The cardiovascular system, by providing a constant blood flow, supplies oxygen and nutrients to all internal organs of a person every second, and therefore its value is undeniably high. And that is why, when the slightest violations occur in it, cascade reactions of failures are caused in all other systems, and therefore symptoms always appear. But how is the examination of the heart and blood vessels performed? There are many methods for this.
Inspection
When a patient first visits a therapist either for a preventive purpose (physical examination) or with specific complaints, the specialist must necessarily examine the heart area and conduct the simplest studies of this organ and its branches. So, first of all, the doctor conducts a general examination of the patient, paying attention to his skin (with diseases of this system, pallor and even cyanosis, dense cold swelling, small hemorrhages are possible), the state of visible mucous membranes (injection of the sclera, white plaque at the root of the tongue),development of the musculoskeletal system (hypotension, weakness, dystrophicity or, conversely, obesity), the nature of the pulse (its presence and synchrony on both hands, the conduction of the pulse into the cervical veins). Further, the doctor necessarily conducts such an examination of the heart as percussion of its borders, which can reveal hypertrophy of individual chambers. Be sure to auscultate it with counting the number of heartbeats, detailing its tones, rhythm, possible pathological noises.
Anamnesis
Finally, blood pressure is measured, as it is an important indicator of the state of the cardiovascular system. Further, the doctor must detail the complaints, because a complete examination of the heart includes a detailed history. So, diseases of the cardiovascular system are characterized by pain in the chest (often of a pressing, compressive nature) or, more precisely, behind the sternum, shortness of breath (appears with increased physical exertion in the norm, and in pathology - with slight exertion or even at rest), heart palpitations and feeling of any "interruptions" in the work of the heart, manifestations of high blood pressure (headaches, dizziness, heaviness in the body). Be sure to find out the time of their appearance, the factors that provoke and eliminate them, the intensity.
Other important aspects
Also included in the examination of the heart is that the patient is asked what he associates the development of his disease with, thereby identifying risk factors. Yes, it can be strong.emotional shock the day before (death of a loved one, stress at work), lifting weights or performing difficult physical work. Symptoms also appear with changes in weather conditions. Also an important criterion is heredity, because most diseases (diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension, coronary heart disease) tend to be passed on to the next generation. As a rule, a correctly collected anamnesis gives 50% of the patient's clinical diagnosis. After talking with the patient and conducting his examination, the doctor must send his ward for a heart examination. You should remember the anatomy and physiology of this organ.
A bit about a normal heart
So, it is, roughly speaking, a pump, consisting mainly of muscles and a complex system of blood vessels. Inside it there are four chambers that communicate with each other in a strictly defined way and ensure the constant movement of blood. And in order for the heart itself to continuously contract and relax, there are conductive structures in its tissues through which the nerve impulse passes, thereby causing alternate muscle tension in each chamber and opening and closing of the valves between them. Therefore, all methods of examining the heart can be directed either to visualization of the anatomy of this organ (ultrasound, Doppler mapping, computed tomography, chest x-ray, radioisotope methods) and directly to the arteries and veins (probing of the main vessels, angiography, coronary angiography), or to studythe state of his conducting system (electrocardiography, bicycle ergometry), or for the audialization of his tones and noises (phonocardiography).
Echocardiography
As you can see, the examination of the heart must certainly be detailed, detailed, without losing sight of anything. Because the defeat of the cardiovascular system can be both a manifestation of an independent disease, and a consequence of the pathology of another system. If we talk about visual diagnostic methods, then the first thing that comes to mind is Echo-KG or, as it is also called, ultrasound of the heart. What the device shows during this important study can be guessed logically. By penetrating ultrasound deep into the tissues and returning them back, an image appears on the screen that allows you to assess the structure of the heart, the size of its cavities, the condition of the valves and main vessels. Plus, this method is non-invasive and takes place without radiation, and therefore it can be used even by pregnant, lactating and children. Although more effective CT scans still cannot replace ultrasound as a diagnostic tool.
Ultrasound Benefits
At different stages of gestation, a woman periodically undergoes an ultrasound of the heart for the fetus, which shows an open ductus arteriosus, stenosis of the vascular mouths, prolapse or valve insufficiency, the condition of the interventricular and interatrial septum and other congenital malformations. Another important advantage of this method for the patient and the medical institution isits relative cheapness, the possibility of its outpatient conduct, the short duration of the study, as well as the instantaneous acquisition of a picture and interpretation of all data. That is why it is so popular to use for diagnosing ultrasound of the heart.
What vascular research shows
In obese people, as well as patients with diabetes mellitus, the most common lesions of the cardiovascular system are atherosclerotic lesions of blood vessels, as well as hyalinosis of their walls. Therefore, it is so necessary to examine the vessels of the heart, because only they nourish this important organ, and its work requires a huge amount of energy and nutrient substrates. So, first, a catheter is inserted into the femoral or subclavian artery, through which the vessels are filled with a contrast agent, clearly visible on the x-ray screen. The most important method for atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction is a coronary examination of the heart vessels. It reveals their patency, the correctness of their course. Also, under his control, many operations are carried out on this important organ.
Results
Thus, there are currently a lot of methods for studying cardiac and vascular pathology, but each of them has strict indications and contraindications, and therefore it is economically unrealistic and diagnostically meaningless to conduct them for everyone and everyone. That is why the key link is precisely a competent doctor who will carefully procurate the patient and prescribe the necessary treatment or send him to a more competent institution.
