Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

A dilated (enlarged) vein in the walls of the anus and sometimes around the rectum, usually caused by untreated constipation but occasionally associated with chronic diarrhea. The symptoms start with bleeding after defecation. If untreated, hemorrhoids can worsen, protruding from the anus. In their worst stage, they must be returned to the anal cavity manually. Fissures can develop, and these…

Pertaining to bleeding or the abnormal flow of blood. The patient may have an internal hemorrhagic problem that is not be visible or the patient may have an external hemorrhagic problem that is therefore visible on the outside of the body. The term “hemorrhagic” comes from the Greek “haima,” blood + rhegnumai,” to break forth = a…

Bleeding or the abnormal flow of blood. A hemorrhage may be “external” and visible on the outside of the body or “internal,” where there is no sign of bleeding outside the body. Bleeding from a cut on the face is an external hemorrhage. Bleeding into the spleen or liver are examples of internal hemorrhage. The term “hemorrhagic” comes from…

Spitting up blood or blood-tinged sputum from the respiratory tract. Hemoptysis occurs when tiny blood vessels that line the lung airways are broken. Hemoptysis can be harmless such as from irritated bronchial tubes with bronchitis, or be serious such as from cancer of the lung.

An abnormal and persistent fear of blood. Sufferers of this very common phobia dread the sight of their own blood, the sight of the blood of another person or an animal, and sometimes printed or filmed images of blood or even thoughts of blood. Blood may remind them of their own vulnerability to injury and…

An inherited disorder in which the ability of blood to clot normally is impaired. There are two types of hemophilia: hemophilia A and hemophilia B.

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a rare, cancer-like disorder in which certain types of immune system cells (histiocytes and lymphocytes) start to proliferate and damage body tissues or organs. It can be an inherited condition, or it can occur as a result of immunosuppression (as in organ transplants) or infection. Most patients are young children; signs and symptoms include Treatment is…

Known also as hereditary spherocytosis (HS), this is a genetic disorder of the red blood cell membrane clinically characterized by anemia, jaundice (yellowing) and splenomegaly (enlargement of the spleen). In HS the red cells are smaller, rounder, and more fragile than normal. The red cells have a spherical rather than the biconcave-disk shape of the normal red cell. These rotund red cells (spherocytes)…

Anemia due to the destruction, rather than underproduction, of red blood cells. Hemolytic anemia can result from a medication reaction, from the immune system attacking the red blood cells (autoimmune hemolytic anemia), from destruction of blood cells passing through diseased heart valves, and other causes.

Referring to hemolysis, the destruction of red blood cells which leads to the release of hemoglobin from within the red blood cells into the blood plasma. Hemolytic anemia, for example, is anemia (“low blood”) due to the destruction (rather than the underproduction) of red blood cells. Etymology: The word “hemolytic” is made up of “hemo-“, blood + “lytic”, the disintegration of cells.