Definition: Hyperalgesia is an increased pain response -- basically, pain being more painful than it should be. The increased pain can be confined to certain areas of the body or it can be widespread. Hyperalgesia is associated with fibromyalgia, and also with some inflammatory conditions and damage to certain types of nerves. It also can be a response to proinflammatory cytokines that your body releases in response to infection.
Hyperalgesia is different from allodynia, which is a pain response to something that's not normally painful.
Pronunciation: HY-per al-JEE-ze-uh
