CV+Problems

Atherosclerosis The word comes from the Greek words athero (meaning gruel or paste) and sclerosis (hardness). Atherosclerosis is the process by which plaque builds up in the inner lining of the arteries and if the plaque grows large enough it can significantly reduce the blood's flow through an artery. That's not the biggest problem most of the damage occurs when the plaque become fragile and rupture, plaque that ruptures causes blood clots to form that can block blood flow to another part of the body if this happens the heart might not get any blood and you may get a heart attack or a stroke. Although it may hard to believe atherosclerosis actually can begin at a young age, people who smoke, have high blood pressure, and have diabetes the disease will progress faster in them that in people who don't have any of the things listed above.

http://www.medmovie.com/mmdatabase/MediaPlayer.aspx?ClientID=65&TopicID=573 Arteriosclerosis Arteriosclerosis refers to several diseases in which the arterial walls thicken and lose their elasticity. People often confuse arteriosclerosis with atherosclerosis, atherosclerosis is the formation of plaque consisting of cholesterol and other substances on the arterial walls, arteriosclerosis  is the thickening and stiffening of the artery walls from too much pressure, a therosclerosis can lead to arteriosclerosis. The most common places for arteriosclerosis  are in the arteries, brain, kidneys, heart, and abdominal aorta, or legs. Symptoms of arteriosclerosis  vary according to which arteries are affected. Examples are leg pain while exercising might indicate peripheral arterial disease, or sudden weakness or dizziness could be caused by an obstruction in the carotid artery in the neck, which produces stroke-like symptoms. Arteriosclerosis is also a disease in which smoking,high blood pressure, diabetes and progress the affects of the disease.



Heart Attacks Heart attacks are caused from blood vessel disease in the heart also known as coronary heart disease. They occur when the blood supply to part of the heart muscle is severely reduced or stopped due to a blockage of plaque or a blood clot in the coronary arteries. If the hearts blood supply is cut off for a long period of time, the muscle cells can be subject to injuries and possibly die. When coronary arteries go into spasms, the artery narrows leaving the blood flow to decrease or stop, this results in a heart attack. Depending on how much of the heart muscle is damaged, disability or even death can occur. There are two things doctors can do to tell if a patient had a heart attack. One of which is taking a blood test to see if there are abnormal levels of enzymes in their bloodstream. The other is called and electro-cardiogram, which looks at the heart and can tell if there were any damages made to the heart. Angina Attacks Angina, also known as angina pectoris, is another cardiovascular problem. Angina is a symptom of a condition called myocardial ischemia, which occurs when the heart muscle doesn't get as much blood and oxygen as it needs to fulfill its job. This does not only occur in the heart, you may also feel pain in you shoulders, back, arms, neck or jaw. There are three different types of anginas, stable, unstable, and variant. Stable angina is the most common of all, it usually occurs when the heart is working harder then it should. The pain follows a regular pattern and usually goes away after a few minutes of rest. Unstable angina can occur with or without exercise or physical movement. For this type of pain you should go see a doctor, this means you are susceptible to a heart attack soon. Variant angina is very rare, it usually occurs while you’re resting. The only way the pain can be stopped is by medication.

High Blood Pressure http://files.totalhealth.ivillage.com/ivth/files/ivth/animationfiles/flash_content/clientNF.html http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/common/heartdisease/risk/092.html

"Blood pressure" is the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps out blood. High blood pressure is also known as hypertension and is becoming a major health problem in America. If high blood pressure is untreated it can cause the heart to overwork itself and lead to serious problems. One problem is called hypertrophy and is when the heart muscle thickens, and functions abnormally. Yet, if the muscle dilates and contracts less forcefully, this is called dilated cardiomyopathy. High blood pressure can also cause injury to the brain, the eyes and the kidneys, where delicate arteries are damaged by the increased pressure. Now considered a major cause of heart disease, high blood pressure has no cure, but can be controlled through diet and medication. Normal blood pressure is calculated by using systolic over diastolic and is considered in normal range if the end result is 120/80. Major causes include smoking, obesity, lack of exercise, stress, and increased sodium intake. Sometimes drugs are not needed and a simple lifestyle change can lower your blood pressure. Cardiac Arrhythmia http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xw4nDMgTOrw

Cardiac arrhythmia ia also referred to as dysrhythmia and is a term for any of a large and heterogeneous group of conditions in which there is abnormal electrical activity in the heart. The heart beat may be too fast or too slow, and may be regular or irregular. It can be caused by coronary artery disease, electrolyte imbalances, changes in your heart muscle, and injuries from a previous heart attack. This disease varies in severity and can range from heart palpitations to sudden heart attacks to even death. It is normal for people to experience their heart beat skip or give an occasional strong beat, but it is nothing to be worried about. Some common cardiac arrhythmias are atrial, junctional arrhythmias, atrio-ventricular, ventricular, and heart blocks. Although some arrhythmias require no treatment at all, some require emergency medical treatment if death is to be prevented. Some treatments include physical manuevers,antiarrhythmic drugs, other drugs, electricity, and electro or cryo cautery. Dysrhythmias may also be treated electrically, by applying a shock across the heart - either externally to the chest wall, or internally to the heart via implanted electrodes.