aesth-, esth-, aesthe-, esthe-, aesthesio-, esthesio-, aesthesia-, -esthesia, -aesthetic, -esthetic, -aesthetical, -esthetical, -aesthetically, -esthetically

(Greek: feeling, sensation, perception)

glossoepiglottic (adjective) (not comparable)
Referring to the ligament between the base of the tongue (usually the posterior portion) and the epiglottis (the flap that covers the wind pipe during swallowing, so that food does not enter the lungs): As part of her speech therapy, Susan was doing some special exercises to lengthen the glossoepiglottic area of her throat.
graphanesthesia (s) (noun), graphanesthesia (pl)
1. The inability to recognize letters that are traced one at a time on the palm of the hand while the subject's eyes are closed: One of the neurological tests which Dr. James administered was for graphanesthesia when he traced letters on Bill's hand to see if he could recognize the letters while his eyes were closed.
2. The inability to recognize figures or letters written by touching with a blunt instrument on the skin which may be caused by the spinal cord or as a result of a brain disease: After her accident and injury to her spinal cord, Matthew, the physiotherapist, worked with Barbara to overcome her graphanesthesia.
graphesthesia (s) (noun), graphesthesias (pl)
The sense by which figures or numbers are recognized when written on the skin with a dull-pointed object: Graphesthesia on the palm of one’s hand is easier to recognize than when any letters are written on one’s back because there are more nerve receptors in the hands than on the back.
gustatory hyperesthesia (s) (noun), gustatory hyperesthesias (pl)
An oversensitivity of taste: If a cook has gustatory hyperesthesia, it may impede his or her success as a chef because that person needs to be able to taste the food for the correct amount of seasoning.
hemianesthesia (s) (noun), hemianesthesias (pl)
The loss of sensation of feeling or pain on one side of the body: As a result of nerve damage sustained at the time of her automobile accident, Dora experienced hemianesthesia on the left side of her body.
hemithermoanesthesia (s) (noun), hemithermoanesthesia (pl)
Loss of sensibility to heat and cold affecting one side of the body: Wendy could not feel the cool wind on the right side of her body because of the hemithermoanesthesia which was a result of the nerve damage caused by her illness.
heteresthesia, heteraesthesia (s) (noun); heteresthesias; heteraesthesias (pl)
Variations in the degrees of responses to a cutaneous or skin stimulus from one point to another on the body: Dr. Anderson, the dermatologist, determined the degree of heteresthesia for James by touching areas of his back and the palms of his hands.
hypercenesthesia (s) (noun), hypercenesthesias (pl)
A feeling of well-being which is highly exaggerated; euphoria, or elation as seen in general paralysis and sometimes in mania: After Sherry was told that she probably had passed her college entrance exams, she felt a flood of hypercenesthesia even though the results still had not been indicated.
hypercryesthesia (s) (noun), hypercryesthesias (pl)
An excessive, or extreme, sensitivity to cold: Mark's sister suffered from hypercryesthesia and so she could not bear to go outside in the winter.
hyperesthesia, hyperaesthesia (high" pur es THEE zhuh; high" pur es THEE zhi uh) (s) (noun); hyperesthesias; hyperaesthesias (pl)
An abnormal sensitivity of the skin or some sense organ: Bill's mother always wraps her face and covers her nose area, wears special underwear that cover her legs and special warm gloves, etc. when she goes out in the winter because she suffers from hyperesthesia.

Edward has a hyperesthesia that causes pain when anyone touches his skin, to such a degree, that he can't even shake hands with anyone without feeling severe pain.

hyperesthetic, hyperaesthetic (adjective); more hyperesthetic, most hyperesthetic; more hyperaesthetic; most hyperaesthetic
Relating to a neurologic symptom where there is an abnormally increased, or altered, sensitivity to sensory stimuli: It was Dr. Drexler's conclusion that Amy's hyperesthetic condition was the result of prescribing the wrong medication.
hypergeusesthesia (s) (noun), hypergeusesthesias (pl)
A parageusia, or the perversion, of the sense of taste; a bad taste in the mouth involving an increased sensitivity of taste: Jillian's sister always experiences hypergeusesthesia whenever she tries to eat green beans or spinach.
hypermyesthesia (s) (noun), hypermyesthesias (pl)
An increased sensitivity to sensory stimuli of the muscles, such as pain when touched: Alisa's leg stiffened when the physiotherapist touched it because of the hypermyesthesia that was caused by a pinched nerve.
hyperpallesthesia (s) (noun), hyperpallesthesias (pl)
An increased sharpness of the sense of vibration (a form of pressure sense; most acute when a vibrating tuning fork is applied over a bony prominence): During his routine medical checkup, Roger’s doctor always tested for hyperpallesthesia by placing a vibrating tuning fork against his knees and his elbows.
hyperphotesthesia (s) (noun), hyperphoesthesias (pl)
An increased sensitivity to light: With maturity, Nancy experienced hyperphotesthesia in her eyes and always wore sunglasses when going outside and sometimes even when there were bright lights shining inside.

A well-known singer always appears on stage and on TV wearing shades because he has a condition of hyperphotesthesia.


Arrow pointing to words and info sections The index of anesthesia history, Parts 1, 2, and 3.


Quiz If you would like to take self-scoring quizzes over some of the words in this thematic unit, then click on this Aesthesia, Esthesia Quizzes link, or the button, so you can see how much you know about some of these aesth-, esth- words.

Related-word units meaning feeling: senso-; pass-, pati-; patho-.