circulatory disorders

Question 1

heart attack

Answer 1

• complete blockage
• muscle of heart lacks oxygen and dies
  TREATMENT: angioplasty or coronary bypass surgery
  SYMPTOMS: chest pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, dizziness, nausea

Question 2

atherosclerosis

Answer 2

• hardening of the arteries, build up of plaque
• walls of arteries become less elastic, diameter gets smaller
  TREATMENT: diet/exercise (avoid fats), medication (aspirin to reduce clotting), angioplasty (artery opened up surgically inserting inflated balloon to widen vessel then removed)
  ANGINA: severe pain in chest area caused by lack of blood supply needed by tissues

Question 3

arteriosclerosis

Answer 3

• several conditions which the walls of arteries thicken and lose their elasticity
• build up of plaque inside arteries, as artery narrows bp increases
• may lead to angina, blood clots, shortness of breath, heart attack/failure
  TREATMENTS: aspirin, angioplasty, coronary bypass

Question 4

aneurysm

Answer 4

• bulge in an artery due to weakened area of arterial wall
• bp can cause it to grow larger over time
• if it bursts, internal bleeding can be fatal
  TREATMENTS: surgery, replacement with a patch made of synthetic material

Question 5

arrhythmia

Answer 5

• irregularity in speed/rhythm of heartbeat
• can lead to insufficient blood flow to brain/other organs
  TREATMENT: medication, artificial pacemaker (device attached under skin of chest and emits electrical impulses to control rate of heartbeat)

Question 6

stroke

Answer 6

• ischemic stroke occurs when clot in blood vessel blocks flow of blood to brain
• hemorrhagic stroke occurs when blood vessel in brain bursts and blood flows into surrounding brain tissue
  TREATMENTS: clot-busters, surgery, non-surgical procedures

Question 7

heart murmur

Answer 7

• blood doesn’t flow smoothly in heart
• blood leaks back through valve, causing hissing sound

Question 8

blood clots

Answer 8

stick to plaque in arteries
- can cause heart attack or stroke

Question 9

hypertension

Answer 9

• high blood pressure
• due to stress, obesity, diet, nicotine
• known as silent killer due to lack of symptoms
• vessels become weak and may rupture

Question 10

anemia

Answer 10

• blood contains less normal healthy rbc
• caused by blood loss, not enough hemoglobin to carry body’s required amount of oxygen
  SYMPTOMS: dizziness, fatigue, shortness of breath, headache
  TREATMENTS: dietary supplements

Question 11

hemophilia

Answer 11

• inherited disorder
• blood missing clotting proteins, doesn’t clot properly
  TREATMENTS: factor VIII injections, lifestyle changes

Question 12

leukemia

Answer 12

• cancer of wbc
• not able to fight infection
  TREATMENT: blood transfusions, chemotherapy, bone marrow transplant