Text В Hypertension

Hypertension simply means high blood pressure. As a normal heart pumps blood through the body, a certain degree of pressure is excreted !'Щ against the blood vessels. With each beat of the left ventricle, a wave ol pressure starts at the heart and travels along the arteries. This wave is called the pulse. The pulse can be felt on any arteries that are close to the surface of the body, such as on the wrist, the sides of the throat ancf • the temple. The pulse results from the blood pressure. The blood pres­sure at the moment of contraction is the systolic pressure; it should normally be sufficient to displace about 120 mm. mercury in a glass tube. The blood pressure at the moment of relaxation of the heart is the diastolic pressure; it normally displaces about 80 mm. of mercury. Blood pressure readings, which have been frequently taken during a general physical examination are presented as a ratio of the first figure over the second.

Most physiologists have considered a blood pressure reading of 150/90 as excessive. This can be considered a useful definition of high blood pressure.

Hypertension is very common. It is believed that about one out of every five individuals has suffered from it and that about 13 per cent of all deaths have been a direct result of it. Hypertension has become more common with increasing age and affects men about twice as often as women.

In about 90 per cent of the known cases, it has been described as essential hypertension, a hereditary condition. In other cases it may be due to the removal of a kidney, kidney disease, excessive narrowing of the arteries, hormone imbalance, or excessive salt in the diet.

Hypertension is damaging for two reasons: 1) it puts an excess work load on the heart and the left ventricle in particular; 2) the arteries may be damaged by excessive pressure. A hypertensive patient tends to de­velop cardiovascular ailments much sooner than a person who had not suffered from hypertension.

f Lesson 16 О 181

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This high blood pressure in the arteries causes a hardening (sclerosis) of blood vessels all over the body. The vessels become weakened; clots tend to form in them much more easily; some vessels rupture and haem­orrhage. Hence haemorrhage in the vessels of the brain (cerebral haem­orrhage) and vessels of the kidneys will have been particularly destruc­tive.

Упражнение 4. Найдите в тексте В предложения, более полно выражающие мысль данных суждений, и прочтите их вслух.

1. The pulse results from the blood pressure and can be measured. 2. There is systolic and diastolic pressure. 3. Hypertension is very com­mon. 4. The causes of hypertension may be different. 5. Hypertension is damaging for two reasons. 6. Hypertensive patients have tended to de­velop cardiovascular ailments.

Упражнение 5. Передайте основное содержание текста В письменно, использовав в качестве плана предыдущее упражнение.

Часть III Контрольно-обобщающие упражнения к уроку 16

Упражнение 1. Укажите, в каких предложениях глагол-сказуемое стоит во

временах группы Perfect. )

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1. Cardiomyopathy has been defined as «acute, subacute, or chronic disorder of heart muscle of unknown or obscure etiology». 2. Apart from discomfort in his chest he had no history suggestive of myocardial inf­arction or angina. 3. A patient with a femoral artery embolus had marked temporary improvement in circulation. 4. The duration of treatment has been increased to a maximum of 16 hours in our patients. 5. The arterial occlusion had recurred by the next morning.

(Ответ: 1, 4, 5. Если вы ошиблись, повторите §§ 12, 14 Грамма­тического справочника.)

Упражнение 2. Укажите, в каких предложениях глагол-сказуемое стоит в форме страдательного залога.

1. The patient was admitted to the hospital with essential hypertension. 2. The woman responded slowly to diuretic therapy. 3. A loud heart-sound was audible at the mitral area. 4. The patient has been maintained for a year without further episodes of heart-failure. 5. The left ventricle was

182 ♦ Learning to Understand a Medical Text

grossly dilated with very poor movements of all areas. 6. Gross mitral incompetence had not been suspected clinically previously.

(Ответ: 1, 4, 5, 6. Если вы ошиблись, повторите § 14 Граммати­ческого справочника.)

Упражнение 3. Переведите данные гнезда слов на английский язык.

1. опыт, испытывать, опытный; 2. умирать, смерть, умерщвлять, смертельно; 3. прекращать, прекращение, непрерывный; 4. непро­ходимость (закупорка), мешающий, закупоривать; 5. выздороветь, выздоровление