Big Word Quiz - Medical

Tachypnea: (Pronounced tack-ip-nea.) Abnormally fast breathing. A respiratory rate that is too rapid. The normal rate of respirations (breaths per minute) depends on a number of factors, including the age of the individual and the degree of exertion. The prefix tachy- means swift or rapid; it comes from the Greek word tachys, meaning "swift." The word ending -pnea denotes a relationship to breathing; it comes from the Greek pnoia, meaning breath.

Polydipsia is a medical symptom in which the patient displays excessive thirst.

Dysphagia: Difficulty in swallowing, swallowing problems. Dysphagia is due to problems in nerve or muscle control. It is common, for example, after a stroke. Dysphagia compromises nutrition and hydration and may lead to aspiration pneumonia and dehydration.

Decerebrate posture is an abnormal body posture that involves rigid extension of the arms and legs, downward pointing of the toes, and backward arching of the head.

Aerophagia: Swallowing too much air, a common cause of gas in the stomach and belching. Everyone swallows small amounts of air when eating or drinking. However, rapid eating or drinking, chewing gum, smoking, or ill-fitting dentures may cause a significant increase in swallowed air.

Hyponatremia refers to a lower-than-normal level of sodium in the blood.

Dysarthria is a motor speech disorder resulting from neurological injury, characterised by poor articulation (cf. aphasia: a disorder of the content of speech). Any of the speech subsystems (respiration, phonation, resonance, prosody, articulation and movements of jaw and tongue) can be affected.

Shortness of breath while lying down is a characteristic symptom of paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea (PND). This condition refers to sudden episodes of severe shortness of breath that occur during sleep, causing the individual to wake up gasping for air. It is typically caused by fluid accumulation in the lungs, leading to difficulty breathing when lying flat. The other symptoms mentioned, such as bilateral movement of the chest wall, inability to sleep, and snoring, are not specific to PND and may be present in other respiratory or sleep disorders.

Rhabdomyolysis is the breakdown of muscle fibers resulting in the release of muscle fiber contents (myoglobin) into the bloodstream. Some of these are harmful to the kidney and frequently result in kidney damage.

Polycythemia: Too many red blood cells. The opposite of anemia. Polycythemia formally exists when the hemoglobin, red blood cell (RBC) count, and total RBC volume are all above normal.

Perseveration refers to the inappropriate repetition of words. It is a cognitive phenomenon where a person gets stuck on a particular word, phrase, or action and repeats it excessively, even when it is no longer relevant or appropriate. This can be seen in conditions such as autism, schizophrenia, or brain injuries, where individuals may exhibit repetitive behaviors, including speech.

Neurocardiogenic Syncope: a syndrome in which triggering of a neural reflex results in a usually self-limited episode of systemic hypotension characterized by both bradycardia (asystole or relative bradycardia) and peripheral vasodilation.
Also known as Vasovagal syncope, the most common cause of fainting, occurs in otherwise healthy people. It can affect people of all ages, but is particularly common in young women. It is also known as Neurocardiogenic Syncope or Vasodepressor Syncope. As these terms suggest, the cause is low heart rate or blood pressure, leading to inadequate circulation to the brain. This results in fainting, or loss of consciousness (i.e., syncope).