Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

Literally, underbreathing. Breathing that is shallower or slower than normal. Hypopnea is distinct from apnea in which there is no breathing. Hypopnea comes from the Greek roots hypo- (meaning low, under, beneath, down, below normal) and pnoe (meaning breathing).

Underdevelopment or incomplete development of a tissue or an organ. For example, hypoplasia of the enamel of the teeth indicates that the enamel coating is thinner than normal or missing in some but not all areas. Hypoplasia is less drastic than aplasia, where there is no development of a tissue or an organ at all.

A lower-than-normal level of phosphate in the blood. Hypophosphatemia can be associated with a number of conditions including bone diseases and hormone conditions. Symptoms occur only when hypophosphatemia is very severe and include muscle weakness that may progress to coma and death.

Underfunction of the parathyroid glands with deficient production of the hormone parathormone which leads to low blood calcium (hypocalcemia). The parathyroid glands are located adjacent to the thyroid gland. They may be missing due to a birth defect, impaired by autoimmune disease, or surgically removed during thyroid surgery. Treatment is with oral calcium supplements and oral vitamin D. Oral vitamin D increases the…

Low sodium in the blood. Hyponatremia can be caused by many conditions and when severe can lead to confusion and seizures.

Abnormally poor memory of the past. As compared to hypermnesia and amnesia. From hypo- + the Greek mneme, memory.

A condition similar to mania but less severe. The symptoms are similar with elevated mood, increased activity, decreased need for sleep, grandiosity, racing thoughts, and the like. However, hypomanic episodes differ in that they do not cause significant distress or impair one’s work, family, or social life in an obvious way while manic episodes do. Hypomanic people tend to…

Low magnesium in the blood, which can occur due to inadequate intake or impaired intestinal absorption of magnesium. Hypomagnesemia is often associated with low calcium (hypocalcemia) and low potassium (hypokalemia). It causes increased irritability of the nervous system with tetany (spasms of the hands and feet, musculartwitching and cramps, spasm of the larynx, and overly active reflexes).

Low blood potassium. Potassium is the major positive ion (cation) found inside of cells. The chemical notation for potassium is K+. The proper level of potassium is essential for normal cell function. An abnormal decrease (or increase) of potassium can profoundly affect the nervous system and heart, and when extreme, can be fatal. The normal blood potassium level…

A condition in which decreased production of gonadal hormones leads to below-normal function of the gonads and to retardation of sexual growth and development in children. (The gonads are the ovaries and testes and the hormones they normally produce include estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.)