hyperglycemia

Definition

Abnormally high blood sugar levels, when your glucose decides to shoot for the stars and your pancreas can't keep up. It's diabetes's calling card and the reason sugary foods come with guilt.

Example Usage

The patient's hyperglycemia of 450 mg/dL required insulin drip and ICU admission for diabetic ketoacidosis.

Origin

From Greek 'hyper' (over) + 'glykys' (sweet) + 'haima' (blood)

Fun Fact

Severe hyperglycemia can cause hyperosmolar state where blood becomes so concentrated with sugar that it pulls water out of cells, potentially leading to seizures and coma.

Source: Endocrinology and diabetes management standards

Related Terms

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Contraindicated

A medical way of saying "do not mix these things unless you enjoy chaos," like taking certain medications with grapefruit juice, which apparently is the fruit world's most dangerous criminal. The polite way doctors say "are you trying to make things worse?"

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necrosis

The premature death of cells and tissue in your body while you're still alive—basically localized tissue death that happens when blood flow gets cut off or cells get poisoned. The reason gangrene looks exactly as horrifying as it sounds.

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Advanced

cardiomyopathy

When your heart muscle decides to stop being a reliable pump and starts deteriorating like a neglected gym membership. This is the umbrella term for various conditions where the myocardium (heart muscle) weakens, thickens, or otherwise malfunctions, turning your cardiovascular system into that coworker who calls in sick every other Monday. It's serious business that cardiologists take very seriously indeed.

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Patient Zero

The first person to catch a disease in an outbreak, making them simultaneously the most medically important and least popular person in the room. The epidemiological equivalent of being "it" in a game of tag that nobody wanted to play.

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Advanced

hemoptysis

Coughing up blood or blood-stained mucus from the respiratory tract. Your lungs' way of waving a very red flag that something's definitely wrong.

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Nosocomial

An infection you catch at the hospital, which is the ultimate irony of going somewhere to get better and leaving with a bonus illness you did not have when you walked in. The medical equivalent of going to a car wash and getting a dent.

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