Word parts
What it means
Describes sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell, and the sense of where the body is and how it moves. Sensory nerves carry messages from the skin, muscles and organs to the spinal cordSPY-nul KORDThe long bundle of nerves that runs down through the backbone and carries messages between the brain and the body.Full entry and brain; motor nerves carry orders back out. A sensory deficit is a loss of a sense, such as poor vision or hearing. Sensory overload is too much input, and sensory deprivation too little; both can cause confusionkun-FYOO-zhunA state in which a person cannot think clearly, pay attention, remember or know where they are.Full entry .
For the nurse
Check that a client with poor vision or hearing has glasses and hearing aids in place, face the client when speaking and keep the room well lit. In the ICU, reduce noise and keep a day-night routine to limit sensory overload.
At a glance
| Spanish | sensorial |
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Related terms
neuron
A nerve cell: a cell that carries electrical and chemical signals through the nervous system.
peripheral nervous system
All the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord, which link them to the rest of the body.
visual acuity
How clearly and sharply a person can see.
peripheral neuropathy
Damage to the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord, most often in the feet and hands.