Vasoconstrictor

Template:WikiDoc Cardiology News Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

A vasoconstrictor, also vasopressor or simply pressor, is any substance that acts to cause vasoconstriction (narrowing of the lumena of blood vessels) and usually results in an increase of the blood pressure. (The opposite process, vasodilation, is the opening of blood vessels. )

Many vasoconstrictors also cause pupil dilation.

## Contents

* 1 Uses
* 2 Mechanism
* 3 Causes
* 4 Examples of vasoconstrictors
* 5 See also
* 6 External links

## Uses

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Vasoconstrictors are used in medicine to treat hypotension and as topical decongestants.

## Mechanism

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Many vasoconstrictors act on specific receptors, such as vasopressin receptors or adrenoreceptors.

## Causes

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Vasoconstrictors are also used clinically to increase blood pressure or to reduce local blood flow. Exposure to moderately high levels of stress also induces vasoconstriction.

Vasoconstriction also occurs in superficial blood vessels of warm-blooded animals when their ambient environment is cold; this process diverts the flow of heated blood to the center of the animal, preventing the loss of heat.

## Examples of vasoconstrictors

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Vasoconstrictors include systemic and topical. For example, pseudoephedrine is available systemic (i.e. orally ingested tablets like Sudafed), and topical (such as nose sprays like phenylephrine Neo-synephrine, and eye drops for pupil dilation purposes)

* Adenosine triphosphate
* Amphetamines
* Antihistamines
* Asymmetric dimethylarginine
* Bright light
* Catecholamines
* Cocaine
* Cold (water, air, etc.)
* Decongestants
* Elevated sound levels
* Endothelin
* Ergine
* LSD
* Methylphenidate
* Neuropeptide Y
* Norepinephrine
* Phenylephrine
* Pseudoephedrine
* Psilocybin
* Stimulants
* Tetrahydrozoline hydrochloride (in eye drops)
* Thromboxane

## See also

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* Addison's disease
* Inotrope
* Hypotension
* Nitric oxide
* Pheochromocytoma
* Shock
* Vasodilation
* Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome

## External links

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* Definition of Vasoconstriction on HealthScout
* Cannabis arteritis revisited--ten new case reports
* Are coronary heart disease and peripheral arterial disease associated with tobacco or cannabis consumption
* Vasoconstrictor effects of Cannabis appear to inhibit Migraine (headache) attacks

* v
* t
* e

Physiology of the cardiovascular system

Heart|

| Cardiac output|

* Cardiac cycle
* Cardiac output
* Heart rate
* Stroke volume
* Stroke volume
* End-diastolic volume
* End-systolic volume
* Afterload
* Preload
* Frank–Starling law
* Cardiac function curve
* Venous return curve
* Wiggers diagram
* Pressure volume diagram

|

Ultrasound|

* Fractional shortening = (End-diastolic dimension
* End-systolic dimension) / End-diastolic dimension
* Aortic valve area calculation
* Ejection fraction
* Cardiac index

Heart rate|

* Cardiac pacemaker
* Chronotropic (Heart rate)
* Dromotropic (Conduction velocity)
* Inotropic (Contractility)
* Bathmotropic (Excitability)
* Lusitropic (Relaxation)

Conduction|

* Conduction system
* Cardiac electrophysiology
* Action potential
* cardiac
* atrial
* ventricular
* Effective refractory period
* Pacemaker potential
* Electrocardiography
* P wave
* PR interval
* QRS complex
* QT interval
* ST segment
* T wave
* U wave
* Hexaxial reference system

Chamber pressure|

* Central venous
* Right
* atrial
* ventricular
* pulmonary artery
* wedge
* Left
* atrial
* ventricular
* Aortic

Other|

* Ventricular remodeling

Vascular system/
Hemodynamics|

| Blood flow|

* Compliance
* Vascular resistance
* Pulse
* Perfusion

|

Blood pressure|

* Pulse pressure
* Systolic
* Diastolic
* Mean arterial pressure
* Jugular venous pressure
* Portal venous pressure

Regulation of BP|

* Baroreflex
* Kinin–kallikrein system
* Renin–angiotensin system
* Vasoconstrictors
* Vasodilators
* Autoregulation
* Myogenic mechanism
* Tubuloglomerular feedback
* Cerebral autoregulation
* Paraganglia
* Aortic body
* Carotid body
* Glomus cell

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