Disorders of the Circulatory System: Types, Causes, Prevention

Disorders of the circulatory system involve irregularity of the components of the circulatory system such as heart, blood vessels, arteries, veins, blood cells, lymph, lymphatic vessels, glands etc. Different groups of animals have evolved different kinds of circulatory systems from simple to complex ones. 

Humans have one of the most complex circulatory systems that function constantly to supply oxygen and nutrients to all the parts of the body. Thus, disorders of the circulatory system may lead to insufficient transportation of Oxygen, hormones and other nutrients to the tissues and the cells. Interruptions or blockages of the heart may cause some serious complications including heart attacks and strokes. These complications occur due to lifestyle as well as genetic factors.

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Human Circulatory System: A Brief Overview

The circulatory system, also known as the cardiovascular system is one of the most important organ systems of the body that primarily deals with the circulation of blood in the body and transports nutrients, oxygen, hormones, carbon dioxide, blood cells which help the body not only to provide nourishment to different sections of the body but also help in fighting diseases, maintain pH and temperature and overall homeostasis. The circulatory system also includes the lymphatic system that circulates lymph.

Circulatory and Lymphatic System

Significance of the Circulatory System

1. It helps to circulate nutrients and oxygen throughout the body.
2. It helps in gaseous exchange
3. It takes away the waste products that are being produced in the cells such as CO₂.

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Disorders of the Circulatory System

Disorders are the functional irregularities of the system. They may cause some severe implications on the human body that include death. Genetic disposition, lifestyle choices and stress level are some of the factors that create disorders in the circulatory system.

Here are some of the common disorders of the circulatory system described below-

Hypertension

When blood flows through arteries it puts some pressure against the wall of the artery itself. This pressure is known as blood pressure. In human beings, the normal range of blood pressure is 120/80 mm Hg where 120 is the systolic blood pressure and 80 is the diastolic blood pressure. High blood pressure or hypertension refers to blood pressure that is above or equal to 140/90 mm Hg. It shows that the heart has to work harder to pump blood to the various organs of the body.

Hypertension

High blood pressure or hypertension is also known as a ‘silent killer’ as it has no or mild symptoms but it may cause some serious harms that include issues with kidneys, eyes, brain, chronic nephritis, blindness, paralysis, etc.

• Symptoms- Mild blood pressure has almost no symptoms while severe blood pressure may result in headache, nose-bleed, shortness of breath, dizziness, etc.
• Causes- The main causes of hypertension include stress, kidney disease, obesity, thyroid problems, certain congenital issues, usage of contraceptive pills, etc.

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Atherosclerosis and Arteriosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is the narrowing of the arteries which takes place due to the deposition of cholesterol, fats, etc. on the inner lining of the arteries leading to the formation of plaques. As a result of deposition, the lumen of the artery decreases in diameter. Thus, for a continuous flow, the blood has to be pushed forcefully. If there is a complete blockage due to increased plaques it may cause a heart attack.

Atherosclerosis

In the case of Arteriosclerosis, the hardening of the arteries and arterioles takes place due to the thickening of the fibrous tissue and consequent loss of elasticity. Calcification of the artery wall makes it rigid. As a result, such arteries may rupture due to loss of their distension property.

Arteriosclerosis

• Symptoms- Usually they don’t have any symptoms until a heart attack or a stroke happens. It occurs suddenly. However, if some blockage is present in the carotid arteries that carry blood to the brain, then the symptoms like weakness, difficulty in breathing, even paralysis may manifest. Blockage in the coronary arteries may lead to chest pain, vomiting, sudden weakness in the arm or leg etc.
• Causes- High intake of cholesterol and fatty substances, consumption of alcohol, smoking, obesity, lack of exercise, high-stress level are some of the causes of these two circulatory disorders.

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Angina Pectoris

Angina Pectoris is a condition where chest pain occurs as the heart receives insufficient oxygen and nutrients through the blood vessels. It usually results from the arteriosclerosis of the coronary arteries. Here, the arteries are unable to expand much which leads to inadequate blood flow to the heart muscle at the time of stress when the heart is beating vigorously. A lack of oxygen causes pain in the heart muscle.

Angina Pectoris

• Symptoms- The main symptom is chest pain. Apart from that fatigue, dizziness, nausea, sweating etc. may have resulted.
• Causes- The causes of Angina pectoris include high blood pressure, diabetes, stress, obesity, use of tobacco, narrowing of the valves and blockage of major arteries.

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Heart Block

Heart block is a group of disorders of the circulatory system characterized by the presence of some obstruction or blocks in the electrical pathway of the heart. Due to the obstruction of the electrical pathway, the conduction of electrical impulses slows down resulting in improper contractions. In severe cases, the conduction of the electrical impulses may completely stop from the SA node to the ventricles.

Electrical System of the Heart

• Symptoms- The symptoms of this disorder include slowing down of heartbeats, arrhythmia, chest pain, sudden blackouts, shortness of breath etc.
• Causes- The main causes of the heart block are heart damage, muscle disorders, inflammation of the heart muscle, plaque in coronary arteries etc.

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Heart Attack

If there is a formation of a clot or thrombus in an already narrowed coronary artery, the blood supply may completely stop to some part of the heart. This part of the heart may die due to a lack of oxygen. This is called a myocardial infarction or heart attack. It may prove fatal if the affected area is large.

Heart Attack

• Symptoms- The symptoms of a heart attack include severe chest pain, breathlessness, nausea, vomiting, sudden dizziness, cold sweat, restlessness etc.
• Causes- The main cause of the heart attack is a high degree of blockage in the coronary arteries due to the formation of fat or cholesterol plaques.

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Stroke

The human brain requires oxygen to function when the blood flow to the brain completely cuts off the brain cells that suffer temporary or irreversible damage. It is known as a stroke.

Stroke

• Symptoms- the symptoms manifest depending on which part of the brain is affected. It may cause loss of speech, drooping face, weakness of arms or legs, paralysis or even sudden death etc.
• Causes- The causes include clotting in the artery carrying blood to the brain, rupture of some brain arteries, spasm of brain arteries.

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Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation, also known as arrhythmia, is the disturbance of the heart rhythm leading to an irregular heartbeat. The blood pressure drops. As a result, blood may not deliver enough oxygen to the organs.

Atrial Fibrillation

• Symptoms- The symptoms of arrhythmia include irregular heartbeat, pain in the chest, pressure in the chest, blackouts, breathlessness, fatigue etc.
• Causes- The main causes of this disorder of the circulatory system are hypertension, heart disease, pulmonary embolism, more alcohol intake, family history etc.

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Preventative Measures

Although there are some genetic causes behind the disorders of the circulatory system some preventative measures can be taken to keep them at the bay. Some of those preventative measures are-

• Reducing stress or tension
• Healthy and balanced diet
• Daily exercise
• Smoking should be quitted
• Regular check-ups
• Fatty, spicy food should be avoided after the age of 35.

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Things to Remember

• The Circulatory system is responsible for the proper supply of oxygen and nutrients to different tissues and organs. Disorders of the circulatory system may lead to some serious health consequences
• Hypertension happens when the blood pressure goes above 140/80 mm Hg. It is a silent killer with no or a few symptoms but may cause some severe health issues.
• Atherosclerosis is characterized by the narrowing of the arteries which takes place due to the deposition of cholesterol, fats etc. on the inner lining of the arteries leading to the formation of plaques. Here, the lumen of the artery decreases in diameter.
• Arteriosclerosis is the hardening of the arteries and arterioles due to the thickening of the fibrous tissue and consequent loss of elasticity. Such arteries may rupture due to loss of their distension property. It may result in Angina Pectoris.
• Heart Block is caused due to improper conduction of the electric impulses in the heart.
• In case of a heart attack, a certain portion of the heart tissue may die due to a severe lack of oxygen. It is caused due to the presence of the plaques in the arteries or the blood vessels.
• Stroke is characterized by insufficient or no blood flow to the brain due to disruption in the arterial system that carries oxygenated blood to the brain.
• Atrial fibrillation happens when there are some disturbances in the heart rhythm leading to the improper beating of the heart.

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