BACK TO hypoxia

hypoxia vs. ischemia

hypoxia vs. ischemia: What's the difference?

Hypoxia refers to a lack of oxygen, and is used either to refer to the environment (as in a swamp) or to a medical condition. Ischemia refers to a lack of blood in a body part produced by constriction of the blood vessels or local obstacles to blood flow.

hypoxia

[ hahy-pok-see-uh ]
noun
  1. a very low level of oxygen, as in an organic environment: The fish have developed a tolerance to the hypoxia of the swamp.
  2. an abnormally low amount of oxygen in the body tissues: Premature newborns are routinely placed in incubators to treat or prevent hypoxia.

ischemia

[ ih-skee-mee-uh ]
noun
  1. local deficiency of blood supply produced by vasoconstriction or local obstacles to the arterial flow.