Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

The most common type of vascular headache involving abnormal sensitivity of arteries in the brain to various triggers resulting in rapid changes in the artery size due to spasm (constriction). Other arteries in the brain and scalp then open (dilate), and throbbing pain is perceived in the head. The tendency to migraine is inherited and appears to involve serotonin, a…

Usually, periodic attacks of headaches on one or both sides of the head. These may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, increased sensitivity of the eyes to light (photophobia), increased sensitivity to sound (phonophobia), dizziness, blurred vision, cognitive disturbances, and other symptoms. Some migraines do not include headache, and migraines may or may not be preceded by an aura.

The French abortion pill, also known as RU-486. RU-486 has been used in combination with another drug called misoprostol, to terminate pregnancy at an early stage. It is used with women who are no more than 7 weeks pregnant. The drug has 95% effectiveness. About 5% of women using RU-486 in early pregnancies need additional medical intervention…

A trained person who assists women during childbirth. Many midwives also provide prenatal care for pregnant women, birth education for women and their partners, and care for mothers and newborn babies after the birth. Depending on local law, midwives may deliver babies in the mother’s home, in a birthing center or clinic, or in a hospital. Most…

Midnight disease has also been called the hypergraphia. The driving compulsion to write; the overwhelming urge to write. Hypergraphia may compel someone to keep a voluminous journal, to jot off frequent letters to the editor, to write on toilet paper if nothing else is available, and perhaps even to compile a dictionary. Hypergraphia is the opposite of writer’s…

A very small person (or thing). Midget is a picturesque but somewhat disparaging term. It is the diminutive of midge (the insect), and who wants to be a mini-midge? A more correct term today for a very small person is dwarf or little person. The notion that a midget is (as some dictionaries state) a “normal dwarf, a person…

Urination; the act of urinating.

Pertaining to the microvasculature, the portion of the vasculature of the body consisting of the smaller vessels, those with an internal diameter of at most 100 microns. In contrast to macrovascular.

The examination of minute objects by means of a microscope, an instrument which provides an enlarged image of an object not visible with the naked eye. Aside from the usual microscopy, there are various special types of microscopy including, for example: The word “microscopy” comes from Greek roots: mikros, small + skopeo, to view = to view…

The study of normal structure of an organism under the microscope. Known among medical students simply as ‘micro.’ Also known as histology.