Headache (Mild) Glossary of Terms

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

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

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

Anxiety: A feeling of apprehension and fear, characterized by physical symptoms such as pa...

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...

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

Benzodiazepines: A class of drugs that act as tranquilizers and are commonly used in the t...

Binge drinking: The dangerous practice of consuming large quantities of alcoholic beverag...

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

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...

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

Carbon monoxide poisoning: A potentially deadly condition caused by breathing carbon monox...

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

Cirrhosis: Liver disease characterized by irreversible scarring. Alcohol and viral hepatit...

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...

Compression: 1. The act of pressing together. As in a compression fracture, nerve c...

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

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

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...

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

FDA: Food and Drug Administration.

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

Food and Drug Administration: An agency within the US Public Health Service that provides ...

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

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

Heart disease: Any disorder that affects the heart. Sometimes the term "heart disease" is ...

Hepatitis: Inflammation of the liver, irrespective of the cause. Hepatitis is caused by a ...

Herbal: 1. An adjective, referring to herbs, as in an herbal tea.
2. A...

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

Homeopathic: Pertaining to homeopathy.

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

Indicate: In medicine, to make a treatment or procedure advisable because of a particular ...

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...

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

Kidney: One of a pair of organs located in the right and left side of the abdomen. The kid...

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

Meditation: A typically self-directed practice for relaxing the body and calming the mind....

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

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

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...

Mouth: 1. The upper opening of the digestive tract, beginning with the lips and con...

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

Muscular: Having to do with the muscles. Also, endowed with above average muscle developme...

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...

Neck pain: Neck pain is the sensation of discomfort in the neck area. Neck pain can result...

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

Nicotine: An alkaloid (a nitrogen-containing chemical) made by the tobacco plant or produc...

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

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

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

Poisoning: Taking a substance that is injurious to health or can cause death. Poisoning i...

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

Pregnant: The state of carrying a developing fetus within the body.

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

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

Rebound: The reversal of response upon withdrawal of a stimulus.

Recurrent: Appearing or occurring again. For example, a recurrent fever is a fever that ha...

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

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

Sodium: The major positive ion (cation) in the fluid surrounding cells in the body. The ch...

Spasm: A brief, automatic jerking movement. A muscle spasm can be quite painful, with the ...

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

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...

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

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

TMJ: Temporomandibular joint.

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

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

Tylenol: See: Acetaminophen.

Ulcer: A lesion that is eroding away the skin or mucous membrane. Ulcers can have various ...

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