Hypo and Hyper

A lot of people seem to have a problem with the prefixes "hypo" and "hyper".
They are often confused with one another. And what I always find slightly amusing is when someone describes someone else as being "hypo" when they mean they are all excited or over-active. In this circumstance they are using hypo to describe someone who is being hyperactive. This is the most common misuse of the two prefixes.

Hypo is a prefix used to denounce something that is low or decreased. Examples being hypothermia (low temperature), or hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormones).

Hyper is a prefix used to describe something as high or increased such as hyperactive (very active),  hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid gland creating lots of thyroid hormones), hyperreflexia (exaggerated reflexes) etc etc

So I always have a little chuckle to myself when someone brings in their little Jack Russell terrier and tells me. "Oh Bobby is being soooo hypo today" and I look at him and he's bouncing off the walls.

Me: "Has he been really sick and tired today?"
Client "No! He's been really hypo. I just told you that!"
>.<

I usually just smile sweetly and ask them if they meant he was being hyperactive and they look at me thinking "How does she not know what hypo means?". So they probably think I'm stupid, but then I know the correct use of the prefixes hypo and hyper and am not misusing them. If they do give me that funny look then I will just go ahead and tell them what hypo means.

When not dealing with clients I just generally correct people anyway. But with clients you have to bite your tongue a lot, because if you make them feel uncomfortable then they don't trust you entirely and may not follow instructions properly when it comes to medicating their pet, which is more important than regaining what little dignity you may have left.

The reason that i can't just assume they mean "hyper" when they say "hypo" is because we do get a lot of people in who also know how to use the terms properly. This is especially relevant when human doctors or nurses bring their pets in.
 It is also very important to establish whether or not the animal is hypo or hyper as they can both end up meaning completely different diagnoses!

So even though it is colloquial to describe someone as "hypo" when you mean they are actually hyper, I just can't bring myself to use it in that way, even if a friend is saying it. If I try doing it, my medical brain beats on my colloquial brain and smooshes it into a corner with a baseball bat.

And meanwhile, as the inner turmoil goes on, the word is trying to bubble to the surface and it feels like a bad lunch is about to get vomited/burped up. I swallow halfway through and what comes out is a bastardised word: "hypoer". It's like I physically can't say the prefix in the wrong context and medical brain is triumphant.

For those who are worried: Colloquial brain is ok, he was just in hospital for a while.