women who...

Macula: A macula is a small spot. A macula on the skin is a small flat spot while the macu...

Macular: Pertaining to the macula. A macula is a small spot. A macula on the skin is a s...

Macular degeneration: A disease that progressively destroys the macula, the central porti...

Medical school: A school with a curriculum leading to a medical degree. The mission of eve...

Microscope: An optical instrument that augments the power of the eye to see small objects....

Molecular biology: The study of biology on a molecular level including the structure, func...

Morbidity: Illness, disease.

Myopia: Nearsightedness, the ability to see close objects more clearly than distant objec...

Nearsightedness: The ability to see near objects more clearly than distant objects. Also ...

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

NSAID: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, a medication that is commonly prescribed or pu...

Ocular: Having to do with the eye.

Onset: In medicine, the first appearance of the signs or symptoms of an illness as, for ex...

Operating room: A facility that is equipped for performing surgery. Abbreviated OR.

Ophthalmologist: A physician who practices ophthalmology.

Ophthalmology: The art and science of eye ?medicine.

Ophthalmoscope: A lighted instrument that is used to examine the inside of the eye, includ...

Optic: Having to do with vision.

Optic nerve: The optic nerve connects the eye to the brain. The optic nerve carries the...

Optic nerve head: The circular area in the back of the inside of the eye where the optic n...

Optometrist: A practitioner who provides primary eye and vision care, performs eye examina...

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

Panic: A sudden strong feeling of fear that prevents reasonable thought or action. The wor...

Parasitic: Having to do with a parasite, as in a parasitic infection; or acting like a par...

Pathologic: 1. Indicative of or caused by disease, as in a pathologic fracture, pat...

PDR: Physicians' Desk Reference (please see entry to Physicians' Desk Reference). PDR less...

Peripheral: Situated away from the center, as opposed to centrally located.

Peripheral vision: Side vision. The ability to see objects and movement outside of the di...

Photocoagulation: The coagulation (clotting) of tissue using a laser which produces light ...

Photophobia: Painful oversensitivity to light. For example, photophobia is often seen in m...

Posterior: The back or behind, as opposed to the anterior.

Postoperative: After surgery. As opposed to preoperative, before surgery.

Pregnancy: The state of carrying a developing embryo or fetus within the female body. Thi...

Prognosis: The forecast of the probable outcome or course of a disease; the patient's chan...

Progressive: Increasing in scope or severity, advancing, or going forward. For example, a ...

Proliferative: Growing and increasing in number rapidly.

Prospective: Looking forward. A prospective study or a prospective clinical trial is one i...

Protein: One of the three nutrients used as energy sources (calories) by the body. Protein...

Pulmonary: Having to do with the lungs.

Pulmonary embolism: Sudden closure of a pulmonary artery or one of its branches, caused by...

Randomized: The use of chance alone to assign the participants in an experiment or trial t...

Recalcitrant: Stubborn. For example, a recalcitrant case of pneumonia stubbornly resists t...

Red eye: Also called conjunctivitis. Redness or irritation of the conjunctivae, the membra...

Referral: The recommendation of a medical or paramedical professional. If you get a refer...

Regimen: A plan or a regulated course, such as a diet, exercise, or treatment, that is des...

Regress: To return or go back, particularly to return to a pattern of behavior or level of...

Resolution: In genetics, the degree of molecular detail on a physical map of DNA. Resoluti...

Retina: The retina is the nerve layer that lines the back of the eye, senses light, and c...

Retinal: Pertaining to the retina, the extraordinary layer of neurons (nerve cells) that ...

Retinal detachment: A separation of the retina from its connection at the back of the eye....

Retinal disease: In medicine, called retinopathy. See: Retinopathy.

Retinopathy: Any disease of the retina, the light-sensitive membrane at the back of the ey...

Rheumatoid arthritis: An autoimmune disease characterized by chronic inflammation of joint...

Sclera: The tough white outer coat over the eyeball that covers approximately the posterio...

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

Stage: As regards cancer, the extent of a cancer, especially whether the disease has spre...

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

Surgeon: A physician who treats disease, injury, or deformity via operative or manual meth...

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

Symptom: Any subjective evidence of disease. In contrast, a sign is objective. Blood comin...

Symptomatic: 1 With symptoms, as a symptomatic infection. 2 Characteristic o...

Systemic: Affecting the entire body. A systemic disease such as diabetes can affect the wh...

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

Therapeutic: Relating to therapeutics, the branch of medicine that is concerned specifical...

Therapy: The treatment of disease. Therapy is synonymous with treatment.

Thrombosis: The formation or presence of a blood clot in a blood vessel. The vessel may be...

Tobacco: A South American herb (Nicotiana tabacum) whose leaves contain 2 to 8 percent nic...

Tomography: The process for generating a tomogram, a two-dimensional image of a slice or s...

Tonometry: A standard eye test that is done to determine the fluid pressure inside the eye...

Traction: In medicine, a procedure for manually pulling a part of the body to a beneficia...

Trauma: A physical or emotional injury.

Trimester: In obstetrics, one of the three divisions of three months each during pregnancy...

Uveitis: Inflammation of the uvea. Uveitis is a serious form of eye inflammation and requi...

Vein: A blood vessel that carries blood that is low in oxygen content from the body back t...

Vessel: A tube in the body that carries fluids. Examples of vessels are blood vessels and ...

Visual acuity: The clarity or clearness of vision, a measure of how well a person sees.

Visual field: The entire area that can be seen when the eye is directed forward, including...

Vital: Necessary to maintain life. For example, breathing is a vital function.

Vitrectomy: Removal of the gel (called the vitreous) from within the eyeball. This may be ...

Vitreous: A clear, jelly-like substance that fills the middle of the eye. Also called the ...

Warfarin: An anticoagulant drug (brand names: Coumarin, Panwarfin, Sofarin) taken to prev...