What's It Called? Trivia Quiz

Answer: dry mouth

Did you ever wake up with 'cottonmouth', where your mouth is so dry your lips stick to your teeth? Well, there is a scientific name for dry mouth, i.e., xerostomia. The term is derived from the Greek "xeros" (dry) and "stoma" (mouth). The condition is caused by a decrease in the production of saliva. Xerostomia can be due to certain medications, nerve damage, cancer therapy, tobacco use, or other health conditions.

It is usually not a major health issue but it can have an impact on the quality of life, the health of your teeth and gums, and your appetite.

Answer: hives

Although hives is a non-life-threatening problem, it can be annoying and unsightly. It involves the sudden appearance of swollen red bumps on the skin. The condition may be the body's way of reacting to an allergen, or the origin may be unknown. The scientific name for hives is urticaria, from the Latin for "urtica" (nettle) and "urere" (burn).

These skin eruptions can occur on the face, lips, tongue or ears. Hives can be small or form together as 'plaques'. They often itch, but can also burn.

The good news is the condition is usually of short duration.

Answer: night blindness

Night blindness is exactly what it sounds like, i.e., the inability to see in dim light. Its scientific name, nyctalopia, comes from the Greek nuktalops: "nukt" (night), "alaos" (blind) and "ops" (eye). Night blindness can be a symptom of eye diseases like cataracts, myopia or a Vitamin A deficiency, but can usually be improved by eyeglasses or contact lens.

Answer: hiccups

Hiccups, or hiccoughs, can be caused by eating too fast, drinking too much or other medical issues. They occur with an involuntary contraction or spasm of the diaphragm which is called a "myoclonic jerk". Hiccups don't often last long. However, there are cases of persistent hiccups lasting more than two days.

This could impede breathing, and may require medical attention. The medical term for hiccups is synchronous diaphragmatic flutter (SDS) or singultus and, as you may know, there are many home remedies. Fortunately, hiccups usually subside on their own.

Answer: shingles

Did you have chickenpox as a child? If so, as an adult, you may be a candidate for the reactivation of the virus. The result of this is called shingles or herpes zoster. Shingles, usually appearing on one side of the face or body, is a skin rash which causes painful blisters.

The pain can continue even after the rash is gone ("postherpetic neuralgia"). The bad news is that scientists have no idea what causes the reactivation of the virus. The good news is that it is preventable by getting a vaccine.

Answer: brain freeze

Here we have a very long scientific name for a very short condition. Brain freeze, also known as ice cream headache, results from eating or drinking something cold too fast. You get that pain, usually right over your eye, and it forces you to slow down. Brain freeze has several names: cold-stimulus headache, trigeminal headache or the (ever-popular) sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia which means "nerve pain of the sphenopalatine ganglion" (of all the nerve!).

The upside is that it only lasts for a moment.

Answer: bad breath

Halitosis is just a classier way of saying bad breath (or fetor oris). At one time or another, I'm sure every adult has experienced this personally (either from within or without). It can come from a variety of sources, e.g., food like onions, garlic and coffee, smoking, dry mouth, bacteria, gum disease or other medical conditions. Did you know that more than 80 million people suffer from "chronic halitosis" according to the web site "Know Your Teeth"? The condition can often be corrected by employing good oral hygiene; that is, of course, unless it is symptomatic of a more serious, underlying issue.

Answer: common cold

Rhinopharyngitis, also known as acute viral rhinopharyngitis or acute coryza, is a polysyllabic word for one of medicine's most common conditions, i.e., the common cold (or upper respiratory infection). A cold is caused by a viral infection of the nose and throat. Symptoms, as I'm sure you know, include coughing, sneezing, congestion and runny nose.

It is NOT, as some believe, caused by adverse weather conditions or going out with wet hair. The symptoms usually subside within a week, and over-the-counter remedies often help alleviate the problems.

Answer: indigestion

"Upper abdominal fullness, heartburn, nausea, belching"...does that sound like a commercial? It is, in fact, indigestion or dyspepsia. This is a common problem and can result from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or gastritis. Often, it is a non-life-threatening disorder, but it can sometimes be an indicator of a more serious issue, e.g., peptic ulcer. Doctors even have a name for basic indigestion; it is called functional indigestion, previously called nonulcer dyspepsia. Functional indigestion is defined as indigestion "without evidence of an organic disease that is likely to explain the symptoms".

Answer: baldness

The term alopecia is derived from the Greek word "alopex" which translates as 'fox', supposedly because a fox often loses its fur due to disease. However, alopecia is simply progressive hair loss, a natural phenomenon occurring in many males (and some females). Currently, there are many medical products said to help the condition, e.g., Rogaine...but always beware of 'snake oil' salesmen.

This condition is different from alopecia areata (AA), an autoimmune skin disease, where the immune system attacks the hair follicles, resulting in sudden hair loss and circular bald patches.