Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

Indigestion. A condition characterized by upper abdominal symptoms that may include pain or discomfort, bloating, feeling of fullness with very little intake of food , feeling of unusual fullness following meals, nausea, loss of appetite, heartburn, regurgitation of food or acid, and belching. The term dyspepsia is often used for these symptoms when they are not typical of a well-described disease…

A disorder of lipoprotein metabolism, including lipoprotein overproduction or deficiency. Dyslipidemias may be manifested by elevation of the total cholesterol, the “bad” low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and the triglyceride concentrations, and a decrease in the “good” high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol concentration in the blood. Dyslipidemia comes under consideration in many situations including diabetes, a common cause of hyperlipidemia. For adults with…

A specific developmental disability that alters the way the brain processes written material. Because dyslexia is due to a defect in the brain’s processing of graphic symbols, it is thought of primarily as a learning disability. The effects of dyslexia vary from person to person. The only common trait among people with dyslexia is that they read at levels…

The presence of involuntary movements, such as the choreaform movements seen in some cases of rheumatic fever or the characteristic movements of tardive dyskinesia. Some forms of dyskinesia are side effects of certain medications, particularly L-dopa and, in the case of tardive dyskinesia, antipsychotic drugs.

Dysgeusia: a disruption or disorder in the sense of taste. Symptoms of dysgeusia include a persistent metallic, rancid, foul, or salty taste in the mouth. There are a number of medications and conditions that can cause dysgeusia, including certain medications, cancer treatments, zinc deficiency, undiagnosed diabetes, poor oral hygiene, physiological changes like aging or pregnancy, and head injuries.

Difficult function or abnormal function. There is, for example:

Any disease condition, especially in hematology, as in “blood dyscrasias.” The term “dyscrasia” was borrowed from the Greek meaning “a bad mixture” referring to the ancient belief that an imbalance between the four humors – blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile- which caused disease.

Speech that is characteristically slurred, slow, and difficult to understand. A person with dysarthria may also have problems controlling the pitch, loudness, rhythm, and voice qualities of his or her speech. Dysarthria is caused by paralysis, weakness, or inability to coordinate the muscles of the mouth. Dysarthria can occur as a developmental disability. It may be a sign…

Prefix denoting bad or difficult, as in dyspepsia (difficult digestion).

Symbol for familial dysautonomia.