... not too much blood (like when you're fast asleep). The heart pumps blood by squeezing blood in its two main pumping chambers, the right and left ventricles. The right ventricle pumps blood to the lungs, where the blood picks up lots of oxygen. And the left ventricle pumps blood to the rest of the body (including the heart itself), where that oxygen is used up. Common defects A ... septal defect-. This is a hole in the heart, located between the left and right atriums. This type of "hole in the heart- can be readily closed by a special device that is placed to plug up the hole. Or a cong...

• Word Count: 892
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... about three layers. The first layer is the Fibrous Pericardium. "The Fibrous Pericardium is the outer fibrous sac that covers the heart."# It provides an outer protective layer for the heart, keeps the heart contained in the chest cavity, and Prevents the heart from over-expanding when blood volume increases. The second layer of the pericardium is the viseral pericardium also known as the epicardium. "The viseral pericardium or the epicardium is the outer layer of the wall of the heart."# It is ... composed of connective tissue covered by epithelium. It provides an extra outer layer for...

• Word Count: 1235
• Approx Pages: 5

... diet produces fatty streaks, which raises the blood lipid levels to a high fat. The blood carries oxygen to the heart, and if enough blood and oxygen cannot reach the heart, it may suffer chest pain. If the blood supply to a portion of the heart is completely cut off by a blockage, the result is a heart attack. The higher the blood cholesterol, the more chances a person will have developing a heart disease. There are varieties of ... initiating cardiac events. High blood pressure is a major cause of coronary artery disease. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to heart attack or hea...

• Word Count: 1823
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

... you exercise, you wouldn't have to worry about heart disease, arthritis, or high blood pressure. America's number one killer is heart disease. The more body fat that you have, the greater the risk of heart disease. However, this condition can be prevented or controlled by exercising, making your heart muscles stronger. Aside from heart disease, exercise also helps prevent arthritis. Exercising helps ... increase strength and flexibility, strengthening the muscles around your joints. Without doing any exercise ... an hour and fifteen minutes a week to make a difference in the long run o...

• Word Count: 856
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... . Too much salt can cause extra fluid accumulation in the blood vessels, increasing the blood pressure. With the help of diuretics, it can lower the blood pressure by flushing out salt out of the body. This had helped many patients globally treat high blood pressure whilst preventing the lead to other types of heart diseases that may occur in the future. On top of that, another common illness ... is heart failure and edema. One of the symptoms of heart failure is swelling and fluid buildup in the body, also known as edema. As diuretics is designed to promote the formation of urine, it he...

• Word Count: 545
• Approx Pages: 2

... , phase 2-4 is in ventricular systole and phase 5-7 is in ventricular diastole. In phase 1,which is the atrial systole which occurs for 0.15 seconds, the atria contracts, causing the pressure to increase.Atrial contraction produce a small increase in venous pressure that can be noted as the "a-wave." Fourth heart sound, S4 is sometimes noted in atrial systole.This sound is caused by vibration of ... the ventricular wall during atrial contraction. Generally, it is noted when the ventricle compliance is reduced or "stiff" ventricle as occurs in ventricular hypertrophy and in many older ...

• Word Count: 521
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... their very life, since their kidneys will no longer filter the toxins from their body. Heavier youths are also at a much higher risk of suffering from stroke. There are several different types of strokes including heat stroke and temporal impaired activity. When the heart pumps blood through the arteries the pressure against the walls can be measured with a sphygmomanometer or a blood pressure ... cuff. When the bottom number of a blood pressure reading (diastolic) exceed the normal range (90) a stroke can occur. One cause of stroke is obesity which causes the heart to work harder to pu...

• Word Count: 459
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... the factors that assist the return of systemic venous blood to the heart. The factors that assist the return of the systemic venous blood to the heart are the contraction of skeletal muscles in the lower limbs and the pressure changes in the thorax and abdomen during respiration. Also, the presence of valves in the veins allows both of these pumps to contribute to the venous return. During the contraction of the skeletal muscles, the muscles would tighten around the ... vein passing through them, which increases the venous ... ...

• Word Count: 830
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... they are not sufficiently being used so they decrease in power. Cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases are often present and restrict the physical possibilities of the elderly. Their arteries slowly harden and arterial plaque clogs up the blood vessels, this can lead to a stroke or heart disease. Arthritis of weight bearing joints is also very common which will be a problem with too much movement in ... bend and stretch the limbs and some recreational games like beanbag throw will give them upper body exercise. The importance of exercise and what it does to the body Exercise is the closest...

• Word Count: 1862
• Approx Pages: 7

... blood pressure can lead to kidney disease and can also be a sign that your kidneys are already impaired. The result is expressed as two numbers. The top number, the systolic pressure, represents the pressure when your heart is beating. The bottom number, the diastolic pressure, shows the pressure when your heart is resting between beats. Your blood pressure is considered normal if it stays below 120/80. Chronic kidney ... disease often cannot be cured. If it is the early stages of a kidney disease, there is a chance of making your ... ...

• Word Count: 932
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... that this pregnancy had taken a toll on my body and it was time to get the baby out. The decision was made to deliver the baby and I was taken to the maternal newborn floor for an induction. Shortly after arriving to the floor the nurses and corpsman were preparing for the big event. There were stacks of papers to fill out and then finally it came time ... pregnancies this one was very different. After hours of enduring painful contractions the time came for the epidural. The pain from the extremely long and sharp needle was a good pain compared to the contractions. As the contractions ...

• Word Count: 312
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

... blood pressure, and high blood cholesterol are some of the major modifiable risk factors for heart attack, and studies have shown that being physically active lowers heart disease risk even in people with other health problems such as high blood pressure. Physical activity not only reduces the risk of heart disease, keeps weight under control, prevents bone loss ... , and have less feeling of anxiety and depression. One thing people have been doing is "walking to fitness." Walking is one of the best lifetime exercises you can do. There are also many sports activities available through com...

• Word Count: 286
• Approx Pages: 1

... deficiency can produce the following symptoms: low blood pressure, muscular aches, nausea, and weakness. Potassium helps our muscles contract and our heartbeats too. Potassium also helps to make electrolyze. It's needed to direct water balance, levels of acidity, blood pressure, and neuromuscular functions. It helps for carbohydrate and protein metabolism, helps get rid of body waste, and normalizes heart rhythms and ... in everyone's life because it is vital for many body functions. Every time you use a muscle, the muscle uses potassium to make it move. Also without potassium, the heart...

• Word Count: 277
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has released in 1998 a guidelines proving that 97 million American adults have weight problems. Researchers have said either 55% of americans are indeed obese or partially overweight. So what does it mean to be fat? Based on BMI measurement or body mass index in order to be considered partially obese someone has to be at least 20% more than the ideal weight 2. For example a male student like me 5"5 weighted 160 pounds, I would be considered medically overweight because ideally I should weight only 136 pounds for my age. We are more likely to see obese pe...

• Word Count: 200
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... routine. It is good enough to choose activities that fit into your daily life style that will speed your heart rate and breathing, or increase your strength and flexibility. Some good examples are walking to work, gardening, taking extra stairs, or mowing the lawn with a push mower. There are other benefits to regular exercise besides building strength and aerobic fitness. It helps ... your activities. Check your progress. Can you walk a certain distance faster now than when you began? Or is your heart rate slower now? So what is the best exercise? The best exercise is the one that you ...

• Word Count: 608
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... pressure (also known as arterial hypertension) is described as an increase in the pressure of blood in the arteries. High blood pressure works against the heart and arteries, causing arterial disease. When you have high blood pressure; your heart has to work harder for it to pump blood throughout your entire body. When the heart is required to work extra hard for an extended period of time ... , it is likely to expand. If the heart is expanded a little, it can still work well but a heart that is enlarged too much can cause some serious problems. Many people feel just fine and live withou...

• Word Count: 275
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

... crack, coke, amphetamines (speed/uppers), methamphetamines (ice, glass, crystal meth), caffeine. The physical effects of these drugs are: increased heart rate, blood pressure and breathing. Increased energy, restlessness, loss of appetite. Long-term effects include: brain, lung, kidney, and heart damage. The psychological effects are: euphoria, depression, paranoia, hallucinations, and aggression. Depressants are drugs that ... a relaxed, dreamy state. Nicknames include: codeine, morphine, opium, heroine. The physical effects are pain relief, sleepiness, decreased heart rate, blood pressu...

• Word Count: 334
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... heartbeat Numbness and tingling in hands and feet Coughing up blood Shortness of breath Health Hazards Hypertension accelerates hardening of the arteries, which may contribute to a stroke or heart attack. This can also lead to brain hemorrhage, kidney failure, heart failure, or blindness. Treatments The best way to treat hypertension is to just change your lifestyle (see Preventive Measures), but many times, patients need ... if a diuretic does not help bring your blood pressure down, and sometimes are used in combination with diuretics. Beta-adrenergic blockers work by blocking the eff...

• Word Count: 596
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... will result in lower risk for developing diabetes. Physical activity can also prevent diseases in different physiological system likes the cardiovascular. Exercise can strengthen your heart, which is a muscle, and the effect of this is congestive heart failure risk reduction and stable, normal blood pressure. The best method for strengthening and conditioning the heart muscle is plyometrics, or anything involved with jumping. In general, aerobic exercises are ... the best form because they will train your heart and lungs. Improving the circulatory system will result in improved breathin...

• Word Count: 576
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... to certain stimuli that an organism will perceive as being potentially harmful. These stressors can be physical like getting into a fight or the surrounding environment, or can be psychological like family difficulties or occupational problems. Different people respond in different ways towards different stressors. An event that seems very stressful to one person ... ) Whenever an organism perceives a situation as stressful it initiates a stress response which can be many different behaviors based upon the individual. Escape, avoidance or physical changes like increased heart rate, bloo...

• Word Count: 286
• Approx Pages: 1

... stress, television, videogames, and modernization. Obesity comes also with a lot of health risks which include hypertension, diabetes, stroke, and heart disease. First, stress is a major reason for obesity. This reason mostly applies to teenagers. Some teenagers along with drinking and smoking find the answer to stress eating unhealthy foods. After a hard strenuous day, they might like to eat something which will maybe ... clogged by a blood clot or some other particle. Therefore, parts of the body do not get enough nutrients and oxygen so cells cannot function and die. Heart disease is...

• Word Count: 771
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... diseases are atherosclerosis, hypertension, and arteriosclerosis. Hypertension is when the blood pressure is elevated and develops when the blood vessels get smaller. This causes the heart to pump and work harder than normal to push the blood through the small, narrow blood vessels. Hypertension is untreatable and might cause the heart to become larger and thicken the heart muscle. Throughout time the heart will need more oxygen to function, which can be ... this, you would need to eat healthy and maintain good shape. Arteriosclerosis is when the walls of the arteries lose their elastic...

• Word Count: 342
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

... were sicker than those who did not receive them, according to the report in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. As many as 5 million Americans suffer from heart failure, which is characterized by the heart's reduced ability to pump blood around the body, with half a million more diagnosed each year. It can be caused by high blood pressure, valve disease, clogged arteries and other cardiovascular ... cholesterol levels. In addition to their cholesterol-lowering properties, the drugs have been shown to reduce inflammation, which plays a role in heart failure; protect agains...

• Word Count: 597
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

According to the American Heart Association nearly 47 million people have metabolic syndrome. That's almost one of every six people. Many people seem to have metabolic syndrome but not everyone understands it. So what exactly is metabolic syndrome? Metabolic syndrome is a plethora of medical conditions such as increased blood pressure, high blood sugar levels, an excess of body fat around the waist, ... and abnormal cholesterol levels that combined could lead to an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Having one of these medical conditions does not necessarily mean you have ...

• Word Count: 505
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... calories, we face obesity with its attendant dangers. As school board members and parents we have a responsibility for the health and welfare of our children. Childhood and adolescence are the best times to develop good health and prevent disease. Heart disease, cancer, and stroke are the main causes of death in adults. Some major causes are poor diets, cigarette smoking, alcohol use, and physical ... inactivity. According to the American Heart Association study on cholesterol in kids, 1,500 children between the ages of 11 and 12 were subject ... to physical education once a week, eatin...

• Word Count: 336
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School