Vascular System

Facts & Functions

An average of 7,572 litres of blood travel daily through about 96,560 kilometres of blood vessels. An average adult has about 4.7 to 5.6 litres of blood containing plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.

In addition to blood, the system moves lymph (a clear fluid) that helps rid the body of unwanted material.

This happens through 3 independent systems working together:

Cardiovascular Component – Heart, blood, blood vessels

Pulmonary Circulation – a “loop” through the lungs where blood is oxygenated.

Systemic Circulation – the network of arteries, veins and blood vessels providing oxygenated blood.

Diseases

Cardiovascular disease appears to be the leading cause of death in the world today. This system is probably the most prone to illness because of its range and critical nature.

Arteriosclerosis – one of the most common diseases of the circulatory system. It occurs mainly when a build-up of fatty deposits, cholesterol & plaque causes the artery walls to stiffen and thicken. This can restrict blood flow or even stop it all together, causing a heart attack or stroke.

Stroke – involves blockage of the blood vessels to the brain. High risk factors for stroke:

– Smoking
– Diabetes
– High cholesterol

Hypertension – high blood pressure – causes the heart to work much harder and can lead to heart attack, stroke, or even kidney failure.

Aortic Aneurysm – occurs when the aorta becomes damaged, starts to bulge and eventually tears, causing severe internal bleeding. This may be a congenital defect, or the result of atherosclerosis/arteriosclerosis, obesity, hypertension, or a combination of these.

Peripheral Arterial Disease – known as PAD involves narrowing or blockage within an artery.

Chronic Venous Insufficiency – known as CVI involves reflux (backward flow) within the shallow veins of the lower extremities.

All of these conditions can be detected by the scanning systems of SoundWaves Health Clinic. Treatment involves our highly successful Frequency Therapy: safe, non-invasive, cost-effective!

The following material is assembled from various sources freely available. It is not intended as a comprehensive study of Anatomy, Biology, Endocrinology or any other medical field.