Heart &lung diseases

By Ida Carlens & Vanessa Rowhani

The heart

• Is a muscle about the size of your fist

• Weighs approximately 1 pound

• Pumps about 4.7 litres of blood every minute

• Is located just to the left of your breastbone

What is heart disease ?what causes heart disease ?

• Heart disease is a general term that relates to many heart conditions.

• Heart disease is caused by a number of things like:• Atherosclerosis- This is a build up of fatty materials

within the walls of the arteries throughout the body, most importantly in the coronary arteries.

Pulmonary Hypertension

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a rare lung disorder in which the blood pressure in the pulmonary artery rises far above normal levels. At the same time as the pressure rises, the walls of the blood vessels (pulmonary arteries) become thicker. PH can occur with or without an identifiable or known cause.

Pulmonary Hypertension (continued…)

During periods of exercise, such as walking, the muscles need more oxygen to provide them with extra energy. So the body adapts to this increased oxygen demand by increasing the heart rate which increases the amount of blood flowing through the lungs.

For this to happen the pulmonary arteries have to be able to open wider.

Pulmonary Hypertension (continued…)

In patients with PH the vessel walls are thicker and therefore the vessels become less flexible. This makes it harder for the right ventricle to pump more blood through the lungs.

However if the heart has to work harder than usual over a long period of time (months and often years) without a rest, it begins to work much less effectively.

Atrial myxoma

• An Atrial myxoma is a non-cancerous tumour.• It grows on the wall (atrial septum) that

separates the two sides of the heart.• Myxomas are more common in women. • About 10% of myxomas are inherited.They

tend to occur in more than one part of the heart at a time

• About 75% of cardiac myxomas are in the left atrium

Atrial myxoma

Some questions

Are myxoma’s more common in men or women ?

They are more common in Women

Is An Atrial myxoma a cancerous tumour?

No ,it’s a non-cancerous tumour .

Coronary heart disease

• It is the most common type of heart disease that results from atherosclerosis , the gradual buildup of plaques in the coronary arteries, The blood vessels that bring blood to the heart.

• This disease develops slowly and silently, over decades. It can go virtually unnoticed until it produces a heart attack.

Some Questions

What causes heart disease ?

Fatty deposits of cholesterol

What is heart disease ?

Heart disease is a general term that relates to many heart conditions.

Some questions

How can you lower the risk of heart disease in your body (list 2 or more ways)?

• Stop smoking

• Control high blood pressure

• Control blood cholesterol

• Be physically active

• Maintain a healthy weight

Key words

Atherosclerosis- This is a build up of fatty materials within the walls of the arteries throughout the body, most importantly in the coronary arteries.

Cholesterol -A fat-like substance that is made by the body and is found naturally in animal foods such as meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and dairy

Label Label the following things on the diagram:

•Aorta •Left ventricle•Left atrium•Right ventricle•Right atrium •Right pulmary veins •Left pulmary veins