Brain Attack

A stroke is a medical emergency. Strokes happen when blood flow to your brain stops. Within minutes, brain cells begin to die. There are two kinds of stroke. The more common kind, called ischemic stroke, is caused by a blood clot that blocks or plugs a blood vessel in the brain. The other kind, called hemorrhagic stroke, is caused by a blood vessel that breaks and bleeds into the brain. "Mini-strokes" or transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), occur when the blood supply to the brain is briefly interrupted.

Symptoms of stroke are

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg (especially on one side of the body)
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding speech
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
• Sudden severe headache with no known cause

If you have any of these symptoms, you must get to a hospital quickly to begin treatment. Acute stroke therapies try to stop a stroke while it is happening by quickly dissolving the blood clot or by stopping the bleeding. Post-stroke rehabilitation helps individuals overcome disabilities that result from stroke damage. Drug therapy with blood thinners is the most common treatment for stroke.

Brain Stroke

Brain Aneurysm

A brain aneurysm is an abnormal bulge or "ballooning" in the wall of an artery in the brain. They are sometimes called berry aneurysms because they are often the size of a small berry. Most brain aneurysms produce no symptoms until they become large, begin to leak blood, or rupture.

If a brain aneurysm presses on nerves in your brain, it can cause signs and symptoms. These can include:

• A droopy eyelid
• Double vision or other changes in vision
• Pain above or behind the eye
• A dilated pupil
• Numbness or weakness on one side of the face or body

Treatment depends on the size and location of the aneurysm, whether it is infected, and whether it has ruptured. If a brain aneurysm ruptures, symptoms can include a sudden, severe headache, nausea and vomiting, stiff neck, loss of consciousness, and signs of a stroke. Any of these symptoms require immediate medical attention.

brain aneurysm

Blood Pressure Medicines

High blood pressure, also called hypertension, usually has no symptoms. But it can cause serious problems such as stroke, heart failure, heart attack and kidney failure. If you cannot control your high blood pressure through healthy lifestyle habits such as losing weight and reducing sodium in your diet, your doctor may prescribe medicines.

Blood pressure medicines work in different ways to lower blood pressure. Some remove extra fluid and salt from the body to lower blood pressure. Others slow down the heartbeat or relax and widen blood vessels. Often, two or more medicines work better than one.



What are some common medicines to treat high blood pressure?

There are several types of medicine used to treat high blood pressure. Your doctor will decide which type of medicine is right for you.

Diuretics (water pills) help your body get rid of extra sodium (salt) and water so your blood vessels don't have to hold so much fluid.

Diuretics

Beta-blockers make the heart beat slower so that blood passes through your blood vessels with less force.

beta blockers

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (also called ACE inhibitors) keep your body from making angiotensin II, a hormone that causes blood vessels to narrow. This relaxes your blood vessels.

ACE Inhibitors

Angiotensin II receptor blockers (also called ARBs) relax your blood vessels by blocking the effects of angiotensin II, a hormone that causes blood vessels to narrow.

Angiotensin II receptor blockers

Calcium channel blockers (also called CCBs) help keep your blood vessels from constricting (becoming narrow) by blocking calcium from entering your cells.

Calcium channel blockers 

Alpha-blockers help relax your blood vessels by reducing nerve impulses. This allows your blood to pass through more easily.

Alpha blockers

Alpha-beta blockers not only reduce nerve impulses, but also make the heart beat slower so the blood passes through the vessels with less force.

alfa beta blockers

Centrally acting drugs affect your brain and central nervous system to reduce the nerve impulses that can increase your heart rate and cause your blood vessels to narrow.

Direct vasodilators relax the muscles in the blood vessel walls. This causes the blood vessels to widen.
Do these medicines have any side effects?

All medicines have side effects. Some common side effects of high blood pressure medicines include the following:
Headache
Dizziness or lightheadedness
Nausea
Vomiting
Extreme tiredness, weakness, drowsiness or lethargy (lack of energy)
Diarrhea or constipation
Unintended weight loss or gain
Nervousness or increased anxiety
Chest pain, heart palpitations (the feeling that your heart is racing) or arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat)
Cough, fever, congestion, upper respiratory tract infection or "flu-like" symptoms
Skin rash

Tell your doctor as soon as possible if your side effects become severe or bothersome.
What is a drug interaction?

If you use 2 or more drugs at the same time, the way your body processes each drug can change. When this happens, the risk of side effects from each drug increases and each drug may not work the way it should. This is called a "drug-drug interaction." Vitamins and herbal supplements can also affect the way your body processes medicine.

Certain foods or drinks can also prevent your medicine from working the way it should or make side effects worse. This is called a "drug-food interaction." For example, people taking certain CCBs may need to avoid eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice.

Be certain that your doctor knows all of the over-the-counter and prescription medicines, vitamins and herbal supplements you are taking.

Also, ask your doctor whether you need to avoid any foods or drinks while using your blood pressure medicine.

Low Blood Pressure

You've probably heard that high blood pressure is a problem. So what about low blood pressure?

Blood pressure is the force of your blood pushing against the walls of your arteries. Each time your heart beats, it pumps out blood into the arteries. Your blood pressure is highest when your heart beats, pumping the blood. This is called systolic pressure. When your heart is at rest, between beats, your blood pressure falls. This is the diastolic pressure. Your blood pressure reading uses these two numbers. Both are important. Usually they're written one above or before the other, such as 120/80. If your blood pressure reading is 90/60 or lower, you have low blood pressure.

Some people have low blood pressure all the time. They have no symptoms and their low readings are normal for them. In other people, blood pressure drops below normal because of some event or medical condition. Some people may experience symptoms of low pressure when standing up too quickly. Low blood pressure is a problem only if it causes dizziness, fainting or in extreme cases, shock.

Blood Pressure

What are the causes of low blood pressure?

Conditions that reduce the volume of blood, reduce cardiac output (the amount of blood pumped by the heart), and medications are frequent reasons for low blood pressure.
Dehydration is common among patients with prolonged nausea,vomiting, and diarrhea. Large amounts of water are lost when vomiting and with diarrhea, especially if the person does not drink adequate amounts of fluid to replace the depleted water.

causes of dehydration

Other causes of dehydration include exercise, sweating, fever, and heat exhaustion, or heat stroke. Individuals with mild dehydration may experience only thirst and dry mouth. Moderate to severe dehydration may cause orthostatic hypotension (manifested by lightheadedness, dizziness, or fainting upon standing). Prolonged and severe dehydration can lead to shock, kidney failure, confusion,acidosis (too much acid in the blood), coma, and even death.

Moderate or severe bleeding can quickly deplete an individual's body of blood, leading to low blood pressure or orthostatic hypotension. Bleeding can result from trauma, surgical complications, or from gastrointestinal abnormalities such as ulcers, tumors, or diverticulosis. Occasionally, the bleeding may be so severe and rapid (for example, bleeding from a ruptured aortic aneurysm) that it causes shock and death rapidly.
Severe inflammation of organs inside the body such as acute pancreatitis can cause low blood pressure. In acute pancreatitis, fluid leaves the blood vessels to enter the inflamed tissues around the pancreas as well as the abdominal cavity, concentrating blood and reducing its volume.

Causes of low blood pressure due to heart disease
Weakened heart muscle can cause the heart to fail and reduce the amount of blood it pumps. One common cause of weakened heart muscle is the death of a large portion of the heart's muscle due to a single, large heart attack or repeated smaller heart attacks. Other examples of conditions that can weaken the ability of the heart to pump blood include medications that are toxic to the heart, infections of the muscle of the heart by viruses (myocarditis), and diseases of the heart's valves such as aortic stenosis.

weakened hearth muscle

Pericarditis is an inflammation of the pericardium (the sac surrounding the heart). Pericarditis can cause fluid to accumulate within the pericardium and compress the heart, restricting the ability of the heart to fill and pump blood.

Pulmonary embolism is a condition in which a blood clot in a vein (deep vein thrombosis) breaks off and travels to the heart and eventually the lung. A large blood clot can block the flow of blood into the left ventricle from the lungs and severely diminish the blood returning to the heart for pumping. Pulmonary embolism is a life-threatening emergency.

A slow heart rate (bradycardia) can decrease the amount of blood pumped by the heart. The resting heart rate for a healthy adult is between 60 and 100 beats/minute. Bradycardia (resting heart rates slower than 60 beats/minute) does not always cause low blood pressure. In fact, some highly trained athletes can have resting heart rates in the 40s and 50s (beats per minute) without any symptoms. (The slow heart rates are offset by more forceful contractions of the heart that pump more blood than in non-athletes.) But in many patients bradycardia can lead to low blood pressure, lightheadedness, dizziness, and even fainting.


Several common reasons for bradycardia include: 

1) sick sinus syndrome, 2) heart block, and 3) drug toxicity. Many of these conditions occur in the elderly.

Sick sinus syndrome: Sick sinus syndrome occurs when the diseased electrical system of the heart cannot generate signals fast enough to maintain a normal heart rate.


Heart block: Heart block occurs when the specialized tissues that transmit electrical current in the heart are damaged by heart attacks, degeneration from atherosclerosis, and medications. Heart block prevents some or all of the electrical signals from reaching parts of the heart, and this prevents the heart from contracting as well as it otherwise would.

Heart Block 

Drug toxicity: Drugs such as digoxin (Lanoxin) or beta blockers for high blood pressure, can slow the transmission of electricity in the heart chemically and can cause bradycardia and hypotension (see section below "Medications that cause low blood pressure").

digoxin

An abnormally fast heart rate (tachycardia) also can cause low blood pressure. The most common example of tachycardia causing low blood pressure is atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation is a disorder of the heart characterized by rapid and irregular electrical discharges from the muscle of the heart causing the ventricles to contract irregularly and (usually) rapidly. The rapidly contracting ventricles do not have enough time to fill maximally with blood before the each contraction, and the amount of blood that is pumped decreases in spite of the faster heart rate. Other abnormally rapid heart rhythms such as ventricular tachycardia also can produce low blood pressure, sometimes even life-threatening shock.

Medications that cause low blood pressure:

Medications such as calcium channel blockers, beta blockers, and digoxin (Lanoxin) can slow the rate at which the heart contracts. Some elderly people are extremely sensitive to these medications since they are more likely to have diseased hearts and electrical conduction tissues. In some individuals, the heart rate can become dangerously slow even with small doses of these medications.

Medications used in treating high blood pressure (such as ACE inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, and alpha-blockers) can excessively lower blood pressure and result in symptomatic low blood pressure especially among the elderly.

Water pills (diuretics) such as hydrochlorothiazide furosemide (Lasix) can decrease blood volume by causing excessive urination.

Medications used for treating depression, such as amitriptyline (Elavil),Parkinson's disease, such as levodopa-carbidopa (Sinemet), erectile dysfunction (impotence), such as sildenafil (Viagra), vardenafil(Levitra), and tadalafil (Cialis) when used in combination with nitroglycerine, can cause low blood pressure.
Alcohol and narcotics also can cause low blood pressure.

Other conditions that cause low blood pressure


Vasovagal reaction is a common condition in which a healthy person temporarily develops low blood pressure, slow heart rate, and sometimes fainting. A vasovagal reaction typically is brought on by emotions of fear or pain such as having blood drawn, starting an intravenous infusion, or by gastrointestinal upset. Vasovagal reactions are caused by activity of the involuntary (autonomic) nervous system, especially the vagus nerve, which releases hormones that slow the heart and widen the blood vessels. The vagus nerve also controls digestive tract function and senses activity in the digestive system. Thus, some people can have a vasovagal reaction from straining at a bowel movement or vomiting.

Postural (orthostatic) hypotension is a sudden drop in blood pressure when an individual stands up from a sitting, squatting, or supine (lying) position. When a person stands up, gravity causes blood to settle in the veins in the legs so that less blood returns to the heart for pumping, and, as a result, the blood pressure drops. The body normally responds automatically to the drop in blood pressure by increasing the rate at which the heart beats and by narrowing the veins to return more blood to the heart. In patients with postural hypotension, this compensating reflex fails to occur, resulting low blood pressure and its symptoms. Postural hypotension can occur in persons of all ages but is much more common among the elderly, especially in those on medications for high blood pressure and/or diuretics. Other causes of postural hypotension include dehydration, adrenal insufficiency (discussed later), prolonged bed rest, diabetes that has caused damage to the autonomic nerves, alcoholism with damage to the autonomic nerves, and certain rare neurological syndromes (for example, Shy-Drager syndrome) that damage the autonomic nerves.

Another form of postural hypotension occurs typically in young healthy individuals. After prolonged standing, the individual's heart rate and blood pressure drop, causing dizziness, nausea, and often fainting. In these individuals, the autonomic nervous system wrongly responds to prolonged standing by directing the heart to slow down and the veins to dilate.

Micturition syncope is a temporary drop in blood pressure and loss of consciousness brought about by urinating. This condition typically occurs in elderly patients and may be due to the release by the autonomic nerves of hormones that lower blood pressure.

Clinical Signs of Postural Hypotension

Adrenal insufficiency, for example, due to Addison's disease, can cause low blood pressure. Addison's disease is a disorder in which the adrenal glands (small glands next to the kidneys) are destroyed. The destroyed adrenal glands can no longer produce sufficient adrenal hormones (specifically cortisol) necessary to maintain normal bodily functions. Cortisol has many functions, one of which is to maintain blood pressure and the function of the heart. Addison's disease is characterized by weight loss, muscle weakness, fatigue, low blood pressure, and, sometimes, darkening of the skin.

Septicemia is a severe infection in which bacteria (or other infectious organisms such as fungi) enter the blood. The infection typically originates in the lungs (as pneumonia), bladder, or in the abdomen due to diverticulitis or gallstones. The bacteria then enter the blood where they release toxins and cause life-threatening and profound low blood pressure (septic shock), often with damage to several organs.

Anaphylaxis (anaphylactic shock) is a potentially fatal allergic reaction to medications such as penicillin, intravenous iodine used in some X-ray studies, foods such as peanuts, or bee stings (insect stings). In addition to a severe drop in blood pressure, individuals may also experience hives as well as wheezing due to constriction of the airways, and a swollen throat which cause difficulty breathing. The shock is caused by enlargement of blood-containing blood vessels and escape of water from the blood into the tissues.

High Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is the force of your blood pushing against the walls of your arteries. Each time your heart beats, it pumps out blood into the arteries. Your blood pressure is highest when your heart beats, pumping the blood. This is called systolic pressure. When your heart is at rest, between beats, your blood pressure falls. This is the diastolic pressure.

Nursing care plan for hypertension

Your blood pressure reading uses these two numbers, the systolic and diastolic pressures. Usually they are written one above or before the other. A reading of

• 120/80 or lower is normal blood pressure
• 140/90 or higher is high blood pressure
• Between 120 and 139 for the top number, or between 80 and 89 for the bottom number is prehypertension

High blood pressure usually has no symptoms, but it can cause serious problems such as stroke, heart failure, heart attack and kidney failure. You can control high blood pressure through healthy lifestyle habits and taking medicines, if needed.

blood pressure test

Platelet Disorders

Platelets are little pieces of blood cells. Platelets help wounds heal and prevent bleeding by forming blood clots. Your bone marrow makes platelets. Problems can result from having too few or too many platelets, or from platelets that do not work properly.

If your blood has a low number of platelets, you can be at risk for mild to serious bleeding. If your blood has too many platelets, you may have a higher risk of blood clots. With other platelet disorders, the platelets do not work as they should. For example, in von Willebrand Disease, the platelets cannot stick together or cannot attach to blood vessel walls. This can cause excessive bleeding.

Treatment of platelet disorders depends on the cause.

platelets

Blood Transfusion and Donation

Every year, nearly 5 million people in the United States receive life-saving blood transfusions. During a transfusion, you receive whole blood or parts of blood such as

• Red blood cells - cells that carry oxygen to and from tissues and organs
• Platelets - cells can be used to control bleeding
• Plasma - liquid part of the blood that helps blood clot

Some people worry about getting sick from giving or receiving blood. It is possible, but is very rare. The Food and Drug Administration and other organizations that collect blood make sure that blood is safe. Every single donation is tested for HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C, syphilis and several other diseases that can be transmitted through blood. Some people who know they may need blood during surgery donate their own ahead of time. That is the safest type of transfusion.

Blood Transfusion

Blood Thinners

If you have some kinds of heart or blood vessel disease, or if you have poor blood flow to your brain, your doctor may recommend that you take a blood thinner. Blood thinners reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke by reducing the formation of blood clots in your arteries and veins. You may also take a blood thinner if you have

• An abnormal heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation
• Heart valve surgery
• Congenital heart defects

There are two main types of blood thinners. Anticoagulants, such as heparin or warfarin (also called Coumadin), work on chemical reactions in your body to lengthen the time it takes to form a blood clot. Antiplatelet drugs, such as aspirin, prevent blood cells called platelets from clumping together to form a clot.

When you take a blood thinner, follow directions carefully. Make sure that your healthcare provider knows all of the medicines and supplements you are using.

antiplatelet agents classification

Angioplasty

If you have coronary artery disease, the arteries in your heart are narrowed or blocked by a sticky material called plaque. Angioplasty is a procedure to restore blood flow through the artery.

The doctor threads a thin tube through a blood vessel in the arm or groin up to the involved site in the artery. The tube has a tiny balloon on the end. When the tube is in place, the doctor inflates the balloon to push the plaque outward against the wall of the artery. This widens the artery and restores blood flow.

Doctors may use angioplasty to

• Reduce chest pain caused by reduced blood flow to the heart
• Minimize damage to heart muscle from a heart attack

Each year more than a million people in the United States have coronary angioplasty.

coronary artery

Angina

Angina is chest pain or discomfort you get when your heart muscle does not get enough blood. It may feel like pressure or a squeezing pain in your chest. It may feel like indigestion. You may also feel pain in your shoulders, arms, neck, jaw or back.

Angina is a symptom of coronary artery disease (CAD), the most common heart disease. CAD happens when a sticky substance called plaque builds up in the arteries that supply blood to the heart, reducing blood flow.

There are three types of angina: stable, unstable and variant. Unstable angina is the most dangerous. It does not follow a pattern and can happen without physical exertion. It does not go away with rest or medicine. It is a sign that you could have a heart attack soon.

Not all chest pain or discomfort is angina. If you have chest pain, you should see your health care provider.

heart

Vasculitis

Vasculitis is an inflammation of the blood vessels. It happens when the body's immune system attacks the blood vessel by mistake. The cause is often unknown. Vasculitis can affect arteries, veins and capillaries. Arteries are vessels that carry blood from the heart to the body's organs. Veins are the vessels that carry blood back to the heart. Capillaries are tiny blood vessels that connect the small arteries and veins.

• When a blood vessel becomes inflamed, it can
• Narrow, making it more difficult for blood to get through
• Close off completely so that blood can't get through
• Stretch and weaken so much that it bulges and may burst and cause dangerous bleeding inside the body

Symptoms of vasculitis can vary, but usually include fever, swelling and a general sense of feeling ill. The main goal of treatment is to stop the inflammation. Steroids and other medicines to stop inflammation are often helpful.

artery 

Aneurysms

An aneurysm is a bulge or "ballooning" in the wall of an artery. Arteries are blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood from the heart to other parts of the body. If an aneurysm grows large, it can burst and cause dangerous bleeding or even death.

Most aneurysms occur in the aorta, the main artery traveling from the heart through the chest and abdomen. Aneurysms also can happen in arteries in the brain, heart and other parts of the body. If an aneurysm in the brain bursts, it causes a stroke.

Aneurysms can develop and become large before causing any symptoms. Often doctors can stop aneurysms from bursting if they find and treat them early. Medicines and surgery are the two main treatments for aneurysms.

Aneurysm

Anemia

If you have anemia, your blood does not carry enough oxygen to the rest of your body. The most common cause of anemia is not having enough iron. Your body needs iron to make hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is an iron-rich protein that gives the red color to blood. It carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body.

Your iron might be too low because of heavy periods, pregnancy, ulcers, colon polyps, colon cancer, inherited disorders or a diet that does not have enough iron. You can also get anemia from not getting enough folic acid or vitamin B 12. Blood disorders such as sickle cell anemia and thalassemia, or cancer may also lead to anemia.

Anemia can make you feel weak, cold, dizzy and irritable. It is confirmed with a blood test. Treatment depends on the kind of anemia you have.




red blood cells

Anatomy

Anatomy is the science that studies the structure of the body. On this page, you'll find links to descriptions and pictures of the human body's parts and organ systems from head to toe.


Your torso consists of two parts — the chest and the abdomen. The chest contains your heart and lungs; your abdomen contains the digestive and urinary systems. Your chest and abdomen are separated by a dome-shaped sheet of muscle called the diaphragm.

atlas of human body

Your brain has three main components: the cerebrum (which consists of the left and right cerebral hemispheres), the cerebellum and the brain stem. The cerebral hemispheres of the brain make up the largest part of your brain. The cerebellum is the structure located behind the brain stem, and the brain stem is the lowest section of the brain and is connected to the spinal cord.

Brain side

The central structures of the brain are the thalamus, hypothalamus, and pituitary gland. The thalamus relays sensory information to the cerebrum; the hypothalamus helps regulate body functions such as thirst and appetite, as well as sleep, aggression, and sexual behavior; and the pituitary gland produces hormones that play a role in growth, development, and various other physiological variables. The pons, medulla, and midbrain are the three structures that compose the brain stem. The ventricles are natural cavities inside the brain filled with cerebrospinal fluid.

brain lobes

Your endocrine system is a collection of glands that produce hormones that regulate your body's growth, metabolism, and sexual development and function. The hormones are released into the bloodstream and transported to tissues and organs throughout your body. The Table below the illustration describes the function of these glands. 

endocrine system

Each of your muscles is made up of thousands of thin, long, cylindrical cells called muscle fibers. The muscle fibers' highly specialized structure enables the muscles to relax and contract to produce movement. Muscles vary greatly in their shape and size, depending on their function. 

muscles atlas side

Atrial Fibrillation

An arrhythmia is a problem with the speed or rhythm of the heartbeat. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common type of arrhythmia. The cause is a disorder in the heart's electrical system.

Often, people who have AF may not even feel symptoms. But you may feel

• Palpitations -- an abnormal rapid heartbeat
• Shortness of breath
• Weakness or difficulty exercising
• Chest pain
• Dizziness or fainting
• Fatigue
• Confusion

AF can lead to an increased risk of stroke. In many patients, it can also cause chest pain, heart attack, or heart failure.

Doctors diagnose AF using family and medical history, a physical exam, and a test called an electrocardiogram (EKG), which looks at the electrical waves your heart makes. Treatments include medicines and procedures to restore normal rhythm.

Atrial Fibrillation ECG

Leukemia

Leukemia is cancer of the white blood cells. White blood cells help your body fight infection. Your blood cells form in your bone marrow. In leukemia, however, the bone marrow produces abnormal white blood cells. These cells crowd out the healthy blood cells, making it hard for blood to do its work.

There are different types of leukemia, including

• Acute lymphocytic leukemia
• Acute myeloid leukemia
• Chronic lymphocytic leukemia
• Chronic myeloid leukemia

Leukemia can develop quickly or slowly. Chronic leukemia grows slowly. In acute leukemia, the cells are very abnormal and their number increases rapidly. Adults can get either type; childen with leukemia most often have an acute type. Some leukemias can often be cured. Other types are hard to cure, but you can often control them. Treatments may include chemotherapy, radiation and stem cell transplantation. Even if symptoms disappear, you might need therapy to prevent a relapse.

hairy cell leukemia

Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Leukemia is cancer of the white blood cells. White blood cells help your body fight infection. Your blood cells form in your bone marrow. In leukemia, however, the bone marrow produces abnormal white blood cells. These cells crowd out the healthy blood cells, making it hard for blood to do its work. In acute myeloid leukemia (AML), there are too many of a specific type of white blood cell called a myeloblast.

AML is the most common type of acute leukemia in adults. This type of cancer usually gets worse quickly if it is not treated. Possible risk factors include smoking, previous chemotherapy treatment, and exposure to radiation.

Symptoms of AML include:

• Fever
• Shortness of breath
• Easy bruising or bleeding
• Bleeding under the skin
• Weakness or feeling tired
• Weight loss or loss of appetite

Tests that examine the blood and bone marrow diagnose AML. Treatments include chemotherapy, other drugs, radiation therapy, stem cell transplants, and targeted immune therapy. Once the leukemia is in remission, you need additional treatment to make sure that it does not come back.

acute myeloid leukemia

Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia

Leukemia is cancer of the white blood cells. White blood cells help your body fight infection. Your blood cells form in your bone marrow. In leukemia, however, the bone marrow produces abnormal white blood cells. These cells crowd out the healthy blood cells, making it hard for blood to do its work. In acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), there are too many of specific types of white blood cells called lymphocytes or lymphoblasts. ALL is the most common type of cancer in children.

Possible risk factors for ALL include being male, being white, previous chemotherapy treatment, exposure to radiation, and for adults, being older than 70.

Symptoms of ALL include:

• Weakness or feeling tired
• Fever
• Easy bruising or bleeding
• Bleeding under the skin
• Shortness of breath
• Weight loss or loss of appetite
• Pain in the bones or stomach
• Pain or a feeling of fullness below the ribs
• Painless lumps in the neck, underarm, stomach, or groin

Tests that examine the blood and bone marrow diagnose ALL. Treatments include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, stem cell transplants, and targeted immune therapy. Once the leukemia is in remission, you need additional treatment to make sure that it does not come back.

immune system

Blood and Blood Disorders

Your blood is living tissue made up of liquid and solids. The liquid part, called plasma, is made of water, salts and protein. Over half of your blood is plasma. The solid part of your blood contains red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.

Red blood cells deliver oxygen from your lungs to your tissues and organs. White blood cells fight infection and are part of your body's defense system. Platelets help blood to clot. Bone marrow, the spongy material inside your bones, makes new blood cells. Blood cells constantly die and your body makes new ones. Red blood cells live about 120 days, platelets 6 days and white cells less than a day.

elements of blood

There are many types of blood disorders, including: bleeding disorders, platelet disorders, hemophilia and anemia. If you lose blood, you may need a transfusion.

Aortic Aneurysm

Most aneurysms -- abnormal bulges or "ballooning" in the wall of an artery -- occur in the aorta. The aorta is the main artery that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body.

abdominal aortic aneurysm

There are two types of aortic aneurysm:

Thoracic aortic aneurysms occur in the part of the aorta running through the chest.
Abdominal aortic aneurysms occur in the part of the aorta running through the abdomen.

Because aneurysms can develop and become large before causing any symptoms, it is important to look for them in people who are at high risk. Ultrasound screening for abdominal aortic aneurysms is recommended for men who have ever smoked and are between the ages of 65 and 75. Medicines and surgery are the two main treatments for aneurysms.

Blood, Heart and Circulation Topics

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm see Aortic Aneurysm
ABO Blood Groups see Blood and Blood Disorders
Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia see Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia
Acute Myeloblastic Leukemia see Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Acute Myeloid Leukemia
AF see Atrial Fibrillation
ALL see Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia
AML see Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Anatomy
Anemia
Aneurysms
Angiitis see Vasculitis
Angina
Angioplasty
Anticoagulants see Blood Thinners
Antihypertensive Medicines see Blood Pressure Medicines
Anti-platelet drugs see Blood Thinners
Aortic Aneurysm
Aortic Dissection see Aortic Aneurysm
Aortic Stenosis see Heart Valve Diseases
Aplastic Anemia
Arrhythmia
Arteriosclerosis see Atherosclerosis
Arteriosclerosis, Coronary see Coronary Artery Disease
Arteriosclerosis of Extremities see Peripheral Arterial Disease
Arteriovenous Malformations
Atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis, Coronary see Coronary Artery Disease
Atrial Fibrillation
Automated External Defibrillators see Cardiac Arrest
AVM see Arteriovenous Malformations
Behcet's Syndrome
Berry Aneurysm see Brain Aneurysm
Bleeding Disorders
Blood and Blood Disorders
Blood Cells see Blood and Blood Disorders
Blood Clots see Bleeding Disorders; Deep Vein Thrombosis
Blood Coagulation Disorders see Bleeding Disorders; Hemophilia
Blood Donation see Blood Transfusion and Donation
Blood Platelet Disorders see Platelet Disorders
Blood Pressure see High Blood Pressure; Low Blood Pressure
Blood Pressure Medicines
Blood Thinners
Blood Transfusion and Donation
Bradycardia see Arrhythmia
Brain Aneurysm
Brain Attack see Stroke
Bypass Surgery see Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery
CABG see Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery
CAD see Coronary Artery Disease
Cardiac Arrest
Cardiac Diseases see Heart Diseases
Cardiac Failure see Heart Failure
Cardiac Rehabilitation
Cardiac Surgery see Heart Surgery
Cardiomyopathy
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation see CPR
Cardiovascular Diseases see Heart Diseases; Vascular Diseases
Carotid Artery Disease
Carotid Endarterectomy see Carotid Artery Disease; Stroke
Cerebral Aneurysm see Brain Aneurysm
Cerebrovascular Disease see Stroke
Chest Pain
CHF see Heart Failure
Childhood Leukemia
Cholesterol
Chronic granulocytic leukemia see Chronic Myeloid Leukemia
Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
Chronic myelogenous leukemia see Chronic Myeloid Leukemia
Chronic Myeloid Leukemia
Churg-Strauss Syndrome see Eosinophilic Disorders
Circulatory Disorders see Vascular Diseases
Claudication see Peripheral Arterial Disease
CLL see Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
CML see Chronic Myeloid Leukemia
Congenital Heart Defects
Congestive Heart Failure see Heart Failure
Cooley's Anemia see Thalassemia
Cor Pulmonale see Pulmonary Hypertension
Coronary Arteriosclerosis see Coronary Artery Disease
Coronary Artery Bypass Graft see Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery
Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery
Coronary Artery Disease
CPR
CVA see Stroke
Deep Vein Thrombosis
Defibrillators, Implantable see Pacemakers and Implantable Defibrillators
Diabetic Foot
Dropsy see Edema
DVT see Deep Vein Thrombosis
Edema
Endocarditis
Eosinophilia see Eosinophilic Disorders
Eosinophilic Disorders
Erythroblastosis Fetalis see Rh Incompatibility
Familial Combined Hyperlipidemia see Cholesterol; Triglycerides
Familial Dysbetalipoproteinemia see Cholesterol
Familial Hypercholesterolemia see Cholesterol
Familial Hypertriglyceridemia see Triglycerides
Fanconi Anemia see Aplastic Anemia
Gangrene
Gas Gangrene see Gangrene
Giant Cell Arteritis
Hairy Cell Leukemia see Leukemia
Hardening of the Arteries see Vascular Diseases
HDL see Cholesterol
Heart Attack
Heart Defects see Congenital Heart Defects
Heart Disease in Women
Heart Diseases
Heart Diseases, Congenital see Congenital Heart Defects
Heart Diseases--Prevention
Heart Diseases--Rehabilitation see Cardiac Rehabilitation
Heart Failure
Heart Murmur see Congenital Heart Defects; Heart Valve Diseases
Heart Surgery
Heart Transplantation
Heart Valve Diseases
Hemangioma see Vascular Diseases
Hematologic Disorders see Blood and Blood Disorders
Hemoglobin SS Disease see Sickle Cell Anemia
Hemolytic Disease of Newborn see Rh Incompatibility
Hemophilia
High Blood Pressure
High Blood Pressure Medicines see Blood Pressure Medicines
Hypercholesterolemia see Cholesterol
Hypereosinophilic Syndrome see Eosinophilic Disorders
Hyperlipidemia see Cholesterol; Triglycerides
Hypertension see High Blood Pressure
Hypertension, Pulmonary see Pulmonary Hypertension
Hypertriglyceridemia see Triglycerides
Hypotension see Low Blood Pressure
Implantable Defibrillators see Pacemakers and Implantable Defibrillators
Insulin Resistance see Metabolic Syndrome
Intermittent Claudication see Peripheral Arterial Disease
Intracranial Aneurysm see Brain Aneurysm
Iron Deficiency Anemia see Anemia
Irregular Heartbeat see Arrhythmia
Kawasaki Disease
LDL see Cholesterol
Leukemia
Leukemia, Acute Lymphoblastic see Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia
Leukemia, Acute Lymphocytic see Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia
Leukemia, Childhood see Childhood Leukemia
Leukemia, Chronic Lymphocytic see Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
Leukemia, Myeloblastic, Acute see Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Leukemia, Myelogenous, Acute see Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute see Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Leukemia, Myeloid, Chronic see Chronic Myeloid Leukemia
Low Blood Pressure
Lymphatic Obstruction see Lymphedema
Lymphedema
Malaria
Mediterranean Anemia see Thalassemia
Metabolic Syndrome
MI see Heart Attack
Mini-Stroke see Transient Ischemic Attack
Mitral Valve Prolapse
Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome see Kawasaki Disease
Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia see Arrhythmia
Myocardial Infarction see Heart Attack
Open Heart Surgery see Heart Surgery
Pacemakers and Implantable Defibrillators
PAD see Peripheral Arterial Disease
Pain, Chest see Chest Pain
Pericardial Disorders
Pericardial Effusion see Pericardial Disorders
Pericarditis see Pericardial Disorders
Peripheral Arterial Disease
Phlebitis see Deep Vein Thrombosis
Plaque, Atherosclerotic see Atherosclerosis
Platelet Disorders
Primary Pulmonary Hypertension see Pulmonary Hypertension
Pulmonary Hypertension
Raynaud's Disease
Rh Incompatibility
Septic Shock see Shock
Shock
Shy-Drager Syndrome see Low Blood Pressure
Sickle Cell Anemia
Sickle Cell Disease see Sickle Cell Anemia
Spider Veins see Varicose Veins
Stroke
Sudden Cardiac Death see Cardiac Arrest
Syndrome X (Cardiac) see Angina
Syndrome X (Metabolic) see Metabolic Syndrome
Tachycardia see Arrhythmia
Temporal Arteritis see Giant Cell Arteritis
Thalassemia
Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm see Aortic Aneurysm
Thrombocytopenia see Platelet Disorders
Thrombophlebitis see Deep Vein Thrombosis
TIA see Transient Ischemic Attack
Transfusion see Blood Transfusion and Donation
Transient Ischemic Attack
Triglycerides
Valvular Heart Diseases see Heart Valve Diseases
Varicose Veins
Vascular Diseases
Vasculitis
Veins see Varicose Veins; Vascular Diseases
Venous Thrombosis see Deep Vein Thrombosis
von Willebrand's Disease see Platelet Disorders
Wegener's Granulomatosis

Blood Circulation