At the very beginning of the 17th century, there were no scientifically proven facts about the human circulatory system. Until a certain point, it was believed that the central point of blood flow is not the heart, but the liver. Everything changed in 1616, when the physician William Harvey declared that the beginning of blood circulation is the heart, and blood circulates through the vessels constantly.
How the circulatory system works
Blood circulation in the human body goes through two circles: large and small. According to the first, blood saturated with oxygen and nutrients is delivered to the periphery: organs and tissues. The beginning of the circle lies in the left ventricle of the heart, where the left atrium initially pushes the blood. The largest artery in our body, the aorta, originates from the left ventricle. Branching down to the smallest vessels, the system carries blood throughout the body. In the periphery, it enters the venules, and then into the veins. The latter, connecting, form the superior and inferior vena cava, which flow into the right atrium. This is where the systemic circulation ends.
Small circlecirculation
This circle is a little different. If in the large arterial blood flows through the arteries, and venous blood flows through the veins, as is commonly believed, then here it is arterial blood through the veins, and venous blood through the arteries. How so? Let's dive into the anatomy.
Small circle begins with the right ventricle, which again got blood through the atrium. Further, the path lies through the pulmonary trunk, and then into the vascular system of the lungs. The lungs are supplied by two main vessels: the right and left pulmonary arteries. The blood is saturated with oxygen and sent back to the heart in the left atrium through the four pulmonary veins.
Arterial blood is not the blood that flows through the arteries, but the one that is saturated with oxygen. It is the same with the venous - it carries metabolic products such as carbon dioxide. So it turns out that in a small circle in the veins - arterial blood, and in the arteries - venous.
Structure of the aorta
The artery is divided into three parts: ascending, descending and its arc. It originates from the opening of the aorta, which is located in the left ventricle, then goes up, bending into a kind of arc. Three large vessels depart from the arc: the left common carotid artery, the left subclavian and brachiocephalic trunk. After that, the vessel smoothly passes into the descending aorta. Here there is a conditional division into the chest and abdominal parts.
- The dimensions of the ascending aorta: length - about 5 cm, width - 3.2 ± 0.5 cm.
- Arc: Width 1.5 ± 1.2 cm.
- Down section: width 2.5 ± 0.4 cm.
Development of the cardiovascular system
From the third weekDuring pregnancy, the fetus begins to lay the cardiovascular system to begin the implementation of independent blood circulation. Development ends around the eighth week, that is, in general, the bookmark occurs in about 35 days. In this month, with a little, some women do not yet know about their pregnancy and do not change their habitual lifestyle, lifting weights, taking alcohol and medications that are prohibited for pregnant women. And it is from the fifth to the eighth week that all this affects the heart and blood vessels. Therefore, it is so important to lead a he althy lifestyle in the early stages. At the eighth week of pregnancy, the fetus begins to develop an interventricular septum and a septum separating the pulmonary trunk and aorta. So the heart turns into a four-chamber.
Functions of blood circulation
The contractions of the heart lead to the launch of blood flow through the body. Blood flows from highest to lowest pressure. In the arteries, this happens pulsatingly, under pressure, which we usually measure with a tonometer. Blood pressure is the first indicator that reflects the he alth of the cardiovascular system. It is divided into systolic and diastolic. Systolic is the pressure in the vessels during contraction of the ventricles, and diastolic is during relaxation. The difference between the indicators is called the average or pulse. According to the pressure and pulse data, you can initially assess the state of heart he alth.
Aortic aneurysm
Any organ of our body can get sick and the arteries are no exception. If atake exactly the pathology of the aorta, then the aneurysm is the most common of all.
What is this? This is an expansion of the vessel wall, a kind of protrusion, which is accompanied by a decrease in its wall. Statistically, men are the most affected. As you know, the male sex, in principle, has a predisposition to cardiovascular diseases. For example, meeting a woman suffering from coronary heart disease and having had a myocardial infarction is quite difficult, unlike men.
Complications
So, what threatens this condition? The most dangerous complication is rupture. As already noted, an aneurysm is a "bag" of a stretched vascular wall. Accordingly, it is quite fragile. For example, pressure will increase, the integrity of the wall will be violated, and in a matter of seconds internal bleeding will begin with the participation of all circulating blood (and this is 3-5 liters). Naturally, even with the provision of immediate medical care, the fate of the patient is already destined.
Symptoms
The first symptom that the patient will notice is chest pain. Most often it occurs in the morning after sleep. The aneurysm enlarges, the wall stretches more and more. The pain appears due to the presence of receptors in the wall.
There are distinctive symptoms of an aneurysm of the ascending aorta. Since the esophagus is nearby, and the aneurysm can put pressure on it, a symptom such as a violation of swallowing appears. If the trachea or the main bronchus is squeezed, then a reflex cough occurs, which is not stopped by any drugs.
Diagnosis
Any kind of cardiac discomfort requires the consultation of an appropriate specialist. If aortic pathology is suspected, the cardiologist directs the patient for echocardiography. This is the so-called ultrasound of the heart, on which you can see not only the operation of all valves and blood vessels, but also their sizes, which will be of most interest to the doctor in this situation. The study will record the width and length. We remind you that the diameter of the ascending aorta is normally 3.2 ± 0.5 centimeters. Next, the doctor who conducted the study will compare the indicators, write the conclusion of the study, and send them to the attending physician. If, nevertheless, the ascending aorta is dilated, and this diagnosis is made, then the cardiologist refers the patient to a cardiac surgeon for a consultation on a further plan of action. Treatment is usually surgical.
Induration of the walls of the ascending aorta
Reasons:
- atherosclerosis;
- old age;
- arterial hypertension;
- inflammation;
- syphilis;
- tuberculosis.
The most common cause of thickening of the ascending aorta, of those listed, is atherosclerosis. The wall of the artery thickens and thickens due to the deposition of cholesterol plaques in it. This pathology can lead to aneurysm, stratification of the walls of the artery, narrowing of the lumen of the vessel, which increases the load on the heart.
Comparison table of the ascending aorta in normal and pathological conditions.
| Norma | Pathology |
| He althy wall | Thickened wall |
| Soft, stretchy | Hard, dense |
| Same thickness on all sections | Has areas of thickening |
| Elastic, can stretch | Unstretchable |
Important symptoms and diseases that accompany this condition may include:
- chest pain;
- ischemic heart disease;
- aortic valve disease;
- left ventricular hypertrophy.
Is there a cure?
The appointment of a cardiologist depends entirely on the causes of the disease. If the cause is atherosclerosis, then a strict diet, anti-sclerotic drugs and antiplatelet agents are prescribed. With hypertension, the solution is its treatment. Unfortunately, there is no cure for old age.
