Ionut Voinea Fisioterapeuta estagiario

Circulatory System
The circulatory system is a network that carries blood throughout the body. All animals except the simplest kinds have some type of circulatory system. The human circulatory system supplies the cells of the body with the food and oxygen needed to survive. At the same time, it carries carbon dioxide and other wastes away from the cells. The circulatory system also helps regulate body temperature and carries substances that protect the body from disease.

The Heart
The heart is a hollow, muscular organ

that pumps blood. It consists of two pumps that lie side by side. These pumps relax when taking in blood and contract as they send out blood. The left side of the heart is a stronger pump than the right side. The stronger pump receives blood from the lungs and sends it to cells throughout the body. The weaker pump receives blood from the cells throughout the body and sends the blood to the lungs.

The Blood Vessels

The blood vessels form a complicated system of connecting tubes

throughout the body. The three major types of blood vessels include: Arteries that carry blood from the heart, veins that return blood to the heart and capillaries that are extremely tiny vessels that connect the arteries and the veins. The blood consists of three types of formed elements: red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Red blood cells carry oxygen and carbon dioxide throughout the body. White blood cells help protect the body from disease. Platelets release substances that enable blood to clot. Platelets thus aid in preventing the loss of blood from injured vessels.

Questions related to cardiovascular diseases

Regular physical activity can reduce your chances of getting heart disease. 2. Most people get enough physical activity from their normal daily routine. 3. Exercise programs do not require a lot of time to be very effective.
1.

Answers
True. Heart disease is almost twice as likely to develop in inactive people. Regular physical activity (even mild to moderate exercise) can reduce this risk. 2. False. Most people are very busy but not very active. Every adult should make a habit of getting 30 minutes of low to moderate levels of physical activity daily( includes walking, gardening, and walking up stairs) 3. True. If you don t have 30 minutes in your schedule for an exercise break, try to find two 15-minute periods or even three 10-minute periods.
1.

Questions related to cardiovascular diseases

4. People who need to lose some weight are the only ones who will benefit from regular physical activity. 5. The older you are, the less active you need to be. 6. People who have had a heart attack should not start any physical activity program.

Answers
4. False. People who are physically active experience many positive benefits. Regular physical activity gives you more energy, reduces stress, and helps you to sleep better. 5. False. Although we tend to become less active with age, physical activity is still important. In fact, regular physical activity in older persons increases their capacity to do everyday activities. In general, middle-aged and older people benefit from regular physical activity just as young people do. 6. False. Regular, physical activity can help reduce your risk of having another heart attack. People who include regular physical activity in their lives after a heart attack improve their chances of survival and can improve how they feel and look.

What is cardiovascular disease?

Cardiovascular diseases are diseases of the heart

(cardiac muscle) or blood vessels (vasculature). However, in practice, when doctors use the term cardiovascular disease they usually mean diseases of the heart or blood vessels that are caused by atheroma.

Atheroma(atherosclerosis)
Patches of atheroma are like small

fatty lumps that develop within the inside the blood vessels. A patch of atheroma makes an artery narrower. This can reduce the blood flow through the artery. In time, patches of atheroma can become larger and thicker. Sometimes, a patch of atheroma may develop a tiny crack on the inside surface of the blood vessel. This may trigger a blood clot (thrombosis) to form over the patch of atheroma, which may completely block the blood flow.

Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction, commonly known as a heart

attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die. This is most commonly due to blockage of a coronary artery following the rupture of a vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque. The resulting restriction in blood supply and ensuing oxygen shortage, if left untreated for a sufficient period of time, can cause damage or death (infarction) of heart muscle tissue (myocardium).

 The most common symptom of an myocardial infarction is severe chest pain, which often feels like a heavy pressure feeling on your chest. The pain may also travel up into your jaw and down your left arm or down both arms. You may also sweat, feel sick and feel faint. You may also feel short of breath. The pain usually lasts more than 15 minutes - sometimes several hours. However, some people have only a mild discomfort in their chest when they have an MI. The pain can sometimes feel like indigestion or heartburn.

Symptoms of a myocardial infarction

What causes Heart Disease?

The most common cause of cardiovascular diseases is

cholesterol. There are two types of cholesterol: Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL) and High Density Lipoproteins (HDL). High blood pressure is another reason for heart attacks or strokes. High blood pressure can also cause the arteries to rapture, especially if they are hardened with atheroma. This will, as a result cause a stroke or a heart attack.

 Smoking is also a contributor to cardiovascular

diseases. Smoking increases risk of atherosclerosis not only in the arteries leading to the heart, but also to the legs and the aorta.

Risk factors
Lifestyle risk factors that can be prevented or changed: Smoking Lack of physical activity (a sedentary lifestyle) Obesity An unhealthy diet and eating too much salt Excess alcohol

Treatable or partly treatable risk factors: Hypertension (high blood pressure) High cholesterol blood level High triglyceride (fat) blood level Diabetes Fixed risk factors - ones that you cannot alter: A strong family history( if you have a father or brother who developed heart disease or a stroke before they were 55, or in a mother or sister before they were 65) Being male Severe baldness in men at the top of the head An early menopause in women Age( the older you become, the more likely you are to develop atheroma)

Diseases
Tip No.1: Don't Smoke: If you do smoke now, quit and change this habit. If you don't smoke, never start. It's struggling for some people, but the fact is: in the first year of quitting smoking, the risk of heart attacks can drop by 50 percent. Within 5 years, the risk of stroke is eliminated of quitting this bad habit. After 10 years persistance, the ex-smokers will have the same heart attack risk as those who never smoked.

 Tip No.2: Having Healthy Diet:

Heart friendly diet means eating foods that are low in fat, cholesterol and salt. This is integral to maintaining a healthy heart and circulatory system, thus do great to avoiding cardiovascular diseases.

 Tip No.3: Avoid Excessive Stress: Don't push

yourself too hard. Stress will definitely raise your blood pressure and adding burdens to your heart.

 Tip No.4: Exercise Regularly:

Exercises helps a lot to make us feel better. It can relives our stresses, burn extra fat, lowering blood pressure and strengthens our immune systems.

Heart Healthy Exercise Tips

Aerobic exercises done 30 minutes a day is excellent for increasing your

heart rate( climbing the stairs, a brisk walk, exercise machine, anything to get your heart rate up). Any moderate-intensity exercise like swimming, jogging, Pilates and yoga is good. Exercising your heart muscle means exercising your body. If you dont have time then fit shorter but more frequent periods of time, like 5-10 minutes several times a day throughout your day. Practice balance exercises to help prevent falls and injuries. Balance techniques are used frequently as exercises in yoga or more simple forms of balancing exercises such as walking heal-to-toe, standing on one foot, or standing up and sitting down without using your hands. Stretching exercises done twice a week helps keep flexibility, which is very important. Consider 10 minutes of stretching twice a week to improve your flexibility

General workout tips for heart disease patients

Be sure any exercise is paced and balanced with rest. Don't exercise outdoors when it is too cold, hot, or humid. High

humidity may cause you to tire more quickly; extreme temperatures can interfere with circulation, make breathing difficult, and cause chest pain. Make sure you stay hydrated. It is important to drink water even before you feel thirsty, especially on hot days. Extremely hot and cold showers or sauna baths should be avoided after exercise. These extreme temperatures increase the workload on your heart. If you walk in hilly areas, slow down when going uphill to avoid working too hard. Monitor your heart rate closely. If your exercise program has been interrupted for a few days (for example, due to illness, vacation, or bad weather you should start with a reduced level of activity and gradually increase it until you are back where you started.

What Should you Include in the exercise program?

Warm-up. This helps your body adjust slowly from rest to exercise. A

warm-up reduces the stress on your heart and muscles, slowly increases your breathing, circulation (heart rate), and body temperature. It also helps improve flexibility and reduce muscle soreness. The best warmup includes stretching, range of motion activities, and the beginning of the activity at a low intensity level. Conditioning. This follows the warm-up. During the conditioning phase, the benefits of exercise are gained and calories are burned. Be sure to check your heart rate. Don't overdo it. Cool-down. This is the last phase of your exercise session. It allows your body to gradually recover from the conditioning phase. Your heart rate and blood pressure will return to near resting values. Cool-down does not mean to sit down! In fact, do not sit, stand still, or lie down right after exercise. This may cause you to feel dizzy or lightheaded or have heart palpitations .The best cool-down is to slowly decrease the intensity of your activity. You may also do some of the same stretching activities you did in the warm-up phase.

Exercise precautions for people with heart disease

If you are too tired and are not sure if it is related to overexertion, ask yourself, "What did I do yesterday?" Try to change your activities by starting out at a lower level today (but do not exercise if you are feeling very overtired.

Avoid heavy lifting, pushing heavy objects, and chores such as raking, shoveling, mowing, and scrubbing. Chores around the house may sometimes be tiring, so ask for help. Avoid even short periods of bed rest after exercise since it reduces exercise tolerance. If you become overly fatigued or short of breath with exercise, take a rest period in a comfortable chair.
Avoid extremely hot and cold showers or sauna baths after exercise.

 Do not exercise if you are not feeling well or have a fever. Wait a few

days after all symptoms disappear before starting your exercise program If you are short of breath during any activity or have increased fatigue, slow down your activity level or rest. Keep your feet raised or elevated when resting. If you continue to have shortness of breath, call your doctor. If you develop a rapid or irregular heartbeat or have heart palpitations, rest. Check your pulse after you rest for 15 minutes -- if your pulse is still above 120 beats per minute, call your doctor for further instructions. Do not ignore pain. If you have chest pain or pain anywhere else in your body, do not continue the activity. If you perform an activity while you are in pain, you may cause stress or damage on your joints. Ask your doctor or physical therapist for specific guidelines

Warning about exercise and heart disease

Stop exercising and rest if you have any of the following symptoms: Chest pain. Weakness. Dizziness or lightheadedness Unexplained weight gain or swelling Pressure or pain in your chest, neck, arm, jaw, or shoulder or any other symptoms that cause concern. Call your doctor if these symptoms do not go away.