Sometimes I think we make up words just to make ourselves sound smart. I think during anatomy they said we learned 7000 new terms. It worked out to be about 100 new things a day. Well, how about a few more words to drop at your next cocktail party?
hematochezia- bright red blood streaked stool. thats right, we actually have a word for that.
prostatism - lower urinary tract symptoms.
meconium - first stool of an infant.
and today's personal favorite...
dyspareunia - painful intercourse. this is a symptom of irritable bowel syndrome.
Why do we have a word for an infant's first stool, or a word for "painful intercourse"? I guess it's because as future doctors, we like to sit around and talk about poop and sex. at least this way we can discuss it at the dinner table and it sounds grown-up.
What is Lupus and why is it brought up on every episode of House (which I am addicted to) :)
ReplyDeleteI am still waiting for my diagnosis, so that I can post it on my blog.
ReplyDeletenicster, thank you for the blood-streaked stool word, for reals... I have been hearing it nearly every day here in Nam, but I thought it was one of those "lost in translation" words. My notes all read "hemato... stool".
ReplyDeleteAlso, hang around in OB for a while (which I knoooow you loooooove) and meconium will slap you up the backside. if you know what i mean.