Antidepressants, Tricyclic Health Article

KEY TERMS

Asthma—A disease in which the air passages of the lungs become inflamed and narrowed.

Bulimia—An eating disorder in which a person binges on food and then induces vomiting, uses laxatives, or goes without food for some time.

Chronic—A word used to describe a long-lasting condition. Chronic conditions often develop gradually and involve slow changes.

Delusion—An abnormal mental state characterized by the acceptance of something as true that is actually false or unreal, such as the belief that one is Jesus Christ.

Depression—A mental condition in which a person feels extremely sad and loses interest in life. A person with depression may also have sleep problems and loss of appetite and may have trouble concentrating and carrying out everyday activities.

Glaucoma—A condition in which pressure in the eye is abnormally high. If not treated, glaucoma may lead to blindness.

Hallucination—A false or distorted perception of objects, sounds, or events that seems real. Hallucinations usually result from drugs or mental disorders.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder—An anxiety disorder in which a person cannot prevent himself from dwelling on unwanted thoughts, acting on urges, or performing repetitious rituals, such as washing his hands or checking to make sure he turned off the lights.

Panic disorder—An disorder in which a person has sudden and intense attacks of anxiety in certain situations. Symptoms such as shortness of breath, sweating, dizziness, chest pain, and extreme fear often accompany the attacks.

Prostate—A donut-shaped gland in males below the bladder that contributes to the production of semen.

Schizophrenia—A severe mental disorder in which a person loses touch with reality and may have illogical thoughts, delusions, hallucinations, behavioral problems and other disturbances.

Seizure—A sudden attack, spasm, or convulsion.

Serotonin—A natural chemical found in the brain and other parts of the body, that carries signals between nerve cells.

Withdrawal symptoms—A group of physical or mental symptoms that may occur when a person suddenly stops using a drug to which he or she has become dependent.