What it means
A general word used in many settings: an overactive bladder contracts when it should be resting, causing urgency; an overactive thyroid makes too much hormone; and overactivity of the sympathetic nervous system brings a fast heart rate, high blood pressure, sweating and dilated pupils, as in stimulant use or withdrawal from some drugs.
At a glance
| Also written | overactive |
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Related terms
autonomic nervous system
The part of the nervous system that controls body functions without conscious thought, such as heart rate, breathing and digestion.
hyperthyroidism
A condition in which the thyroid gland makes too much thyroid hormone.