Circulatory problems Flashcards
Types, risk factors (25 cards)
Circulatory problems include:
Disorders of the blood, heart and blood vessels
Examples of blood disorders
Haemophilia, sickle - cell anaemia, and thalassemia
General examples of disorders of the blood/categories
Congenital defects and heart failure
Examples of disorders of blood vessels
Blocked or burst blood vessels and varicose veins
Treatment of disorders of the heart, blood and blood vessels
Surgery or other treatments
Serious conditions affecting blood supply: thrombosis
Partial or complete blockage of a blood vessel by a blood clot
Thrombosis: coronary thrombosis
Heart attack; blockage of heart muscle arteries
Symptoms of a heart attack
Breathlessness, chest pains, and fluid collecting in the legs and lungs
Treatment of a heart attack
Rest, drugs, sometimes a pacemaker
Thrombosis: cerebral thrombosis
Affects the brain; severity of symptoms and damage done depends upon such things as site affected and whether blood can take another route
Serious conditions affecting blood supply: embolism
Blockage of a blood vessel by a bacterial mass, fat globules, or dislodged bits from a thrombosis
Thrombosis in the leg may lead to:
A pulmonary embolism (lung) or cerebral embolism (brain)
Serious conditions affecting blood supply: aneurysm
Bulge at a weak point in a blood vessel’s wall.
Aneurysm: stokes
Burst blood vessels producing cerebral haemorrhage
Serious conditions affecting blood supply: infarction
Death of a living tissue deprived of blood by embolism or thrombosis.
Arteriosclerosis
A process where artery walls thicken and harden with age
Atheroma
Deposition of a cholesterol - rich fatty deposit occurs on artery walls
Atherosclerosis
A condition where arteriosclerosis and atheroma interfere with blood supply
Atherosclerosis: part 1
Deposition of atheroma
Atherosclerosis: part 2
Blood clots adhere (stick to/fuse with) the atheroma
Atherosclerosis: part 3
A big thrombus (blood clot) blocks the artery
Ageing arteries: prevention from artery changes which may lead to stroke/heart attack
Regular exercise and a low - cholesterol (low - animal - fat) diet
Risk factors contributing to heart attack and angina:
High blood pressure, high blood cholesterol level, cigarette smoking
Angina pectoris (angina)
Chest pain caused by the heart’s inability to step up blood supply
