home>English Dictionary of Medical Terms>H>41

English Dictionary of Medical Terms (41)

Go to the previous part of the dictionary

No:800 - hyperpyrexia

exceptionally high fever either in comparison of the fever usually accompanying a particular disease or absolutely (as in heat stroke).

No:801 - hyperreflexia

(hyper- + reflex + -ia) exaggeration of reflexes.

No:802 - hypersecretion

excessive secretion.

No:803 - hypersensitivity

a state of altered reactivity in which the body reacts with an exaggerated immune response to a foreign substance. Hypersensitivity reactions are classified as immediate or delayed, types I and IV, respectively, in the Gell and Coombs classification (q.v.) of immune responses.

No:804 - hyperstimulation

excessive stimulation.

No:805 - hypertension

(hyper- + tension) persistently high arterial blood pressure. Various criteria for its threshold have been suggested, ranging from 140 mm. Hg systolic and 90 mm. Hg diastolic to as high as 200 mm. Hg systolic and 110 mm. Hg diastolic. Hypertension may have no known cause (essential or idiopathic h.) or be associated with other primary diseases (secondary h.).

No:806 - hyperthermia

(hyper- + Gr. therm heat + -ia) abnormally high body temperature, especially that induced for therapeutic purposes.

No:807 - hyperthyroidism

1. excessive functional activity of the thyroid gland. 2. the abnormal condition resulting from hyperthyroidism marked by increased metabolic rate, enlargement of the thyroid gland, rapid heart rate, high blood pressure, and various secondary symptoms.

No:808 - hypertonia

or hypertony n, pl. hypertonias or hypertonies : hypertonicity. n. Pathology: increased rigidity, tension and spasticity of the muscles.

No:809 - hypertrichosis

(hyper + Gr. thrix hair + -osis) excessive growth of the hair. Called also polytrichia and polytrichosis. Cf. hirsutism.

No:810 - hypertrophy

(hyper- + Gr. troph) nutrition) the enlargement or overgrowth of an organ or part due to an increase in size of its constituent cells. Cf. hyperplasia.

No:811 - hyperuricaemia

excess of uric acid or urates in the blood; it is a prerequisite for the development or gout and may lead to renal disease. Called also uricacidaemia and, formerly, lithemia.

No:812 - hyperventilation

a state in which there is an increased amount of air entering the pulmonary alveoli (increased alveolar ventilation), resulting in reduction of carbon dioxide tension and eventually leading to alkalosis.

No:813 - hypervitaminosis

a condition due to ingestion of an excess of one or more vitamins; called also supervitaminosis.

No:814 - hypervolaemia

(hyper- + volume + Gr. haima blood + -ia) abnormal increase in the volume of circulating fluid (plasma) in the body.

No:815 - hypnotic

(Gr. hypnotikos) a drug that acts to induce sleep.

No:816 - hypoacusis or hypacusis

(hypo- Gr. akousis hearing) slightly diminished auditory sensitivity, with hearing threshold levels above the normal limit so that the impairment is measurable in decibels.

No:817 - hypochondriasis

(so called because it was supposed by the ancients to be due to disturbed function of the organs of the upper abdomen) (DSM III-R) a mental disorder characterized by a preoccupation with bodily functions and the interpretation of normal sensations (such as heart beats, sweating, peristaltic action, and bowel movements) or minor abnormalities (such as a runny nose, minor aches and pains, or slightly swollen lymph nodes) as indications of highly disturbing problems needing medical attention. Negative results of diagnostic evaluations and reassurance by physicians only increase the patient's anxious concern about his health, and the patient continues to seek medical attention. Called also hypochondriacal neurosis.

No:818 - hypodermic

(hypo- + Gr. derma skin) applied or administered beneath the skin.

No:819 - hypoglycaemia

(hypo- + Gr. glykys sweet + haima blood + -ia) an abnormally diminished concentration of glucose in the blood, which may lead to tremulousness, cold sweat, piloerection, hypothermia, and headache, accompanied by irritability, confusion, hallucinations, bizarre behaviour, and ultimately, convulsions and coma.

Go to the next part of the dictionary

home>English Dictionary of Medical Terms>H>41