The circulation consists of the heart and the connected blood vessels. The heart is a pumping muscle the size of a fist located in the middle of the chest between the lungs.
The deoxidized blood from the body enters the right side of the heart where it is pumped into the lungs to be oxidized. The left side of the heart gets the oxidized blood back from the lungs and pumps it out into the body in increasingly small blood vessels (arteries) where the blood performs all of its essential tasks: Oxygen and nutrients are liberated to the cells and waste products from metabolism are liberated to the blood. The deoxidized blood returns to the heart through the veins.
The blood vessels from the heart are called arteries and the blood vessels leading to the heart are called veins.
Blood consists of red blood corpuscles carrying oxygen and carbon dioxide, white blood corpuscles which are part of our immune system, blood platelets assisting in the coagulation process, and plasma consisting of water, proteins, and salts. Furthermore, the blood carries hormones, enzymes, antibodies, cholesterol etc.
Symptoms from a cardiovascular disease can be very anxiety-provoking.
Calcification
Here meaning atherosclerosis starting with damage of the blood vessel wall. Blood platelets will fill in and result in white blood cells, LDL cholesterol, calcium, and fat being deposited in the vessel wall.
Depending on the amount of protective antioxidants and other factors, the calcification process of the vessels can either be reversed or deteriorate. If the depositing, however, finally has reached a point where it completely clogs up the vessel, a blood clot has formed. The symptoms depend on which kind of tissue the dead tissue is that was supplied with oxygen and nutrients by the blood vessel.
Angina pectoris (AP)
The meaning of the word is heart cramp. It is often accompanied by oppressive, attack-like chest pains most often radiating out into the left arm but radiation into other places have also known to take place. An acute attack is often triggered by stress, exertion, a large meal, or cold. AP is a sign of disease in and lack of oxygen supply to the heart. Most often it is caused by calcification of the coronary arteries of the heart. The risk of having these attacks which usually last for a couple of minutes increases with age.
Acute myocardial infarction - AMI
A suddenly occuring blood clot in the heart. The pumping function of the heart requires that the heart muscle itself is being supplied with blood filled with oxygen and nutrition. A blocking of a blood vessel that supplies the heart with blood will cause part of the cardiac tissue to die. The symptoms of a cardiac blood clot are pains behind the sternum which particularly often radiate out into the left arm (radiation into other places has, however, also known to take place).
Preceding indications may be chest pains lasting more than a few minutes. The person may have some or all of the following symptoms: Shortness of breath, paleness, nausea, dizziness and sweating.
In women, however, such a heart attack more often causes dizziness and breathlessness instead of chest pains. In severe cases, loss of consciousness can occur in relation to an attack. Sequelae of a myocardial infarction can be tiredness and depression.
Apoplexy - stroke
The condition is ordinarily called a stroke. It is a generic term for suddenly occuring interrupted blood supply to the brain resulting from a blood clot occuring in the brain, a blood clot breaking free from somewhere in the body and getting stuck in the brain, or a cerebral haemorrhage in which a cerebral artery bursts. In this case, as well as in the case of calcification, the surrounding area of the brain dies.
The symptoms of a stroke relate to the extent of the damage. At worst, loss of consciousness and finally death occurs. In relation to smaller damages, the symptoms come gradually but after an acute attack paralyzation of arms, legs, or the a whole side of the body might occur which often can be brought to function again through sustained rehabilitation.
A precondition for rehabilitation after a stroke is that there are intact brain cells to take over the function of the damaged ones. A diet with a high content of potassium also reduces the risk of severe sequelae after strokes.
Teeth and heart problems
In recent years researchers have become aware of the relationship between mouth bacteria and cardiac disease. Bacteria from cavities and gum disease can move into the blood stream and cause, for example, blood clots and damage the heart valves.
