Cardiovascular system in our body - Essay Example

Cardiovascular system in our body Introduction Writings on the circulatory system can be traced back to the 16th century BCE, to records such as a primeval Egyptian medical papyrus, which recorded medication and prescriptions, which were spiritual and physical. The primordial Egyptians believed that air entered the body through the mouth before proceeding to the lungs and the heart. Cardiovascular system, as the name shows, is a combination of two words. The word cardio came from the heart and vascular from the vessels. Therefore, the system formed by the heart and vessels in our body is called the cardiovascular system. The system is also referred to as the circulatory system. For several years, people have been enthralled by the cardiovascular system. This is probably because; during those times people mostly believed that life was associated with the beating of the heart. The people of the earlier periods only used to have a hazy and common notion, about the cardiovascular system. However, as time progressed and people witnessed advancement in technology, the real purpose of this significant system and its components was attained. Currently, we are knowledgeable to understand that the cardiovascular system is integral, in carrying oxygen and nourishment the human body cells. The heart and blood, as well as blood vessels, are the chief apparatus of this vital system. Although the cardiovascular system was covered immensely, and written about, it was hardly understood. The circulatory system parts were discovered, identified and recorded earlier, before they were even understood how they functioned. For instance, the early Greek physicians associated the arteries with air delivering throughout the body, and to them nothing else contributed to this function. Incredibly, this notion was believed until twelve centuries later, when the veins and arteries were associated with their main function of transporting the significant body fluid referred to as blood. Furthermore, even as late as the 4th century BC, a period during which a physician of the hippocratean order, discovered the heart valves, the true comprehending of their chief function would evade the physicians for another thirteen hundred years, before it was established (Cobb, P. 1). The clear variation between the arteries and veins was discovered by Herophilus, who was a Greek physician, between 335-280 BC. He made most of his discoveries, by conducting scientific dissection of a human corpse, or through a systematic vivisection of living humans. After his death, dissection was rendered illegal, and it took over eighteen hundred more years before the studies were later resumed. Erasistratus, who was Herophilus’ apprentice, discovered that, when a cut was made on the arteries of a living patient, blood would spill. Claudius Galanus in (AD 129 200/217), which was five hundred years following the death of Herophilus, made a clear and distinct variation between the venous and the arterial system. He discovered that the venous system was responsible for transporting blood rich in nutrition, whereas the arterial system was concerned with transporting of the body heat. Further studies by William Harvey, who had previously described the veins’ valves without indicating their function, led him to declare that the human circulatory system was his discovery, in 1628. The capillary system, which links the veins and arteries, was identified by Marcello Malpighi, an Italian doctor, thirty years after Harvey’s claim. Although, by this period, the circulatory system had eventually been mapped, proper comprehension of the functions of the process, were not accomplished, until the 20th century. Even later years such as earlier 1900s, physicians were still dynamically explaining leeches and bloodletting. However, even in the modern era, studies are still ongoing to understand the cardiovascular system (Cobb, P. 1). The heart is a crucial organ that enhances the well being of people; thus entailing that it should be maintained in a suitable condition. However, problems have developed as well as numerous disorders of the cardiovascular system. The system is affected by conditions such as heart failure, hypertension and congestive heart failure. In the US hypertension is a common disease. Above 60 million cases in the US have been diagnosed and about ninety percent of them are primary-critical, idiopathic, which means that they have an established cause (Moisse, p. 1). Heart failure entails that the heart is incapable of pumping blood to other body parts, to ensure life sustainability. Moreover, other common problems currently resulting from affected cardiovascular system include; stroke, heart-attack, angina, heart valve problems, aneurysm, and coronary artery disease among others (Burns, Kenneth and James, P.152). Some changes in the system can have sudden effects, whereas some can have dissimilar time frame to show symptoms. In USA cardiovascular disease is a chief death cause, in populations. Any disturbance in our circulatory system can affect our daily routine, and in serious cases, it can affect the brain and sometimes lead to death (Hauptmann, et al, P. 240). Over a lengthy period, the cardiovascular disease, which results from the disruption of blood vessels and malfunction of the heart, has been diffusing and causing damage to people’s lives. The disease is among the chief causes of death among the American people ahead of even cancer (Hauptmann, et al, P. 240). Over a million people succumb to heart attacks and about twenty five percent of them, demise before they even get any medical help. According to a WHO research, an approximated 12 million people’s deaths result from heart diseases. The adage that prevention is preferable to cure is significant in these cases, since if earlier diagnosis in applied alongside the assistance of the patients’ symptoms, the deaths resulting from this disease will be minimized (Gibbs, P. 1). Unlike in earlier periods when the vascular disease was associated with the elderly, and hardly affected the youthful generations, the disease currently affects both the youthful and elderly. Currently, heart diseases are common among youthful people, even those between 20 and 40 years. Heart diseases have been historically related to high consumption of foods rich in cholesterol. The cholesterol affects the heart’s arteries, and the impasse of smooth flow of blood through them. This has been known to have immense effects on the heart, which pumps blood continuously, in the body. The heart is forced to mount more effort, to pump blood to other body organs. The reduced blood flow causes heart attacks and strokes. Therefore, to ensure that the cardiovascular system performs its functions diligently, populations should consume health foods that aid the development of this system, rather than those that weaken it, and lead to its malfunction. Contrasting to the past epochs, where the cardiovascular system diseases were hardly detected and given immediate attention, the present times permit for early recognition and healing of the diseases. Furthermore, advancement in technology has altered the way people collect data, study, learn and detect as well as heal the diseases. With expansion in the medical fraternity, it is easy to detect and treat heart diseases, a thing that seemed to be impossible in the past decades. Technology has made it practical and possible, for people to take quick measures, in addressing the cardiovascular system diseases. Additionally, in the past knowledge on the Cardiovascular system was limited thus leading to dire outcomes. However, in the contemporary world technology has availed information on the system, both in books, internet and other sources, allowing people to recognize the disorders even before visiting a doctor. So any damage in people's cardiovascular system can be detected, and treated in most conditions (Jonsson and Reiser, P. 122). Conclusion The cardiovascular system, is a vital element in human beings, and it should be well looked after, to protect it from any infections or diseases. Through data collection and better approaching, a healthy lifestyle will be achieved, assisting in decreasing life threatening hazards of this system. Therefore, individuals should watch fat contents in their body and exercise regularly to avoid heart diseases and live healthily. Works cited Burns, Elizabeth A, Kenneth Korn, and James Whyte. Oxford American Handbook of Clinical Examination and Practical Skills. New York, N.Y: Oxford University Press, 2011. Print. Cobb, Theresa. The history of discovery of the human circulatory system. Helium; where Knowledge rules. Accessed at, < http://www.helium.com/items/1550920-circulatory-system-blood-veins-arteries-greek-italian-physicians-history-herophilus-galen-da-vinci> Gibbs, R. Harry. Chapter 14History of Cardiovascular Disease. 2005. Accessed at, < http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK246/> Hauptmann, Michael, et al. Mortality from Diseases of epidemiology. Oxford journals. American Journal of epidemiology. 2002. 157(3). Pp 239-248. Jonsson, Egon and Reiser Stanley J. The history of the international journal of technology assessment in health care. Moisse, Katie. Andrew Breitbart Had History of Heart Problems. Abcnews. Article published March 1, 2012. Accessed at, < http://abcnews.go.com/Health/HeartDisease/andrew-breitbart-history-heart-problems/story?id=15825103#.T9jKtZgju1s> Read More