Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

High blood cholesterol. This can be sporadic (occurring with no family history) or familial. Hypercholesterolemia is one form of hyperlipidemia. Familial hypercholesterolemia is the most common inherited type of hyperlipidemia (high fat or lipid levels in blood). It predisposes to premature arteriosclerosis including coronary artery disease with heart attacks at an unusually young age. About half of men and a third of women suffer a heart attack by age 60. Persons…

A higher-than-normal level of calcium in the blood. Hypercalcemia can be a result of malignancy, elevated parathyroid gland activity (hyperparathyroidism), or other conditions. It can cause a number of nonspecific symptoms, including loss of appetite, nausea, thirst, fatigue, muscle weakness, restlessness, and confusion. An elevated level of calcium may cause muscle weakness and constipation, affect the conduction of electrical impulses…

An elevated level of the pigment bilirubin in the blood. A sufficient elevation of bilirubin produces jaundice. Some degree of hyperbilirubinemia is very common right after birth, especially in premature babies. Treatment of hyperbilirubinemia in the newborn involves exposure of the skin to special lights and removal of serum from the blood and replacing with solutions free of…

Hyperbaric chamber: a pressurized chamber used to deliver high-pressure oxygen therapy. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) involves breathing pure oxygen in a closed environment in which the air pressure is 1.5 to 3 times greater than normal air pressure. The entire body is placed inside a hyperbaric chamber for HBOT. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is the accepted treatment for decompression sickness that can occur following scuba…

Pertaining to gas pressures greater than 1 atmosphere* of pressure. Also pertaining to solutions that are more dense than the medium to which they are added. The term “hyperbaric” is derived from Greek roots: “hyper-” meaning high, beyond, excessive, above normal + “baros” meaning weight. Hyperbaric oxygenation is an increased amount of oxygen in organs and tissues…

Overproduction of the hormone aldosterone from the outer portion (cortex) of the adrenal gland or a tumor containing that type of tissue. Excess aldosterone (pronounced al-do-ster-one) results in low potassium levels (hypokalemia), underacidity of the body (alkalosis), muscle weakness, excess thirst (polydipsia), excess urination (polyuria), and high blood pressure (hypertension). Also called aldosteronism and Conn’s syndrome.

Excess hormone called “cortisol”. Often called Cushing’s syndrome, it is an extremely complex condition that involves many areas of the body. It results from an excess of cortisol and its effects on the human body. Common symptoms are thinning of the skin, weakness, weight gain, bruising, hypertension, diabetes, weak bones (osteoporosis), facial puffiness, and in women cessation…

A higher than normal level of activity. An organ can be described as hyperactive if it is more active than usual. Behavior can also be hyperactive. People who are hyperactive always seem to be in motion. They can’t sit still; they may dash around or talk incessantly. Sitting still through a lesson can be an…

Prefix meaning high, beyond, excessive, or above normal, as in hyperglycemia (high sugar in the blood) and hypercalcemia (high calcium in the blood). The opposite of hyper- is hypo-.

A thin membrane that may completely or partially cover the vaginal opening before first sexual intercourse but that usually disappears before puberty.