In circulatory failure, the victim is pale and listless, and visible veins sag. In cardiac insufficiency, the victim’s skin has a bluish tinge, the jugular vein is swollen, and he breathes noisily. The blueness stems from the fact that not enough oxygen is being supplied to the arterial blood , and the tissues also lack sufficient oxygen, while carbon dioxide mounts in the cells.
Treatment for heart failure includes rest, a special diet with lowered salt intake, medication(digitalis) to strengthen heart action, and diuretic medicines to control the excess of fluid.
Related Disorders
Hardening of the arteries and high blood pressure (hypertension) are two of the most common forms of diseases affecting the heart, and are found most frequently in the middle-aged or elderly person. The conditions may be present separately, although they are frequently associated. In the first, atherosclerosis, the walls of the arteries, and particularly the internal lining called the intima, may become roughened. Fatty deposits begin to collect. Fibrotic materials, and sometimes calcium, coat these deposits, and help to form what are known as atherosclerotic plaques. The damage spreads into the media, the muscular-elastic part of the artery, and causes loss of resiliency. These plaques fill the passageway, and gradually obstruct the flow of the blood. As the arterial walls are narrowed, it becomes more difficult for the blood to flow through the vessel.
Rise in blood pressure may be caused by a variety of factors, including emotional stress. In 90 percent of the cases, the specific cause remains undiscovered. It is believed that high blood pressure helps to speed the processes of hardening of the arteries and other blood vessel diseases.
Hardening of the arteries and high blood pressure are chiefly responsible for STROKES (Known as celebrovascular accidents), which are caused by clogging or hemorrhaging of an artery in the brain or in an artery in the neck leading to the brain. The walls of an artery may have lost their smoothness and elasticity and collected the deposits typical of hardening of the arteries, or the artery may have been clogged by a blood clot from the heart. An area of the brain to which the blood supply has been interrupted is injured, as a result of which some muscular function controlled by the brain cells may be temporarily or permanently lost.
Another disease related to diseases of the heart and blood vessels is NEPHRITIS (Bright’s disease), or inflammation of the kidneys, which can cause high blood pressure. The heart works under the high pressure handicap, as in other types of hypertension. An acute attack of nephritis may so injure the capillaries, the tiniest blood vessels, that fluid settles in the tissues, causing swelling in various parts of the body.
Prevention and Care
Guarding against heart ailments involves a reasonable consideration for the amount of work the heart is accustomed to doing. For example, a man over 40 should remember that a burst of unusual physical work or strenuous sport creates a strain on a heart that is accustomed only to a sedentary life. Extra weight places an extra burden on the heart. Fears of heart trouble can also be harmful. It is wise to have regular medical check-ups, and take intelligent care of one’s health, and to maintain a sensible approach to life between examinations. This includes avoiding excessive use of tobacco, following a well-balanced diet, taking regular exercise, and maintaining a good balance between work, social life and rest.
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