Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

Hepatitis B virus. A virus which primarily causes inflammation of the liver. The hepatitis B virus can be transmitted in several ways including blood transfusion, needle sticks, body piercing and tattooing using unsterile instruments, dialysis, sexual and even less intimate close contact, and childbirth. Symptoms include fatigue, jaundice, nausea, vomiting, dark urine, and light stools. Diagnosis is by blood…

Hb is the standard abbreviation for hemoglobin.

A seasonal allergy to airborne particles characterized by itchy eyes, runny nose, nasal congestion, sneezing, itchy throat, and excess mucus. Hay fever is a misnomer because it is not caused by hay and it does not produce a fever. It is also known as allergic rhinitis or pollinosis.

Hepatitis A virus.

A situation in which the total level of a gene product (a particular protein) produced by the cell is about half of the normal level and that is not sufficient to permit the cell to function normally. Another way to define haploinsufficiency is as a condition that arises when the normal phenotype requires the protein product of…

Acronym for High Altitude pulmonary edema, the accumulation in the lungs of extravascular fluid (fluid outside of blood vessels) at high altitude, a consequence of rapid altitude ascent, especially when that ascent is accompanied by significant exercise. HAPE leads to dyspnea (shortness of breath), cough, tachycardia (fast heart rate) and decreased arterial oxygen levels. HAPE varies in degree from very mild to potentially fatal.…

A common nonmedical term for the disagreeable physical effects following excessive consumption of alcohol (or the use of other psychoactive drugs). Veisalgia is the little-used medical name for the condition. Symptoms may include headache, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and concentration difficulties.

A disorder resulting from prolonged exposure to vibration, specifically to the hands and forearms while using vibrating tools. Symptoms include numbness, tingling, and loss of nerve sensitivity. The hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) is a painful and potentially disabling condition of the fingers, hands, and arms due to vibration. There is initially a tingling sensation with numbness in…

A benign (noncancerous) tumor-like growth consisting of a disorganized mixture of cells and tissues normally found in the area of the body where the growth occurs.

The big toe.