Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

Delirium refers to a state of severe confusion and rapid changes in brain function that comes on suddenly. It can be associated with hallucinations and hyperactivity, and the sufferer is inaccessible to normal contact. Delirium can occur due to a wide variety of causes, including head injury, drug use or withdrawal, poisonings, brain tumors, infections, and metabolic disturbances. A urinary tract infection or pneumonia,…

Inflammation of the prostate gland of sudden (acute) onset due to bacterial infection. The symptoms include chills, fever, pain in the lower back and genital area, body aches, burning or painful urination, and the frequent and urgent need to urinate. The urinary tract is infected, as evidenced by the presence of white blood cells and bacteria in the urine. Treatment is…

Increased pressure in the front chamber (anterior chamber) of the eye due to sudden (acute) blockage of the normal circulation of fluid within the eye. The block takes place at the angle of the anterior chamber- the space at the junction of the cornea with the iris. This angle can be seen by looking at one’s eye from…

Medical shorthand for the acute onset of abdominal pain. A potential medical emergency, an acute abdomen may reflect a major problem with one of the organs in the abdomen, such as appendicitis (inflamed appendix), cholecystitis (inflamed gallbladder), a perforated ulcer in the intestine, or a ruptured spleen.

Of abrupt onset, in reference to a disease. Acute often also connotes an illness that is of short duration, rapidly progressive, and in need of urgent care. “Acute” is a measure of the time scale of a disease and is in contrast to “subacute” and “chronic.” “Subacute” indicates longer duration or less rapid change. “Chronic”…

Mild electrical stimulation of acupuncture points done to control symptoms such as nausea and vomiting.

A person skilled in the practice of acupuncture, who may or may not be credentialed by an accrediting body.

The practice of inserting needles into the body to reduce pain or induce anesthesia. More broadly, acupuncture is a family of procedures involving the stimulation of anatomical locations on or in the skin by a variety of techniques. There are a number of different approaches to diagnosis and treatment in American acupuncture that incorporate medical…

A traditional Chinese medicine bodywork technique based on the principles of acupuncture. Acupressure is the application of pressure rather than needles on specific points on the body to control symptoms such as pain or nausea.

The clearness of vision, a measure of how well one sees.