Migraine Headaches, Vision Effects Glossary of Terms

1. A Visual Guide to Migraine Headaches Slideshow Pictures
2. Headache and Migraine Triggers Slideshow Pictures
3. Take the Migraines Quiz

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

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

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...

Angiogram: An X-ray image of blood vessels. The vessels can be seen because a contrast dye...

Anorexia: An eating disorder characterized by markedly reduced appetite or total aversion...

Aphasia: Literally, no speech. Aphasia may also be used to describe defects in spoken expr...

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

Aspartame: A man-made sweetener with almost no calories used in place of sugar.

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

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

Back pain: Pain felt in the low or upper back. Causes of pain in the low and upper back in...

Bilateral: Affecting both sides. For example, bilateral arthritis affects joints on both t...

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

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...

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...

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

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

Cell: The basic structural and functional unit of any living thing. Each cell is a small c...

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...

Computed tomography: An x-ray procedure that uses the help of a computer to produce a deta...

Conjunctival: Pertaining to the conjunctiva, the clear moist membrane that covers the inne...

Constipation: Infrequent and frequently incomplete bowel movements. Constipation is the op...

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

Contraction: The tightening and shortening of a muscle.

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

Depression: An illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts and that affects the way...

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

Diarrhea: A common condition that involves unusually frequent and liquid bowel movements. ...

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

Elavil: See: Amitriptyline.

Endoscopy: Examination of the inside of the body by using a lighted, flexible instrument c...

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

Family history: The family structure and relationships within the family, including inform...

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

Giant cell arteritis: A serious disease characterized by inflammation of the walls of the ...

Glutamate: A form of glutamic acid. See: Glutamic acid.

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

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

Heart rate: The number of heartbeats per unit of time, usually per minute. The heart rate ...

Hemiparesis: Weakness on one side of the body.

Hemorrhage: Bleeding or the abnormal flow of blood.

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

Hormone: A chemical substance produced in the body that controls and regulates the activit...

Hormone therapy: Treatment of disease or symptoms with synthetic or naturally derived horm...

Horner syndrome: A condition resulting from interruption of the sympathetic nerve pathways...

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

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...

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

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

Laboratory: A place for doing tests and research procedures, and for preparing chemicals a...

Lethargy: Abnormal drowsiness, stupor.

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...

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

Menstrual: Pertaining to menstruation (the menses), as in last menstrual period, menstrua...

Menstrual cramps: Cramping in the lower abdomen, usually in the first or second day of the...

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

Metabolic: Relating to metabolism, the whole range of biochemical processes that occur wit...

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

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

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

Migraine without aura: See: Common migraine.

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

Monosodium glutamate: MSG, a sodium salt of the amino acid glutamic acid that enhances the...

Morphine: A powerful narcotic agent that has strong analgesic (pain relief) action and oth...

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

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

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

Naprelan: See: Naproxen.

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

Nasal: Having to do with the nose.

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

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

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

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...

Ocular: Having to do with the eye.

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

Ophthalmology: The art and science of eye ?medicine.

Ovulation: The release of the ripe egg (ovum) from the ovary. The egg is released when the...

Oxycodone: Oxycodone is the active ingredient in OxyContin. Oxycodone is an opioid, a clos...

OxyContin: A prescription painkiller that has become a popular and dangerous recreational ...

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

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

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

Polyuria: The excessive passage of urine (at least 2.5 liters per day for an adult) result...

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...

Puberty: Adolescence, the period in which the human body first becomes capable of reproduc...

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

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

Saccharin: An artificial sweetener which diluted in water is 200-700 times sweeter than th...

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...

Sensitivity: 1. In psychology, the quality of being sensitive. As, for example, sen...

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

Sleep: The body's rest cycle.

Spinal cord: The major column of nerve tissue that is connected to the brain and lies with...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Trauma: A physical or emotional injury.

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

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 ...

Tunnel vision: Loss of peripheral vision with retention of central vision, resulting in a ...

Tylenol: See: Acetaminophen.

Vasodilators: Agents that act as blood vessel dilators (vasodilators) and open vessels by ...

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

X-ray: High-energy radiation with waves shorter than those of visible light. X-ray is used...

Yogurt: A common dish made of milk curdled and fermented with a culture of Lactobacillus (...

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

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