Civilization diseases - part one

In general and in the simplest abbreviation, these are chronic non-communicable diseases, affecting the population en masse. Behind their increasing incidence is the connection with the development of civilization, i.e. a sedentary lifestyle, industrially produced foods and a combination of risk factors.

The most common are cardiovascular diseases, obesity and diabetes, cancer and also mental illnesses.

The causes are high-calorie and fatty foods, a lot of salt, lack of exercise, vitamin B and the constant presence of stress. Prevention is a functional lifestyle, regular preventive check-ups and the effort to be harmonious.

Let's take a closer look at the heart and blood vessels, the technical name of the cardiovascular system. This is a system of blood vessels, veins and arteries, and the heart, which drives up to 8,000 liters of blood through this closed circuit every day, even more during sports or work activities. The heart is a pump that works tirelessly from the fourth week of the fetus until the very end of our days. If we were to lay them out one after another, we would be surprised by the length of several tens of thousands of kilometers.

Myocardial infarction is the leading cause of cardiovascular diseases in civilization. It is not the cause, but a symptom of a blockage in the artery that nourishes the heart muscle. Fuel flows into the muscle through these vessels – oxygen, nutrients, and metabolic waste products. To imagine, it is like taking food into the body through the digestive system and eliminating everything the body does not need. And that is how all cells and tissues work. It is important to give each part of the body what it needs, but it is also no less important to regularly clean and purify the cells.

A heart attack is a blockage of an artery that nourishes a given vital organ. If it is the heart, it is a myocardial infarction, and if a blood vessel in the brain becomes "clogged", it is a cerebral infarction or stroke. When an artery is blocked, ischemia of a part of the muscle occurs, a lack of blood supply, with subsequent cell death. If we talk about a heart attack in the sense of civilization diseases, it is caused by so-called atherosclerotic plaques. These are deposits on the wall of the blood vessels, formed by LDL cholesterol, calcium and inflammatory cells. The vessel thus narrows and subsequently the passage of blood is greatly restricted. The restricted passage causes a lack of oxygen in the cells and is manifested by heart pain, more precisely behind the sternum, and this condition is called angina pectoris. In other words, an occasional lack of blood flow, which manifests itself mainly during increased activity. When these coronary arteries become completely blocked, a heart attack occurs. A blood clot can also get into the narrowed artery, preventing the supply of oxygenated blood. The symptoms are severe pain behind the sternum, radiating to the neck, abdomen, between the shoulder blades and into the left upper limb, heaviness in the chest, a feeling of shortness of breath and the inability to breathe. Not every patient may have these textbook symptoms; they may also have long-term shoulder pain, back pain and difficulty breathing.

Another symptom of atherosclerosis is increased blood pressure. The General Health Insurance Company provides some unpleasant statistics. Up to 32% of people die from cardiovascular disease every year, around 3% from heart attacks themselves, and 9,000 individuals suffer a heart attack every year.

Treatment consists of medication, interventional cardiology (a catheter is inserted through an artery in the wrist or groin into the heart vessels, and the cardiologist uses an appropriate method to restore blood flow), lifestyle changes, efforts to reduce stress, ... walking is a very good exercise for the heart. Treatment is more effective and has fewer consequences if it is introduced as soon as possible after the first symptoms. Fewer cells die, and those that are saved have a great potential to keep the tissue and muscle functional.

If we return to a stroke, i.e. a lack of blood flow to part of the brain, treatment by dissolving the clot within a few hours is very effective. Doctors appeal to contact the emergency services in a timely manner and treatment is administered within a few minutes of arriving at the hospital. The consequences do not have to be fatal. This disease always manifests itself on one half of the body. From numbness to paralysis of the hand, foot, drooping of the corner of the mouth or eyelid. In milder brain damage, there may be tingling in the fingers or part of the face.

From the perspective of holistic, holistic medicine, these diseases are a manifestation of a deeper disharmony of the body and, in addition to stress, an inappropriate diet and little exercise, they can also be caused by suppressed anger. They are therefore the result of a combination of unprocessed emotions, spiritual burnout and lifestyle. The heart is a symbol of love and emotions, the brain of communication and management.

WT.24, Petra