The heart is responsible for pumping oxygen rich blood throughout the body to organs and tissues. When this function of the heart is compromised, it is called heart failure. Several factors can increase the risk for developing heart failure. These...
Your heart has four valves, located between the upper and lower chambers of the heart and at the bottom of the heart. Their job is to open as the heart pumps blood and then close to prevent the blood from flowing in the wrong direction. Sometimes...
The heart is the power generator for the body that allows for blood, oxygen and nutrients to be sent to different organs. When the heart malfunctions and is unable to perform this task, this condition is known as heart failure. This might be due...
Pulmonary hypertension occurs when the force of the blood pushing against the walls of the arteries that supply the lungs increases to abnormal levels. In its early stages, pulmonary hypertension typically causes no symptoms; however, as it...
The heart is an important organ in the body because it provides the power needed to keep it functioning. It pumps the blood around the body and allows for blood, oxygen and nutrients to be delivered to the different organs. Congestive heart...
Rheumatic heart disease encompasses a variety of heart abnormalities, the most of common of which is a damaged heart valve. Rheumatic heart disease is caused by a bacterial infection that travels to the heart. If the infection is not treated in...
If you have a family history of heart disease or current cardiovascular problems, a heart murmur diagnosis may require more than a listen with a stethoscope. Depending on the type of sounds your heart makes, your age and other factors, your doctor...
The heart muscle consists of four chambers. There are two upper chambers or atria and two bottom chambers called ventricles. There are also four heart valves, and their job is to keep blood flowing in the right direction. As the heart pumps...
Congenital heart disease refers to any structural abnormalities of the heart that are due to inherited defects, including valve defects, patent foramen ovale (PFO) and Tetralogy of Fallot. Some congenital heart diseases have little or no...
Primary heart cancer is exceedingly rare. The incidence of all heart tumors is only 0.28 percent with only 23 percent of those tumors being malignant cancers, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information. Benign tumors are...
Staphylococcal bacteria commonly inhabit the skin and interior of the nose. Microscopic or visible breaks in the surface barrier of the body--the skin and mucous membranes--provide an opportunity for these bacteria to cause localized infections....
Your heart contains four chambers and four valves. The valves are located between the upper and lower chambers and at the bottom of the lower chambers. As your heart muscle pumps blood through the chambers and throughout your body, these valves...
Beating approximately 60 to 70 times per minute throughout our lives, the human heart plays a vital role in survival, pumping life sustaining blood throughout our bodies. The heart's pumping action occurs in two distinct steps. First, blood...
Blood tests called heart damage markers, or cardiac enzymes, detect injury to the heart muscle by displaying an increase in normal levels. The blood test most commonly used called creatine kinase, or CK for short, confirms the existence of heart...
An atrial septal defect is a congenital condition in which a hole is present in the wall separating the two upper chambers, or atria, of the heart. This opening can adversely affect the flow of oxygenated blood throughout the heart, lungs and...
Congestive heart failure is a medical condition in which the heart is unable to pump enough blood in order to meet the needs of the body. Commonly, this happens over time as arteries narrow in the heart, or high blood pressure leaves the heart...
The human heart beats approximately 115,000 times per day. Listening to the heart can tell a great deal about a person's overall health and well-being. You can listen to your heartbeat with a stethoscope if you need a precise check on how your...
The term cardiomegaly means that your heart muscle is enlarged. It is a symptom of another underlying condition. Pregnancy and chronic medical conditions can stress the heart muscle, making it work harder than normal, which causes it to enlarge....
An enlarged heart, medically known as cardiomyopathy, is a condition in which the muscles in the heart gradually weaken. The Mayo Clinic says that cardiomyopathy symptoms include leg swelling, trouble breathing with exertion, fatigue and...
The carotid arteries are located in your neck and supply your brain with blood and oxygen. Carotid artery stenosis, or carotid artery disease, occurs when these arteries start to narrow. In most cases this is due to the develop of atherosclerosis,...
The circulatory system, also called the cardiovascular system, is the system that includes the heart, the lungs and the blood vessels. Circulatory system diseases are common and affect approximately 64 million Americans, according to KidsHealth, a...
Infants with heart problems can have a wide variety of symptoms. Newborns with congenital heart defects have problems delivering oxygen-rich blood to the body. This happens because the heart is not strong enough to pump blood adequately, or if the...
The cardiovascular system is composed of the heart and blood vessels. The heart is a crucial muscle in the body that supplies the organs with the blood necessary to survive. Sometimes, certain bacteria can infiltrate the different heart muscle...
The largest artery in the body, the aorta, extends from the heart to the lower abdomen where it divides into a branch for each leg. The Society of Thoracic Surgeons state that an aneurysm is a weak section in the wall of the aorta that causes the...
The Mayo Clinic says that kyphosis is a condition in which the upper part of the back actually assumes a rounded position. Sometimes, this is referred to as a hunchback. Certain medical conditions that affect the bone, connective tissue and brain...
An examination of the respiratory system begins with paying close attention to chest symmetry, movement and the degree of expansion. The doctor will note the rate and nature of breathing, whether it sounds smooth and easy, deep and labored or...
Increased potassium, or hyperkalemia, interferes with the electrical currents of the body. The cells of the body rely on the flow of electrolytes such as sodium and potassium into and out of cells in order to function properly. Electrolyte...
Four heart valves direct blood flow through the four chambers of the heart. On the right side of the heart, the tricuspid valve keeps blood flowing in the right direction between the atrium, the upper chamber, and ventricle, the lower chamber. The...
Amyloidosis is a family of rare diseases that occur when an abnormal protein called amyloid builds up inside the organs. Amyloid is commonly created in the bone marrow, allowing it to be deposited into any tissue or organ. Cardiac amyloidosis...
