By: Julia Downey
I’m not talking about how to find that “special someone” or “new words to use to impress a date” I’m giving you a few terms and definitions that you may commonly hear at Eastern Passage Village Veterinary Hospital so that you can better understand one of the most complicated and important organs in your animal’s body.
Murmur
An abnormal or extra sound that the heart makes during a heartbeat cycle. Anything out of the ordinary “lubb” “dubb” sound would be considered a heart murmur.
Arrhythmia
Different from a heart murmur in that arrhythmias are a change in the speed of the beats and not an extra sound during the heart beats. This is caused by the electrical impulses in the heart that coordinate the beats themselves. This irregularity can cause the heartbeat to be too fast, too slow or irregular.
Heart Disease
A wide term to describe any disease of the heart
Blood Pressure
The pressure of the blood in the vessels, directly related to the strength of the heart beat.
Tachycardia
Afaster than normal heartbeat
Bradycardia
A slower than normal heartbeat
Even though I may not have set you up with Mr./Ms. Right, I have given you the gift of new vocabulary.