Defining words for the week:

Dysphagia (Dis FAY gee uh):  Difficulty with swallowing that may be due to an obstruction (e.g., a tumor) or a motor disorder (e.g., spasm).

Dysphasia (or aphasia)  (Dis FAY zsa) or( A FAY zsa):  Difficulty with speech; lack of impairment or the ability to form or understand speech.

beta-blockers:  Drugs that depress the heart rate and force of heart contractions by decreasing the effectiveness of the nerve impulses to the cardiovascular system.  These are typically prescribed to treat angina pectoris (chest pain), hypertension and heart failure.  Examples of some beta-blockers are:   diltiazem (Cardizem), amlodipine (Norvasc) and nifedipine (Procardia)