How the Heart Works - What the Heart Looks Like - NHLBI, NIH
Mar 24, 2022 · Anatomy of the interior of the heart. This image shows the four chambers of the heart and the direction that blood flows through the heart. Oxygen-poor blood, shown in blue-purple, flows into the heart and is pumped out to the lungs. Then oxygen-rich blood, shown in red, is pumped out to the rest of the body, with the help of the heart valves.
Heart disease - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic
Aug 13, 2024 · Heart failure. This is one of the most common complications of heart disease. The heart can't pump enough blood to meet the body's needs. Heart attack. A heart attack can happen if a piece of plaque in an artery or a blood clot moves to the heart. Stroke. The risk factors that lead to heart disease also can lead to an ischemic stroke.
Heart Failure - What Is Heart Failure? - NHLBI, NIH
Mar 24, 2022 · Heart failure, also known as congestive heart failure, is a condition that develops when your heart doesn’t pump enough blood for your body’s needs. This can happen if your heart can’t fill up with enough blood. It can also happen when your heart is too weak to pump properly. The term "heart failure" does not mean that your heart has stopped.
Cardiac catheterization - Mayo Clinic
Aug 22, 2023 · Cardiac catheterization methods may be used to close holes in the heart, such as an atrial septal defect or patent foramen ovale. Heart biopsy. Sometimes a sample of heart tissue needs to be taken to examine under a microscope. During a heart biopsy, the catheter is usually placed in the vein in the neck. Less often, it may be placed in the groin.
How the Heart Works - The Heart - NHLBI, NIH
Mar 24, 2022 · Your heart is at the center of your circulatory system. This system is a network of blood vessels, such as arteries, veins, and capillaries, that carries blood to and from all areas of your body. Your blood carries the oxygen and nutrients that your organs need to work properly.
Myocarditis - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic
Jun 4, 2024 · Heart attack or stroke. If the heart muscle is damaged and can't pump blood, the blood that collects in the heart can form clots. A heart attack can occur if a clot blocks one of the heart arteries. A stroke can happen if a blood clot in the heart travels to an artery leading to the brain. Rapid or irregular heartbeats, called arrhythmias.
Cardiomyopathy - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic
Feb 21, 2024 · Heart failure. The heart can't pump enough blood to meet the body's needs. Without treatment, heart failure can be life-threatening. Blood clots. Because the heart can't pump well, blood clots might form in the heart. If clots enter the bloodstream, they can block the blood flow to other organs, including the heart and brain. Heart valve problems.
How the Heart Works - How Blood Flows through the Heart
Mar 24, 2022 · Oxygen-poor blood from the body enters your heart through two large veins called the superior and inferior vena cava. The blood enters the heart's right atrium and is pumped to your right ventricle, which in turn pumps the blood to your lungs. The pulmonary artery then carries the oxygen-poor blood from your heart to the lungs.
Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome - Mayo Clinic
Dec 13, 2023 · The heart rate is the number of times the heart beats each minute. A fast heart rate is called tachycardia (tak-ih-KAHR-dee-uh). The most common symptom of Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome is a heart rate greater than 100 beats a minute. In WPW syndrome, the fast heartbeat can begin suddenly. It may last a few seconds or several hours.
Heart disease - Diagnosis and treatment - Mayo Clinic
Aug 13, 2024 · Heart CT scan, also called cardiac CT scan. In a cardiac CT scan, you lie on a table inside a doughnut-shaped machine. An X-ray tube inside the machine rotates around your body and collects images of your heart and chest. Heart magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan.