Coronary Heard Disease is a condition which defines the blockage of arteries that supply blood to the heart. Our heart is a muscle and cannot function without oxygen. The blood flowing through the arteries contains oxygen, therefore the blockage of these arteries leads to the dysfunction of our heart muscle. As visible in figure 1, an artery of an individual with the condition of CHD has a lower rate of blood supply due to the clotting within the artery, while an individual that does not suffer such disease provides the heart with maximum supply of blood.
In figure 2, we can see that there are two main coronary arteries in the human heart, the left and the right, which separate into many smaller arteries in order to distribute the oxygen-filled blood throughout the entire heart.
However, once there is blockage in one artery, that doesn't cut down the circulation of blood throughout the entire heart, but only that particular part of the heart. This partial blockage leads to severe chest pain, which spreads towards the shoulders, arms, neck, upper back, the general area around the chest. This pain is also known as angina. However, if there is blockage in both main arteries, a heart attack occurs, which if strong enough may lead to death.
There are many ways that an unhealthy lifestyle leads to heart disease, such as smoking, diabetes, or obesity. A person's diet with high doses of cholesterol or fat causes plaque, also known as patches formed that cause clotting, to form on the inside of arteries, taking up space, therefore preventing blood flow. This condition is also known as atherosclerosis. On the other hand, CHD isn't only caused through and unhealthy living, sometimes there are genetic factors that determine the situation, and also aging. When we age, it is very possible that our artery walls form a more fixed, less elastic shape and become less flexible, limiting the efficiency of blood flow.
The usual symptom of CHD is angina, as mentioned above. However, there is a way of testing your heart activity in order to draw a reliable conclusion. One of the least painful and reliable ways to test your cardiovascular health is through an electrocardiogram or EKG test. Stress testing is also another way to test your health. Whether the stress testing shows abnormality in one's blood pressure or heart rate, length of breaths taken or condition of the chest pain, it is likely one is diagnosed with CHD. Other ways doctors test this disease is through blood samples and X rays as well.
The positive aspect is that there are medications and ways to improve your daily life and treat this condition. The main way to not only treat, but also avoid CHD is by making healthy diet and life choices, which include avoiding smoking, forming a low fat, salt and sugar diet, and exercise. On the other hand, if one;s condition is much more severe and cannot be cured with only changing their lifestyle, medications will be suggested by a doctor which will raise the level of oxygen within an individual's blood stream and cause their heart to work more efficiently. Lastly, another way that severe heart conditions are cured is through surgery, all including the increase of blood supply to one's body. Figure 3 provides a visual representation of three effective ways to treat this disease. As already mentioned, medication and surgery, but also angioplasty which has multiple methods to insert tools inside the artery and separate the plaque into small fragments that are later washed away by the blood.
Works Cited:
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| Figure 1: comparison beween a healthy and clotted artery. |
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| Figure 2: Human heart diagram with labelled coronary arteries |
However, once there is blockage in one artery, that doesn't cut down the circulation of blood throughout the entire heart, but only that particular part of the heart. This partial blockage leads to severe chest pain, which spreads towards the shoulders, arms, neck, upper back, the general area around the chest. This pain is also known as angina. However, if there is blockage in both main arteries, a heart attack occurs, which if strong enough may lead to death.
There are many ways that an unhealthy lifestyle leads to heart disease, such as smoking, diabetes, or obesity. A person's diet with high doses of cholesterol or fat causes plaque, also known as patches formed that cause clotting, to form on the inside of arteries, taking up space, therefore preventing blood flow. This condition is also known as atherosclerosis. On the other hand, CHD isn't only caused through and unhealthy living, sometimes there are genetic factors that determine the situation, and also aging. When we age, it is very possible that our artery walls form a more fixed, less elastic shape and become less flexible, limiting the efficiency of blood flow.
The usual symptom of CHD is angina, as mentioned above. However, there is a way of testing your heart activity in order to draw a reliable conclusion. One of the least painful and reliable ways to test your cardiovascular health is through an electrocardiogram or EKG test. Stress testing is also another way to test your health. Whether the stress testing shows abnormality in one's blood pressure or heart rate, length of breaths taken or condition of the chest pain, it is likely one is diagnosed with CHD. Other ways doctors test this disease is through blood samples and X rays as well.
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| Figure 3: ways to treat coronary heart disease (medications, angioplasty, and surgery). |
Works Cited:
"How is coronary heart disease diagnosed?" National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. N.p., n.d.Web. 21 Jan. 2016. <http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/cad/diagnosis>.
"Coronary Heart Disease." British Heart Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Jan. 2016.<https://www.bhf.org.uk/heart-health/conditions/coronary-heart-disease>."Heart Disease Health Center." WebMD. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Jan. 2016. <http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/guide/heart-disease-coronary-artery-disease>."Cholesterol Health." BergaMet. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Jan. 2016. <http://bergamet.co.uk/cholesterol-health>."Treatment of Coronary Artery Disease." Heart Point. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Jan. 2016.<http://www.heartpoint.com/treatcoronaryartdis.html>.
Very well written and well formatted - you've given an interesting and detailed explanation of CHD, though you have not discussed much about the possible root causes of CHD.
ReplyDeleteWWW: I liked how there were pictures throughout to help me with my understanding.
ReplyDeleteEBI: the works cited part did not take up so much space, and some hyper links were included.
WWW: good usage of pictures and citations. I think that you have explained everything clearly and met all the requirements.
ReplyDeleteEBI: You could have included hyperlinks or maybe some quotations.
WWW: good usage of pictures and citations. I think that you have explained everything clearly and met all the requirements.
ReplyDeleteEBI: You could have included hyperlinks or maybe some quotations.