THE DOCTOR'S DICTIONARY

Have You Heard These 10 Medical Terms For Common Conditions?

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Medicine is a dynamic field, constantly advancing and evolving. With its continuous progress and complexities, deciphering its mysteries can often feel like a challenge, especially when it comes to interpreting doctors' lexicon.

Terms like "dorsalgia" or "pyrexia" may sound unfamiliar and intimidating, but chances are you've already experienced some of them, as they're closer to everyday experiences than you might think.

Let's open the dictionary to discover these 10 medical terms for the most common conditions. Join us!

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While this word sounds like the majestic name of an ancient deity, it actually refers to something much more simple and mundane: a tummy ache.

"Dyspepsia," a medical term for common indigestion, ranks among the most common conditions. It includes the well-known stomach pain, along with sensations of bloating and fullness.

The term has Greek origins, where Dys- can be translated as "bad" or "difficult," and Peptos means "digested."

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Welcome to the world of headaches. Some mild, others truly unbearable. Depending on their cause and intensity, headaches can become really annoying, disrupting even the simplest tasks. Do you remember your last one? You probably do, as they tend to be a regular condition, with primary, acute headaches being the most typical.

"Cephalalgia" is the medical term that refers to this common pain. Also with Greek roots, the word is a fusion of kephalḗ****, "head," and álgos, "pain."

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While this little word may seem funny, its actual meaning isn't quite as charming. Have you ever had a coughing fit at the movies? People can get irritated, right? Well, we should not forget that coughing can be very annoying and even exhausting for the person experiencing it.

If you want to sound more sophisticated the next time you discuss coughs, you can opt for the medical term "tussis," which denotes this discomfort.

Coughing can occur voluntarily or involuntarily and serves as a natural reflex to clear the throat and airways.

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Now that we know the suffix -****algia means "pain," let's find out what's behind the rest of this word.

Dorsum is a Latin term meaning "back." Thus, "Dorsalgia" refers to the notorious and often persistent back pain. Typically, it only denotes the type of back pains originating in nerves, muscles, and joints.

Taking care of your posture throughout the day, also during sleep, and incorporating daily exercise is crucial to prevent or help reduce dorsalgia.

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You've probably heard the word "conjunctivitis" before, as it is a bit more widespread than the previous terms (and, of course, it's the official name for a very, very common condition.)

As you might know, in the medical world, the suffix -itis refers to an inflammation. On the other hand, "conjunctiva" is the name for your eye's outer layer. So, conjunctivitis basically refers to a common pink eye, that familiar discomfort marked by redness, inflammation, and an annoying itchiness.

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Whether you're a kid or a grown-up, we all have those days when we're hit with a case of "pyrexia". Sure, it may have given us a few days off from school, but let's be real, dealing with this discomfort can be a true challenge.

Also known as fever, pyrexia is when your body temperature rises above the normal range (100°F or higher for adults). And as if that wasn't enough, it brings some other symptoms like headaches and sensitivity to light.

Fever often acts as our body's defense against infections. But, of course, there are a lot of other non-infectious reasons that can awaken the fever monster.

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Did you know that 1 in 3 adults worldwide are diagnosed with this condition? It's called "hypertension" in the medical world, but we all know it better as high blood pressure, a condition where the pressure within your blood vessels climbs to unhealthy levels.

Although it is quite frequent among the population, its commonality doesn't reduce its seriousness. Furthermore, since hypertension often manifests without evident symptoms, many people are unaware they have it. So, always remember to get your medical checkups!

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While it could be a spell pronounced by Harry Potter and his friends, "viral rhinitis" is something much less mystical; it's actually just the fancy term for a common cold.

"Rhinitis" refers to the inflammation and irritation of the mucous membrane inside your nose, while "viral" indicates that it is caused by a virus.

Unfortunately, we've all been there: weak, congested, and sneezing. While it's true that some colds are worse than others, nobody enjoys dealing with one. Bless you!

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In today's fast-paced world, stress and anxiety can directly affect your teeth, as "bruxism" is becoming increasingly common among people of all ages worldwide. If you don't know its formal name, you may recognize it by its other identity: teeth grinding.

This is a condition in which you gnash, grind, or clench your teeth, often involuntarily, and can happen both during the day and night, although nocturnal bruxism is more common. This involuntary practice generates other complications, such as headaches and jaw pain or sleep interruptions. If you find yourself nodding along, it might be time to visit the much-feared dentist!

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Few things can compete with the pain of this condition called "otitis." Known to all of us as an ear infection, otitis is more common in children than adults, but can strike anyone at any age.

As hinted by its suffix, otitis causes inflammation in the middle ear. This can be a real torture and will certainly keep you awake at night. Fortunately, treatments are usually simple and quick, and this annoying condition often clears up within a few days.

Tossed-around antiquities

Aren’t we all a bit narcissistic? 12 terms we owe to Greek mythology

Image: Chelsea Scott

We’ve already explored English words inspired by movies, or derived from the works of popular authors. But have you ever noticed how many everyday words go back to Greek mythology? Sure, we have the more obvious ones—like "narcissist" or "nemesis"—but you might find in this list terms that you didn’t know were so old. Read on!

Image: Андрей Сизов

Remember the story of Tantalus? He was a king who tried to fool the gods and make them eat his son. Never a good idea! As punishment, he was condemned to eternal hunger and thirst, forever surrounded by water he couldn’t drink and fruit he could not reach.

Thus the verb and adjective "tantalizing" were born to describe situations where something is temptingly close, but frustratingly out of reach.

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We all have a weak spot, and that’s what we refer to when discussing an "Achilles heel." But why? As myth has it, Achilles, the greatest Greek warrior, became invincible after his mother dipped him in the River Styx as a baby.

However, his heel wasn’t submerged during this process. That became the only spot through which he could be wounded. And, of course, that was exactly where Paris shot him with an arrow after his victories in the Trojan War—leading to his death.

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The moral of King Midas’s fable is: be careful what you wish for! This mythical king asked the god Dionysus to grant him the power to turn everything he touched into gold. It worked out well for him until he held his loved ones and transformed them into golden statues.

The term "Midas touch" usually has positive connotations, though. We use it to refer to a person whose efforts are frequently successful—not someone who jinxes each of them!

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Pandora was the first human woman according to Greek mythology. One day she was set to watch a jar—not a box—her husband owned, which she was instructed to never open. But eventually, curiosity won over her.

When she opened it, out flew all the evils of the world. Today, the mistranslated expression "Pandora’s box" refers to any process that, once set in motion, leads to a chain of disasters.

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In Greek mythology, delivering justice was the job of Nemesis. The goddess of retribution, she made sure that those who committed hubris (excessive pride) or wrongdoing were punished.

Today’s meaning of the noun derives from that. "Nemesis" first referred to that fatal flaw that might destroy one, which then evolved to be used about an opponent or rival who seems unbeatable and who might cause someone's downfall.

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Before referring to a sonorous effect, this word was the name of a nymph. This chatty young creature was cursed by an irritated Hera to only repeat the last words spoken to her—a curse that obviously worked disasters for her relationships.

She faded away until only her voice remained. Her story was used to explain the physical phenomenon of sound being repeated, but also to describe any repetition or imitation.

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In Greek mythology, the Muses were nine goddesses who presided over the arts and sciences, inspiring creativity in mortals. From epic poetry to music and dance, these ladies were the ultimate source of artistic ideation.

Today, "muse" refers to anyone or anything that sparks the same spirit. It could be a loved one, a beautiful landscape, or even a really good cup of coffee.

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"Fury" was never linked to any peaceful or amiable personality—not even in Greek antiquity. Erinyes or Eumenides were raging, vengeful deities who punished criminals. In Roman mythology, these were translated as the Dirae or the Furiae.

The English language adopted these concepts from Latin, and transformed them into "dire" and "fury."

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This word comes from the story of Theseus, the first person to escape the Minotaur’s labyrinth alive. Young Ariadna helped Theseus find his way out by following a ball of thread (a "clew" in Old English).

Thus the concept of "clue" came to mean anything that helps us solve a problem or mystery.

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Millennia before being a character in the blockbuster The Matrix, Morpheus was the name of the god of dreams. He was often depicted with poppies, the source of opium.

In the 19th century, a pharmacist studying the painkilling effects of opium derivates decided to give this substance the name "morphium," in honor of the mythical Greek figure.

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We are not here referring to the tragically sunken ship—although that one derives from this term. "Titanic" is an adjective that describes something enormous and powerful, such as the majestic ship at its time.

The term alludes to the Titans, enormous primordial gods who preceded the Greek Olympians and had enough power to upturn the Earth.

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Finally, a word that gets tossed around very liberally these days: Narcissist! Most of us know the myth of Narcissus, the handsome lad who fell in love with his own reflection and drowned as a consequence.

Countless authors throughout history used "Narcissus" in the same texts as "self-love," from Shakespeare to Byron to Baudelaire. Later, many theorists assigned varying meanings to "narcissism," ranging from healthy to disproportionate obsession with the self.