What is venous air embolism? Venous air embolism is when air enters the blood circulating back to the heart. It is not a common condition but has serious and severe consequences – it may even lead to death. Most cases of venous air embolism arises with medical procedures, hence the term ‘iatrogenic’. It >> Read More ...
What is aortitis? Aortitis is a condition where the aorta is inflamed. It is a form of vasculitis – inflammation of a blood vessel. More correctly, it is known as arteritis because the inflammation affects an artery. While every type of vasculitis has clinical implications, aortitis may be very serious due to the >> Read More ...
The heart wall has three layers and the thickest of these is the middle muscular layer. This is known as the myocardium. It is also the most active part of the wall since the heart is a pump that contracts and relaxes to circulate blood. Even a minor injury or damage of the heart muscle can affect blood circulation, lead >> Read More ...
What is a fluttering heart? A fluttering heart or heart flutter is commonly used to describe certain chest symptoms or cardiovascular conditions. It is not a specific medical term but in most instances it describes palpitations – the perception of the heart beating harder or faster. The term fluttering heart >> Read More ...
Acute Ischemic Colitis Acute ischemic colitis refers to an inflammation of the colon (a part of the large intestine) due to impairment of the blood flow to the colon. Sudden left side abdominal pain and blood in the bowel movement, appearing in a person after 50 years of age, are characteristic symptoms. The resulting >> Read More ...
What Is Blood Pressure (BP)? Blood pressure, abbreviated BP, is the pressure of the blood against the arterial walls. Blood pressure results from the force of the heart that pumps the blood into the arteries, and the force of the arteries as they resist the blood flow. Why Are Two Values in the Blood Pressure Reading? >> Read More ...
What Is The Heart The heart (in Latin cor; in Greek kardia) is a muscular organ that pumps the blood through the vessels, supplying the body cells with oxygen and nutrients. Together with the brain, the heart is the center of one’s personality and emotional life. Location of the Heart The heart lies in the middle of >> Read More ...
Congestive heart failure (CHF) or congestive cardiac failure (CCF) affects about 5 million individuals in the United States and accounts for more than half a million deaths a year. Congestive heart failure is a condition characterized by the inability of the heart to pump adequate blood to meet the requirements of the >> Read More ...
A heart attack (myocardial infarction) is death of a portion of the muscular heart wall as a result of severely reduced blood supply. It is most commonly due to a blockage in the coronary artery which supplies oxygen-rich blood to the heart wall. An occlusion that causes injury but not death to the heart wall over a period >> Read More ...
Angina pectoris is the most common type of ischemic heart disease. Decreased blood flow to the heart muscle, usually at times of increased cardiac demand, elicits pain that is relieved upon rest or with the use of nitrates. The blood supply to the heart is compromised, most often due to coronary artery disease. Increase in >> Read More ...
