Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

Bright red blood in the stool, usually from the lower gastrointestinal tract — the colon or rectum — or from hemorrhoids. The term “hematochezia” is rarely used. “Bright red blood in the stool” is more widely used (and understood).

A worm classified as a parasite. (A parasite is a disease-causing organism that lives on or in a human or another animal and derives its nourishment from its host.) Lice are examples of parasites that live on humans; bacteria and viruses are examples of parasites that live either on humans or in humans; helminths are examples of parasites…

A bacterium that causes stomach inflammation (gastritis) and ulcers in the stomach and duodenum. This bacterium is the most common cause of ulcers worldwide. H. pylori infection may be acquired from contaminated food and water or through person-to-person contact. It is common in people who live in crowded conditions with poor sanitation. This bacterium is also believed…

Alternate Arabic term for cupping. The preferred Arabic term for this practice is al-hijamah.

Extreme nervousness. A term coined by the America cartoonist Billy DeBeck (1890-1942) in his comic strip Barney Google.

An abnormal, excessive, and persistent fear of pleasure. Sufferers with this most puritanical of phobias typically feel guilty about experiencing pleasure even though they usually realize rationally there is nothing at all wrong with taking pleasure. Their guilt usually arises from the fact that they are participating a pleasurable activity while others around them or…

Also known as giant cell pneumonia, this is a deadly but fortunately rare complication of measles. It tends to strike children who are immunodeficient as from leukemia or HIV/AIDS. The postmortem examination (autopsy) shows multinucleated giant cells lining the alveoli (air sacs) of the lungs. Named for the early 20th-century Austrian pathologist Victor Hecht.

Heat rash is an irritation of the skin that results from excessive sweating during hot and humid weather. Heat rash appears as clusters of red papules or blisters on the skin. It is more likely to occur on the neck and upper chest, in the groin, under the breasts, and in elbow creases. Children are more likely…

Overheating of the body due to extreme weather conditions. Unrelieved hyperthermia can lead to collapse and death, particularly in the elderly. Prevention via air conditioning, ventilation, and drinking extra water is the key for vulnerable persons. In emergency cases, injections of saline solution and rapid cooling of the body may be needed. Also known as heatstroke or hyperthermia.

An uncomfortable feeling of burning and warmth occurring in waves rising up behind the breastbone (sternum) toward the neck. It is usually due to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), the rise of stomach acid back up into the esophagus. Heartburn has nothing whatsoever to do with the heart. It is a popular nonmedical term. It is medically called pyrosis.