Heart and Circulatory System
Your circulatory system is made up of your heart, blood, blood vessels and lungs. In your circulatory system your heart pumps blood transporting nutrients, water and oxygen to your bodys cells. Your circulatory system allows your lungs to rid the body of waste and carbon dioxide and bring oxygen into your blood.
Exercise and healthy eating are two ways you can help keep your circulatory system healthy. Smoking does damage to healthy blood circulation. When you smoke the carbon monoxide and nicotine entering your body have negative effects on your blood and blood vessels and constrict circulation.
Signs of poor circulation include cold hands and feet, numbness, dizziness, migraines, varicose veins and pain in your feet or legs. Consult a doctor if you have these symptoms. Untreated, poor circulation can lead to stroke, high blood pressure, kidney damage and other diseases.
Recently Answered
- Q What is a treadmill stress test?
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A stress or treadmill test allows an electrocardiogram, or ECG, to be obtained while you walk on a treadmill. Your doctor will review this information to assess your heart's condition. Your doctor can assess the electrical activity of your heart as... Full Answer
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- Q Is a stress test safe?
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A stress test is a very safe diagnostic tool. You will be closely monitored during the test to keep exercise within safe limits. Very rarely, a person can have a heart attack during a stress test. Some patients may also experience low blood... Full Answer
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- Q Is a stress test risky or uncomfortable?
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The risk of something serious happening during a stress test - a heart attack, for example - is very small (about one in 5,000). The risk of major complications is generally dependent on the seriousness of your heart to start. Stress testing... Full Answer
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- Q How should I prepare for a cardiac stress test?
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Before your test, your healthcare provider will give you specific instructions. Here are some basic ways to prepare for a cardiac stress test: Tell your doctor about medications you are taking, including over-the-counter drugs and herbal... Full Answer
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- Q Is radiation exposure during a nuclear stress test dangerous?
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The benefit of the information obtained from a nuclear stress test, when done appropriately, far exceeds any danger from radiation exposure. However, pregnant women should not have a nuclear scan, and patients who have several procedures that involve... Full Answer
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- Q What is a nuclear (radiopharmacologic) stress test?
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A nuclear stress test is a blood-flow imaging exam done during a regular cardiac stress test. It involves injecting a small amount of radioactive chemical into a vein when you are exercising at your peak. Then, scans are taken while you lie in different... Full Answer
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- Q What can I expect when having a nuclear stress test?
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When having a nuclear stress test, do not have any caffeine 24 hours prior to your test and do not eat or drink anything but water for two to four hours before your appointment unless otherwise instructed by your physician. You should inform your... Full Answer
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- Q How is a stress test used to diagnose stable angina?
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Because stable angina is often related to increased physical activity, and therefore increased need for oxygen to reach the heart, monitoring the heart and blood pressure while you exercise is one way to learn about heart function. During a stress test,... Full Answer
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- Q How is a stress test used to diagnose angina?
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One type of angina, known as stable angina, is often related to increased physical activity. As your physical activity increases, your body has an increased need for oxygen to reach the heart, and when the heart can't receive this extra oxygen due to... Full Answer
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- Q How is a stress test performed?
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The most common type of stress test involves walking or running on a treadmill while an electrocardiogram (ECG) records the electrical activity in your heart. To prepare for this type of stress test, a nurse or technician will put sticky electrode... Full Answer
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