Blood clots in the heart

My uncle was scheduled for Raiofrequency ablation treatment yesterday; however, this procedure was canceled and delayed for three weeks. Doctors found blood clots in my uncle's heart during the TransEsophageal Echo (TEE) procedure, therefore, they stopped the electrical cardioversion procedure. I was concerned about his blood clot condition and why doctors have to stop the procedure. After few hours of research on this topic, I understood that blood clots can disrupt blood flow. These clots may block the blood vessels leading to important organs in the body such as the brain and cause stroke.

According to Blood Clots, an article on MedicineNet website, “Blood clots form when there is damage to the lining of a blood vessel, either an artery or a vein. The damage may be obvious, such as a laceration, or may occur on the microscopic level. As well, blood will begin to clot if it stops moving and becomes stagnant. Blood clots in a vein occur when a person becomes immobilized and muscles are not contracting to push blood back to the heart. This stagnant blood begins to form small clots along the lining walls of the vein that gradually grow to partially or completely occlude the vein. An analogy to this process is a slow moving river. Over time, weeds and algae start to accumulate along the banks of the river where the water flows more slowly. Gradually, as the weeds start to grow, they begin to invade the center of the river because they can withstand the pressure of the water. Blood clots can also form in the heart. In atrial fibrillation, the atrium or upper chamber of the heart does not beat in an organized manner. Instead, it jiggles, and blood tends to become stagnant along the walls of the atrium. Over time, this may cause small blood clots to form. Clots can also form in the ventricle after a heart attack when part of the heart muscle is injured and unable to contract normally. Since the damaged area doesn't contract with the rest of the heart, blood can start to pool or stagnate, leading to clot formation.” I wanted to know what causes blood clots in the heart. The above article also provided the answer to my curious question.

Small clots may form along the walls the upper chambers of the heart. If these clots break off and travel in the bloodstream to the brain, they may block an artery and cause a stroke. This explained why doctors stopped the electrical cardioversion procedure on my uncle heart.

Below is a picture of blood clot.

Source:

http://www.medicinenet.com/blood_clots/page2.htm#

Cross bridge cycling

Here is my answer to one of the human anatomy study guide questions.  Six steps of cross bridge cyclying are:
1. exposure of binding sites on actin
2. binding of myosin to actin
3. power stroke of the cross bridge
4. disconnecting the cross bridge
5 . re-energizing the cross bridge
6. removal of calcium ion.

Source:

Human Anatomy and Physiology book.

muscle cramps

Few years ago, I was having cramps and numbness on both of my legs and feet.  I thought that it was muscle cramps.  My family doctor suggested that I try leg muscle exercises, stretching or gently massaging the muscle.  those treatments did not resolve the problem.  I took medicine such as tylenol and aleve to relieve the pain.  I was always wondering what the root causes  of  muscle cramps are.  What are the treaments for this illness? Would my illness be healed?

I learned from human anatomy class that, in order to move our muscles, our brain sends signals to the voluntary muscles and coordinates the movements that we want. The voluntary muscles contract as they're being used and they become tighter. The muscles then relax when the movement is complete. When the contraction cycles are done repeatedly, as in exercising, the fibers become stronger and the muscles get larger. However, sometimes the muscles contract on their own, causing a muscle cramp.

Sadly, after few hours of research, I coudn't find any good treament information for this illness.  According to the Muscle Cramp article on the Mayoclinic.com website, " A muscle cramp is a sudden and involuntary contraction of one or more of your muscles. If you've ever been awakened in the night or stopped in your tracks by a sudden charley horse, you know that muscle cramps can cause excruciating pain. Though generally harmless, muscle cramps can make it temporarily impossible to use the affected muscle. Long periods of exercise or physical labor, particularly in hot weather, may lead to muscle cramps. Some medications and certain medical conditions also may cause muscle cramps.  You can usually treat muscle cramps at home with self-care measures."


Source:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/muscle-cramp/DS00311

Below is an example picture of muscle cramps

Bruised skin

This morning, the alternator droped on top my palm while I removed it from my dad car. I realized my palm is really hurt at the beginning, then it swelled and turned dark purple or deep red. I have learned from Human anatomy and Physiology class that, bruise is caused by some form of blunt force body injury to blood vessels under the skin. When blood vessels break open, blood begins to pour into the surrounding tissue. This blood pools under the skin and initially looks dark purple or deep red. So why the pain at the injury area stop after few hours. After hours of research I understood that the pain associated with bruises is caused by the damaged nerves in the area of the bruise and the pressure of the blood as it pools. I also learned that there are three types of bruises (subcutaneous, intramuscular, and periosteal). According to What is a Bruise article on the Wise Geek website, “A subcutaneous bruise is usually the most minor, least painful, and shortest lasting. In fact some subcutaneous bruises do not hurt much at all, and people can’t remember injuring themselves. The subcutaneous bruise affects the blood vessels directly beneath the skin. It can range in color from dark purple, to brown. As the bruise fades, it becomes yellowish or light brown and ultimately disappears.” Now, I am worrying of how to heal my bruise. What should I do to heal my bruise quickly?

Source:

 http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-bruise.htm

Below are pictures of my bruise skin injury.

　
　

Treament options for Atrial Fibrillation

I found an article on treatment options for Artial Fibrillation while I waited to see an eye doctor at Eye Center of Northorn Colorado office.  According to doctor Arnold Pfahnl, the author of article, four options are avaliable to treat Atrial Fibrillation.  These options are:

1. Medication. Two types of medication, one use to control heart rate, the other maintain the normal rythm and keep artial fibrillation from happening.
2. Therapies, abnormal breathing at night or fixing a leaky heart valve.
3. Cardioversion. Only apply for someone who continously experiences artrial fibrillation.  This option is the use of an electric shock to restore the normal heart rhythm.
4. Raiofrequency ablation. This option is used more often because it contructs a burst of radiofrequency energy through a catheter to destroy the tissues the trigger the abnormal rhythm. The energy bursts are a few hundred strategically placed burns on the tissue. Two procedure can be done for this option, one the patient is under general anesthesia, it takes about three to four hours to complete, the other is done in conjuntion with open heart surgery to repair any heart problem.

Few interesting comments on the article that caughted my attention immediately, one is "about 2.2 million Americans live with atrial fibrillation", and others are " Gendermen are slightly more likely to develop atrial fibrillation than women." "Women who are diagnosed carry an increased long-term risk of premature death."  My questions are: why more men are sick with this disease than women?   Why women would be premature death if they are diagnosed with this disease?

Sources:
Treatment options for atrial fibrillation article: http://issuu.com/reporterherald/docs/healthline_sept16

http://www.med.umich.edu/cvc/services/site_electrophys/Treatment%20of%20Atrial%20Fibrillation.pdf