Medical Terminology for Cardiovascular System Flashcards
Anaemia
Deficiency in the number of haemoglobin in the body
Aneurysm
Abnormal swelling or bulge in the wall of a blood vessel such as an artery
It can occur anywhere throughout the circulatory system
Arrhythmia
Irregular heart rate - can be beating too fast or slow
fast - tachycardia
slow - bradycardia
Atherosclerosis
Build-up of fats, cholesterol and other substances in and on your artery walls (plaque) which can restrict blood flow, this plaque can burst triggering a blood clot
- It affects arteries all around the body
Bradycardia
Abnormally slow heart rate
<60 HR
Diastole
Phrase of heartbeat when heart muscle relaxes and allows the chambers to fill with blood
Cardiomyopathy
Disease of the heart muscle that makes it harder for your heart to pump blood to the rest of the body
Hypertension
Abnormally High Blood Pressure
- major risk of HA and stroke
Ischaemia
Restriction of blood supply causing insufficient blood flow to a specific region of the body, this causes a shortage of oxygen that is needed for cellular metabolism which is need to keep the tissues alive
Regurgitation
Discharge of stomach contents and chyme back up the oesophagus and out the mouth
Stenosis
Valve is narrowed and doesn’t open properly, heart needs to work harder to pump blood through the valve and the body may suffer from a reduced supply of oxygen
Syncope
Medical term for fainting or passing out
- caused by the temporary drop in the amount of blood that flows to the brain
- sudden drop in BP and HR
Tachycardia
Abnormally high heart rate
> 100 HR
Angina
Chest pain or discomfort caused when your heart muscle doesn’t get enough oxygen rich-blood
- discomfort can occur in the shoulders, arms, neck, jaw or back
