Aesthesias

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The state characterized by an abnormal increase in awareness and responsiveness to sensory stimuli, particularly those related to touch and pain sensations
2. A condition marked by heightened sensitivity to various sensory inputs, resulting in enhanced perception of pain and tactile stimuli
3. An abnormal state where heightened sensitivity distorts the perception of sensory experiences, especially regarding pain and touch sensations occurs

Etymology: Aesthesia is a modern medical coinage, not an ancient term. It was built in English from the Ancient Greek "aísthēsis", meaning "perception" or "sensing", with the English suffix "-ia" added to give a name for a condition. The Greek noun comes from "aisthánomai", "to perceive", and it is the same root behind "aesthetic", which in its original sense concerned sensory perception rather than beauty. The word therefore names a disorder of feeling, and the Greek root explains why: the stem is about taking in sensations, and the suffix turns that process into a state. Because it was assembled from classical parts by English speakers, its meaning rests on the Greek sense of perception and not on any ancient description of the condition itself. Since "aesthesias" is simply the plural of "aesthesia", it refers to several instances or cases of this condition.

Synonyms: sensations, feelings