Each week, Verywell explains a term from health, medicine, science, or technology.IdiopathicHow to say it:Idiopathic(id-ee-oh-path-ick)What it means: When the cause of a disease or condition is not known.Where it comes from: From Greek,idiopatheia, “one’s own disease or feeling.“SHVETS production/PexelsWhere you might see or hear it: Sometimes, providers do not know what causes a disease or condition. When this happens, they use the termidiopathicto talk about it because the word means that the reason for the disease or condition is unknown.When you might want to use it: If you go to your provider because you have symptoms or pain that are unexplained, they may run many tests looking for a cause. If they cannot find the reason for your symptoms, it’s referred to as being idiopathic.For example, you might explain to your loved ones that you were diagnosed with “idiopathic constipation” or “idiopathic intracranial hypertension” because while you have symptoms, your provider could not identify the cause.What Is Idiopathic Pain?
Each week, Verywell explains a term from health, medicine, science, or technology.
Idiopathic
How to say it:Idiopathic(id-ee-oh-path-ick)
What it means: When the cause of a disease or condition is not known.
Where it comes from: From Greek,idiopatheia, “one’s own disease or feeling.”
SHVETS production/Pexels
Where you might see or hear it: Sometimes, providers do not know what causes a disease or condition. When this happens, they use the termidiopathicto talk about it because the word means that the reason for the disease or condition is unknown.
When you might want to use it: If you go to your provider because you have symptoms or pain that are unexplained, they may run many tests looking for a cause. If they cannot find the reason for your symptoms, it’s referred to as being idiopathic.
For example, you might explain to your loved ones that you were diagnosed with “idiopathic constipation” or “idiopathic intracranial hypertension” because while you have symptoms, your provider could not identify the cause.
What Is Idiopathic Pain?
SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Merriam-Webster.Definition of idiopathic.Online Etymology Dictionary.Idiopathic.
Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Merriam-Webster.Definition of idiopathic.Online Etymology Dictionary.Idiopathic.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Merriam-Webster.Definition of idiopathic.Online Etymology Dictionary.Idiopathic.
Merriam-Webster.Definition of idiopathic.
Online Etymology Dictionary.Idiopathic.
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