Definition

1. Noun:
   • Decrease in the diameter of blood vessels: A physiological process where the smooth muscles in the walls of blood vessels contract, leading to a narrowing of the vessel's lumen. This increases vascular resistance and typically raises blood pressure.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Exposure to cold can trigger vasoconstriction in the skin to conserve body heat.
  • The drug causes vasoconstriction, which helps to reduce nasal congestion.
  • Severe vasoconstriction can limit blood flow to vital organs.

Advanced Usage

• Pathological vasoconstriction: Refers to excessive or inappropriate narrowing of blood vessels, which can be a factor in conditions like hypertension, Raynaud's phenomenon, or migraines.

  • The patient's symptoms were attributed to pathological vasoconstriction of the cerebral arteries.

• Medically-induced vasoconstriction: The deliberate use of agents (vasoconstrictors) to narrow blood vessels for therapeutic purposes, such as in local anesthetics to prolong their effect or to control bleeding.

  • Epinephrine is added to the local anesthetic to produce vasoconstriction at the site.

Variants and Related Words

• Vasoconstrictor (noun): An agent, such as a drug or hormone, that causes vasoconstriction.

  • Norepinephrine is a potent vasoconstrictor.

• Vasoconstrictive (adjective): Having the property of causing vasoconstriction.

  • The substance has a strong vasoconstrictive effect.

Synonyms

• Vascular constriction
• Angiostenosis (a more technical, pathological term for narrowing of a blood vessel)

Antonyms

• Vasodilation: Increase in the diameter of blood vessels.

Noun

1. decrease in the diameter of blood vessels