the beauty of words.

Unknown words I looked up while doing toxicology homework tonight:
dysphonia
hyperesthesia
syncope
ptosis
paresthesia
eructation
dyspepsia
melena
micturition
arthralgia
paroniria
leukorrhea
pruritis
furunculosis
hyperkeratosis
purpura
seborrhea
parosmia
xerophthalmia
asthenia
rigors
chloestasis
thrombocytopenia

There's a beauty to these words with their Latin and Greek roots.  But when you find out what they are, it's a little unsettling and/or gross.  Thank goodness my biology education has given me a staunch constitution. Definitions below:  you've been warned.


dysphonia - vocal impairment
hyperesthesia - sensitivity to stimuli
syncope - fainting
ptosis - eyelid droop
paresthesia - tingling skin (similar to what it feels when your foot falls asleep)
eructation - burping
dyspepsia - upset stomach
melena - tarry feces from gastrointestinal hemmhorage
micturition - urination
arthralgia - joint pain
paroniria - nightmares
leukorrhea - white vaginal discharge
pruritis - itchiness
furunculosis - boils
hyperkeratosis - thickening of the skin
purpura - purple rash
seborrhea - inflammation of oil glands
parosmia - can't identify smells
xerophthalmia - unable to produce tears
asthenia - weakness
rigors - chills
chloestasis - bile is blocked from moving in your liver to your intestine
thrombocytopenia - you don't have enough platelets for blood clotting