DISORDERS AND DISEASES OF THE HUMAN HEART

CIRCULATORY SYSTEM PERFORMS THE FUNCTION OF MOVEMENT OF BODY FLUIDS. IT COMPRISES OF ALL THE VITAL FUNCTIONS INCLUDING MOVEMENT OF RESPIRAYORY GASES BY DIFFUSION AND ABSORPTION AND ASSIMILATION OF THE DIGESTED FOOD.BODY FLUIDS ARE THE MEDIUM OF TRANSPORT IN THE BODY.BUT UNFORTUNATELY NOWADAYS MANY PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING FROM VARIOUS CIRCULATORY DISORDERS.

SOME OF THE MOST COMMON DISORDERS ARE :

1. HYPERTENSION - IT IS COMMONLY KNOWN AS HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE(B.P). IT IS THE MOST COMMON CIRCULATORY DISORDER.120/80 IS CONSIDERED AS THE NORMAL BLOOD PRESSURE.BUT INCREASE BEYOND 140/90 IS CALLED HYPERTENSION.IT CAN PROVE FATAL FOR HEART,BRAIN,KIDNEYS AND EYES.WHEN B.P IS HIGH MORE ENERGY IS UTILISED BY HEART FOR PUMPING.DUE TO THIS HEART MUSCLES THICKEN AND BECOME ENLARGED.THE HEART ALSO NEEDS MORE OXYGEN.HIGH B.P CAN LEAD TO angina pectoris, myocardial infarction or atherosclerosis.HIGH B.P CAUSES SEVERE STRAIN ON THE CEREBRAL ARTERIS WHICH WEAKENS THEM. THESE WEAKENED ARTERIS MAY FINALLY RUPTURE LEADING TO BRAIN HAEMORRHAGE.HIGH B.P DAMAGES THE RETINA LEADING TO BLURRED VISION. OTHER PROBLEMS INCLUDE RENAL FAILURE AND cerebrovascular accident (cva).

CAUSATIVE FACTORS OF HYPERTENSION

1. GENERALLY A DIET HAVING HIGH CONTENT OF OILY AND GREASY PRODUCT.CHOLESTEROL LEVEL INCREASES CAUSING THICKNING OR ARTERIS WHICH RESULTS IN HYPER TENSION.
   
2. ADULTERATED FOOD ALSO CAUSES HYPERTENSIO
   
3. TOBACCO SMOKING SPEEDS UP HEART RATE LEADING TO HIGH B.P
   
4. MENTAL TENSION ALSO CAUSES HYPER TENSION.ALSO KNOWN AS CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE(CAD).

2. ARTHEROSCLEROSIS- ALSO KNOWN AS CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE(CAD), MEANING GRUEL HARDENING.IT IS THE DEPOSITION OF FATTY SUBSTANCES SPECIALLY CHOLESTEROLAND TRIGLYCERIDES IN THE SMOOTH MUSCLES OF LARGE AND MEDIUM SIZED ARTERIES. SUCH ADEPOSITION DEFORMS THE ARTERIAL WALL AND IS CALLED atherosclerotic or atheromatous plaque. AS THE PLAQUES GROW THE LUMEN OR THE AREA OF THE ARTERY DECREASES RESULTING IN REDUCED BLOOD FLOW. IN EXTREME CASES THE LUMEN GETS COMPLETELY BLOCKED .SUCH BLOCKAGE OF BLOOD SUPPLY LEADS TO A HEART ATTACK OR ASTROKE.

3. ARTERIOSCLEROSIS- IT MEANS ARTERY HARDENING.IN A WAY IT IS SIMILAR TO ARTHEROSCLEROSIS. IN THIS THE PLAQUE IS FORMED BY THE PRECIPITATION OF CALCIUM SALTS WITH THE CHOLESTEROL.THE AFFECTED ARTERIES LOOSE THEIR ELASTICITY AND THEIR WALLS MAY RUPTURE.BLOOD FLOWING OUT OF THE ARTERY CLOTS WHICH BLOCKS THE PATH OF BLOD FLOW LEADING TO A STROKE.4. HEART BLOCK- HEART BEAT IS CONTROLED BY A SERIES OF PULSE ARISISING FROM THE VARIOUS NODES. IN THIS DISORDER THE IMPULSES ARE BLOCKED AND DO NOT FOLLOW THE NORMAL CONDUCTION PATHWAY.THESE ARE OF TWO TYPES

1. AV BLOCK- IT OCCURS AT THE AV NODE. AV NODE IS THE ATRIOVENTRICULAR NODE.IN THIS THE IMPULSE FROM SA NODE DO NOT REACH THE AV NODE.

2. BUNDLE BRANCH BLOCK- IT INVOLVES ONE OF THE BRANCHES OF THE BUNDLE OF HIS.

5. CEREBRO VASCULAR ACCIDENT- COMMONLY KNOWN AS STROKE,CVA IS THE THE SUDDEN INTERRUPTION OF BLOOD FLOW TO A PORTION OF THE BRAIN BECAUSE OF RUPTURE OR BLOCK OF A BLOOD VESSEL.BLOCK OR RUPTURE CAN BE DUE TO ANY OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED REASONS.

6. RHEUMATIC HEART DISEASE- IT IS CAUSED BY A BACTERIA streptococcus bacteria. VIRUS coxsackie B HAS BEEN SUGGESTED AS THE CONDITIONING AGENT. IN THIS THE PATIENT SUFFERS FROM AN ACUTE RHEUMATIC FEVER, JOINT PAIN AND THROAT INFECTION. THE RISK OF FEVER IS GREATEST WHERE THE IS BAD HOUSING, OVERCROWDING AND INADEQUATE CONDITIONS OF HYGINE.

7. CONGENTIAL HEART DISEASE-THESE DISEASES INCLUDE DEFECTS WHICH ARE PRESENT FROM THE BIRTH.SOME DEFECTS MAY BE DUE TO INFECTIOUS DISEASE SUCH AS GERMAN MEASLES(RUBELLA).IT COULD ALSO BE DUE TO ADMINISTRATION OF SOME HARMFUL DRUGS DURING THE FIRST THREE MONTHS OF PREGNANCY.A SMALL NUMBER OF CASES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH CHROMOSOMAL ABNORMALITIES.

8.MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION- COMMONLY KNOWN AS HEART ATTACK IS THE DEATH OF PART OF HEART MUSCLEFOLLOWING CESSATION OF BLOOD SUPPLY TO IT.

9. ANIGNA- IT IS CHARACTERISED BY A SHORT DURATION PAIN USUALLY LOCATED IN FRONT OF THE CHEST.IT HAPPENS WHEN ADEQUATE OXYGEN DOES NOT REACH THE HEART MUSCLES.IT IS MORE COMMON AMONG THE MIDDLE AGED AND ELDERLY PEOPLE.

10. HEART FAILURE- IN THIS THE HEART IS NOT ABLE TO PUMP ENOUGH BLOOD TO MEET THE NEED OF THE BODY.CONGESTION OF LUNGS IS ONE OF THE MAIN SYMPTOMS OF THE DISEASE.

11. TACHYCARDIA-THE HEART BEATS RAPIDLY.

12. BRADYCARDIA- THE HEART BEATS SLOWLY.

13. ISCHAEMIA- IT IS THE INADEQUATE SUPPLY OF BLOOD TO A PART OF THE HEART DUE TO OBSTRUCTION OF ITS BLOOD SUPPLY.