Circulatory System
Blood travels through the 4 chambers of the heart at a rate of more than 2,000 gallons
per day.
Nearly 60,000 miles of vessels accompany the heart in this task.
Healthy Heart sustains a regular beat. The
beat can vary depending on factors including age, sex, activity and emotion.
Heart
Made up of muscles that facilitate
pumping action. 4 chambers, 2 upper = atria, 2 lower = ventricles
Route of Blood
Oxygen poor blood enters through
right atrium, then on to right ventricle. Then via pulmonary arteries to the lungs to pick up fresh supply of oxygen. Once
oxygenated, blood moves through pulmonary veins to the left atrium, then to left ventricle.
Blood Vessels - 3 types
- Arteries - thick-walled vessels carry blood from heart to all parts of the body
* If Arteries loose their elasticity
(ability to move blood through by swelling and contracting) arteriosclerosis or hardening of the arteries occurs, thus causing
the heart to work harder to perform its task of moving blood through the circulatory system.
- Capillaries - minute
blood vessels, connect the ends of the smallest arteries with the beginnings of the smallest veins
* Due to small size
and permeable walls, capillaries have the ability to reach every cell in the body and transfer substances, including nutrients
- Veins - tubular branching vessels that carry blood from the capillaries toward the heart
* Larger veins contain
valves, which prevent the back-flow of blood. If these veins become over stretched, valves become destroyed or incompetent,
sometimes resulting in vericose veins.
Health Factors
Poor circulation can lead to:
Heart Attack - obvious
Stroke
Kidney Disease
Varicose Veins
Blood Clots
Variety of other conditions that can kill or limit enjoyment
of life
Contributing Factors
High Blood Pressure (hypertension) "nutrition linked"
High Triglycerides and
cholesterol in the bloodstream "nutrition linked"
Smoking
Obesity
Heredity
Emotional Stress
~ Person
with 3 risk factors has six times risk factor of person with one risk factor.
~ Avoid this with no smoking, healthy diet,
regular exercise and stress management.