Labyrinthitis Glossary of Terms

1. Balance Disorders Slideshow
2. Take the Vertigo Quiz
3. Tinnitus Slideshow: Why Are My Ears Ringing?

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

Alcohol abuse: Use of alcoholic beverages to excess, either on individual occasions (binge...

Antibiotic: A drug used to treat infections caused by bacteria and other microorganisms. ...

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

Bacterial: Of or pertaining to bacteria, as in a bacterial lung infection.

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

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

Brainstem: The lowest part of the brain which merges with the spinal cord and provides the...

Cochlea: The cochlea is the part of the inner ear that converts mechanical energy (vibrati...

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

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

Dizziness: Painless head discomfort with many possible causes including disturbances of ...

Ear: The hearing organ. There are three sections of the ear, according to the anatomy tex...

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

ENT: 1. Abbreviation for ears, nose and throat. A field of medicine also called ot...

ENT physician: A medical specialist who is concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of ...

Fever: Although a fever technically is any body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degr...

Flu: Short for influenza. The flu is caused by viruses that infect the respiratory tract w...

Gait: A manner of walking. Observation of gait can provide early diagnostic clues for a nu...

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

Immune: Protected against infection, usually by the presence of antibodies.

Immune response: Any reaction by the immune system. For example, poison ivy can cause an i...

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...

Inner ear: A highly complex structure whose essential component for hearing is the membran...

Labyrinth: The maze of canals in the inner ear. The delicate membranous canals of the laby...

Labyrinthitis: Inflammation of the labyrinth of the ear, which can be accompanied by verti...

Leg: In popular usage, the part of the body from the top of the thigh down to the foot, an...

Lethargy: Abnormal drowsiness, stupor.

Middle ear: A part of the ear that consists of the eardrum (tympanic membrane) and, beyond...

Motion sickness: A disorder of the sense of balance and equilibrium and, hence, the sense ...

MRI: Magnetic resonance imaging.

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...

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

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

Numb: Numb, or numbness is a loss of the sensation of feeling in an area of the body. Numb...

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

Pediatrics: The field of medicine that is concerned with the health of infants, children, ...

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

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

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

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

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

Temple: The area just behind and to the side of the forehead and the eye, above the side o...

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

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

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

Tinnitus: Ringing in the ears. Tinnitus has many causes, including some medications (inclu...

Trauma: A physical or emotional injury.

Trigger: Something that either sets off a disease in people who are genetically predispose...

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

Vertigo: Aside from being the name of a classic 1958 Alfred Hitchcock film (with Jimmy St...

Vestibular: 1) Having to do with a structure that is a vestibule (entrance), such as the...

Vestibule: In medicine and dentistry, a space or cavity at the entrance to a canal, channe...

Viral: Of or pertaining to a virus. For example, if a person has a viral rash, the rash wa...

Viruses: Small living particles that can infect cells and change how the cells function. I...