Special Senses

-a

Condition, state

A- / An-

Without

Acou- / -acousia / Acoust-

Sound, hearing

Acoustic

Sound or the sense of hearing

Acoustic neuroma

A noncancerous vestibulocochlear nerve tumor affecting hearing and balance

Afferent-

Carrying toward

Afferent fibers

Nerve fibers that transmit taste information from the taste buds to the brain

Ageus-

Without taste

Ageusia

The loss or absence of the sense of taste

-al

Pertaining to

Alges-

Pain

-algia

Pain

Allo-

Other

Allodynia

Pain resulting from a stimulus that doesn't normally provoke pain

Allopathia

A condition in which the treatment causes a sensation different from the symptoms of the disease, often involving touch

Ambly-

Dull, dim

Amblyopia

A condition where vision is reduced in one eye due to abnormal visual development. Also known as "lazy eye."

Ametropia

The eye does not focus light correctly, leading to refractive errors

Analgesic

A medication or treatment that reduces or eliminates pain

Anesthesia

The absence or suppression of sensation. Often induced for surgical procedures.

Anos-

Without smell

Anosmia

The absence or loss of the sense of smell

Aph-

Touch

Aphasia

A language disorder that affects a person's ability to communicate

Aphephobia

The fear of being touched

Aphesthesia

Loss of the sense of touch

-ative

Pertaining to

-atory

Pertaining to

Audio-

Hearing

Audiogram

A graph or chart that visually represents a person's hearing ability across different frequencies and intensities

Audiology

The branch of science that specializes in hearing and balance disorders

Audiometry

A standard diagnostic procedure used to assess an individual's hearing function and detect hearing impairments

-aural

Ear

Aural discharge

Discharge from the ear

Bi-

Two, double

Bilateral

Relating to or affecting both sides of the body

Blepharitis

Inflammation of the eyelid, typically affecting the edge near the eyelashes

Blepharo-

Eyelid

Blepharoptosis

Drooping of the upper eyelid

Blepharospasm

Involuntary spasms of the eyelids

Caco-

Bad, abnormal

Cacosmia

A condition where a person perceives unpleasant or foul smells that do not exist

Cept-

Receive, sense

-ceptor

Receptor

Chemo-

Chemical

Chemoreceptor

A sensory receptor that responds to chemical stimuli, including those involved in the sense of smell

Chemosensation

The process by which the taste receptors detect the chemical composition of substances

Chole-

Bile, gall

Cholesteatoma

An abnormal skin growth in the middle ear

Cochlear implant

A surgically implanted device that provides a sense of sound to a person with severe hearing loss

Cochleo-

Cochlea

Cochleopathy

A disease or disorder affecting the cochlea

Conjunctiv-

Conjunctiva

Conjunctivitis

Inflammation of the conjunctiva, the thin clear tissue that lies over the white part of the eye and lines inside the eyelid. Also known as pink eye.

Corne-

Cornea

Corneal ulcer

An open sore on the cornea, often due to infection or injury

Cus-

Hearing

Cyclo-

Ciliary body

Cycloplegia

Paralysis of the ciliary muscle in the eye This results in the inability of the eye to accommodate or focus on objects that are near

Degener-

To decline, worsen

Dermat-

Skin

Dermatographia

A condition in which lightly scratching the skin causes raised, red lines, showing sensitivity to touch

Dermatome

An area of skin supplied by nerves from a single spinal root

Di-

Two, double

Diplopia

Double vision

Dis-

Apart, away

Dusomia

A distortion in the sense of smell, where smells are perceived differently than usual

Dyn-

Pain

-dynia

Pain

Dys-

Bad, difficult, abnormal

Dysacousia

Impairment in the ability to hear sounds or distinguish between them

Dysesthesia

Unpleasant, abnormal sensation triggered by touch or without stimulus

Dysfunction

Impaired or abnormal functioning of an organ, system, or process in the body

Dysgeusia

Distorted or altered sense of taste

Dysosmia

Abnormal sense of smell

Dysphagia

Difficulty swallowing

Dysphonia

Difficulty or discomfort in speaking due to a voice disorder

-ectasis

Dilation, expansion

-ectomy

Removal

-edema

Swelling

Epithel-

Epithelium

Epithelial cells

Cells that form the taste buds are involved in detecting taste stimuli

Esthes-

Sensation, feeling

-esthesia

Sensation, feeling

Exotropia

A form of strabismus where one or both eyes turn outward

Funct-

Performance, execution

Fungiform papillae

Small, mushroom-shaped structures located on the surface of the tongue

-genic

Origin, creation

Geusia-

Sense of taste

-geusia

Sense of taste

Glauc-

Gray

Glaucoma

A group of eye conditions that damage the optic nerve, often due to abnormally high pressure in the eye, leading to vision loss

Glossitis

Inflammation of the tongue

Glossodynia

Pain in the tongue

Glossopharyngeal nerve

The nerve responsible for transmitting taste sensations from the tongue to the brain

Gnos-

Knowledge

-gram

Visual record, chart, or image

Gust-

Taste

Gustation

Tasting or the sense of taste

Gustatory

The sense of taste or the act of tasting