Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Medication Glossary of Terms

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

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

Acetate: A molecular ion derived from acetic acid. The formula of acetate is CH3COO-.

Acne: Localized skin inflammation as a result of overactivity of the oil glands at the ba...

Acute: Of abrupt onset, in reference to a disease. Acute often also connotes an illness th...

Amino acid: One of the20 building blocks from which proteins are assembled. Isoleucine, le...

Amino acids: The building blocks of polypeptides and proteins.

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

Atrophy: A wasting away or diminution. Muscle atrophy is a decrease in muscle mass, often ...

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

Bladder: A hollow organ in the lower abdomen that stores urine. The kidneys filter waste f...

Bladder cancer: A common form of cancer that begins in the lining of the bladder. The most...

Blood count: The calculated number of white or red blood cells (WBCs or RBCs) in a cubic m...

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

Blood-brain barrier: A protective network of blood vessels and cells that filters blood fl...

Bone marrow: The soft blood-forming tissue that fills the cavities of bones and contains f...

Bowel: The small and large intestine.

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

Breastfeeding: Feeding a child human breast milk. According to the American Academy of Ped...

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

Cancer: An abnormal growth of cells which tend to proliferate in an uncontrolled way and, ...

Capsule: Capsule has many meanings in medicine including the following:

1. In medici...

CCR5: A chemokine receptor found on monocytes and lymphocytes that serves as the corecepto...

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 ...

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

Congestive heart failure: Inability of the heart to keep up with the demands on it, with f...

Corticosteroid: Any of the steroid hormones made by the outer portion (cortex) of the adre...

Cough: A rapid expulsion of air from the lungs, typically in order to clear the lung airwa...

Cure: 1. To heal, to make well, to restore to good health. 2. A time withou...

Cushingoid: Having the constellation of symptoms and signs caused by an excess of cortis...

Demyelination: A degenerative process that erodes away the myelin sheath that normally pr...

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

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

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

Diuretic: Something that promotes the formation of urine by the kidney. All diuretics caus...

Dysfunction: Difficult function or abnormal function.

Edema: The swelling of soft tissues as a result of excess fluid accumulation. Edema is oft...

Endocrine: Pertaining to hormones and the glands that make and secrete them into the blood...

Enzymes: Proteins that act as a catalysts in mediating and speeding a specific chemical re...

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

FDA: Food and Drug Administration.

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

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

Fungal: Pertaining to a fungus. For example, a fungal skin infection.

Gene: The basic biological unit of heredity. A segment of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) need...

Genetic: Having to do with genes and genetic
information.

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 failure: Inability of the heart to keep up with the demands on it and, specifically...

Hypertension: High blood pressure, defined as a repeatedly elevated blood pressure exceedi...

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

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

Immune system: A complex system that is responsible for distinguishing a person from every...

Immunity: The condition of being immune. Immunity can be innate'for example, humans are in...

Immunosuppressant: An agent that can suppress or prevent the immune response. Immunosuppre...

Immunosuppression: Suppression of the immune system and its ability to fight infection. Im...

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...

Insomnia: The perception or complaint of inadequate or poor-quality sleep due to a number ...

Insulin: A natural hormone made by the pancreas that controls the level of the sugar gluco...

Interferon: A naturally occurring substance that interferes with the ability of viruses t...

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

Lesion: An area of abnormal tissue change. Lesions vary in severity from harmless to serio...

Limb: An arm or a leg.

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

Lungs: The lungs are a pair of breathing organs located with the chest which remove carbon...

Magnetic resonance imaging: A procedure that uses magnetism, radio waves, and a computer t...

Malignant: 1. Tending to be severe and become progressively worse, as in malignant ...

Marrow: The bone marrow.

Memory: 1. The ability to recover information about past events or knowledge. ...

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

Monoclonal: Derived from a single cell and cells identical to that cell.

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

MRI: Magnetic resonance imaging.

Multiple sclerosis: A disease that is characterized by loss of myelin (demyelinization). A...

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

Myelin: The fatty substance that covers and protects nerves. Myelin is a layered tissue th...

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

Nerve cell: See: Neuron.

Neuritis: Inflammation of nerves. There are many causes of neuritis, including various vir...

Ocular: Having to do with the eye.

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

Optic: Having to do with vision.

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

Osteoporosis: Thinning of the bones, with reduction in bone mass, due to depletion of calc...

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

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

Peptic ulcer: An ulcer in the lining of the stomach, duodenum, or esophagus. Peptic ulcers...

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

Plaque: 1. An semi-hardened accumulation of substances from fluids that bathe an a...

Plasma: The liquid part of the blood and lymphatic fluid, which makes up about half of the...

Plasmapheresis: A procedure in which whole blood is taken from a person and separated into...

Platelet: An irregular, disc-shaped element in the blood that assists in blood clotting....

Polyclonal: Derived from different cells. As opposed to monoclonal.

Potassium: The major positive ion (cation) found inside cells. The chemical notation for p...

Predispose: To make more likely or render susceptible. Smoking predisposes to a number of ...

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...

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

Protease: An enzyme that can split a protein into the peptides from which it was originall...

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

Proteins: Large molecules composed of one or more chains of amino acids in a specific orde...

Psychosis: In the general sense, a mental illness that markedly interferes with a person'...

Relapse: The return of signs and symptoms of a disease after a remission.

Sclerosis: Localized hardening of skin. Sclerosis is generally caused by underlying diseas...

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

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

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

Substance: 1. Material with particular features.
2. The material that...

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

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

Therapeutics: In medicine, the branch that deals specifically with the treatment of diseas...

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

Thyroid: 1. The thyroid gland. Also, pertaining to the thyroid gland. 2. A p...

Titer: The concentration of a substance in a fluid, such as the concentration of an antibo...

Toxicity: The degree to which a substance (a toxin or poison) can harm humans or animals. ...

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

Tuberculosis: A highly contagious infection caused by the bacterium called Mycobacterium ...

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

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

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

Vitamin D: A steroid vitamin which promotes the intestinal absorption and metabolism of ca...

White blood cell: One of the cells the body makes to help fight infections. There are seve...

White blood cell count (leukocyte count): The number of white blood cells (WBCs) in the b...