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May 25, 2013


Migraine Headache Glossary of Terms

The following are health and medical definitions of terms that appear in the Migraine Headache article.

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

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

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Acetaminophen: A nonaspirin pain reliever or analgesic. Acetaminophen may be given alone t...

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

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

Antihistamines: Drugs that combat the histamine released during an allergic reaction by bl...

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

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

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

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Biofeedback: A method of treatment that uses a monitor to measure patients' physiologic in...

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Birth control: Birth control is the use of any practices, methods, or devices to prevent p...

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Blind: 1. Unable to see. Without part or all of the sense of sight.
2....

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

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Botox: A highly purified preparation of botulinum toxin A, a toxin produced by the bacteri...

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Botulinum toxin: A toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum that is th...

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

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Caffeine: A stimulant compound found naturally in coffee, tea, cocoa (chocolate), and kola...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Dopamine: An important neurotransmitter (messenger) in the brain.

Elavil: See: Amitriptyline.

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

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Estrogen: A female steroid hormone that is produced by the ovaries and, in lesser amounts,...

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Fatigue: A condition characterized by a lessened capacity for work and reduced efficiency ...

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FDA: Food and Drug Administration.

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

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

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High blood pressure: A repeatedly elevated blood pressure exceeding 140 over 90 mmHg. Chro...

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

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

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

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Imitrex: Brand name for sumatriptan, a triptan drug for the treatment of migraine.

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

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

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Liver: The largest solid organ in the body, situated in the upper part of the abdomen on t...

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

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

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Meningitis: Inflammation of the meninges, the three membranes that envelop the brain and t...

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Menstruation: The periodic blood that flows as a discharge from the uterus. Also called me...

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

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Migraine aura: A sensory phenomenon that may occur before a migraine. Visual auras may inc...

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

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Migraineur: A person who has migraine headache. Borrowed from the French.

Motor: Something that produces or refers to motion. For example, a motor neuron is a nerve...

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MRI: Magnetic resonance imaging.

Muscle: Muscle is the tissue of the body which primarily functions as a source of power. T...

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Narcotic: 1. A drug that causes insensibility or stupor. A narcotic induces narcosi...

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Nasal: Having to do with the nose.

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

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Neck: The part of the body joining the head to the shoulders. Also, any narrow or constric...

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Neuralgia: Pain along the course of a nerve.

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

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

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

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Paralysis: Loss of voluntary movement (motor function). Paralysis that affects only one mu...

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Pharmacist: A professional who fills prescriptions and, in the case of a compounding pharm...

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

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Prescription: A physician's order for the preparation and administration of a drug or dev...

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

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

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

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

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Seizure: Uncontrolled electrical activity in the brain, which may produce a physical conv...

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

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Sensory: Relating to sensation, to the perception of a stimulus, to the voyage made by inc...

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

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Sleep: The body's rest cycle.

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

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

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

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Stomach: The digestive organ that is located in the upper abdomen, under the ribs. The upp...

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Stress: In a medical or biological context stress is a physical, mental, or emotional fact...

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

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

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

Taste: A perception that results from stimulation of a gustatory nerve. Taste belongs to t...

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

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

Thigh: The thick, muscular portion of the leg that extends from the hip to the knee. The t...

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Tongue: A strong muscle that is anchored to the floor of the mouth. The tongue is covered ...

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Toxin: A poison produced by certain animals, plants, or bacteria.

Trauma: A physical or emotional injury.

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

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

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

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Tylenol: See: Acetaminophen.

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

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Vascular headache: A group of headaches felt to involve abnormal sensitivity of the blood ...

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

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

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Vomit: Matter from the stomach that has come up into and may be ejected beyond the mouth, ...

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

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Zomig: Brand name for zolmitriptan, a triptan drug for the treatment of migraine.

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