Thursday, May 15, 2008

Polyphagia


Next time I eat too much, I'm gonna say, "Boy, I was really suffering from a case of polyphagia". And if my stomach hurts afterwards, I will proclaim, "Darn, now I've got gastralgia!" After a second night of polyghagic eating, I will grumble, "Ooh, this is a case of gastrodynia."

Well, those are just your plain ol' stomach aches, but the actual disturbance of digestion is called dyspepsia, which I always thought meant having an acid stomach. However, that's indigestion resulting from hyperchlorhydria! Pyrosis is the term for that burning sensation which originates in the epigastric region of the abdomen. Not the stomach, mind you. The stomach is a very specific organ with some fascinating functions.

The stomach has these folds called RUGAE which unfold when food enters. I don't know why, but this sounds nice to me, like the rugae are some lovely velvet curtains on a stage. Enter: food!

The food mixes with hydrochloric acid and pepsin to break it down into something called CHYME! Never heard of chyme before, but I believe it'll stick in my head, for it's another lovely word. Enter: food! Exit: Chyme! Ding! Ding!

And out the chyme goes. . passing through the pyloric sphincter and into the small intestine. . .

ps. I thought perhaps I have made up the adjective from of the word polyphagia, but it is indeed a word. However, hyperphagic might be more suitable. Overly hungry! Insatiable. Voracious. I AM hungry right now, but I don't think I'm hyperphagic. I'm just hungry. I may be orexic, as opposed to anorexic, which, incidentally, means NOT HUNGRY, not starving to death 'cause I want to look like a supermodel.

pps. There is no such word as orexic.

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