Products Medicinal teas are available in pharmacies and drugstores as finished medicines or home-made. They belong to the group of herbal medicines (phytopharmaceuticals). Definition and properties Medicinal teas consist of usually dried, cut, or whole plant parts, which may come from one or more plants. These are referred to as medicinal drugs. Medicinal teas are … Medicinal Teas
heart valve inflammation, inflammation of the inner wall of the heart Introduction Inflammation of the heart valves (endocarditis) is a potentially life-threatening disease, usually caused by microbial pathogens such as viruses, bacteria or fungi. It is not uncommon for structural damage to the heart valves to be the result, accompanied by a functional defect. Symptoms … Endocarditis
Therapy The treatment is carried out with antibiotics, as it is often triggered by bacterial pathogens. It is important to start the therapy early to avoid complications of the infection. Different antibiotics are used depending on whether the affected heart valve is the patient’s own original heart valve or a prosthetic valve. In the case … Therapy | Endocarditis
Prognosis However, about thirty percent of those affected respond poorly to the medication (antibiotics), resulting in extensive damage to the heart valves. In such cases, an operation with replacement by artificial valves as a life-saving measure is often unavoidable. Complications Dreaded complications of heart valve inflammation (endocarditis) are metastases of bacterial deposits on the heart … Prognosis | Endocarditis
Duration of endocarditis Endocarditis should be treated early to avoid complications and consequential damage. If antibiotic therapy is started in time, the disease will subside over the duration of the therapy of about four to six weeks. It is important to monitor the success of the therapy regularly, as this is the only way to … Duration of endocarditis | Endocarditis
Is endocarditis contagious? Endocarditis is usually not contagious. It is only triggered by small amounts of bacteria, which are abundant in the oral cavity or body and can only enter the bloodstream through minor injuries. The infectious focus is then only on the heart, where small abscesses, encapsulations of the bacteria can form. Disease development … Is endocarditis contagious? | Endocarditis
What is the diagnostic procedure for endocarditis? The diagnosis differs according to whether infectious bacterial endocarditis or non-pathogenic endocarditis is suspected. Infective endocarditis is diagnosed on the basis of several criteria. The two most important criteria are so-called “positive blood cultures” and abnormalities in the ultrasound or CT examination. In order to obtain the former, … What is the diagnostic procedure for endocarditis? | Endocarditis
Frequency (Epidemiology) In the Federal Republic of Germany, approximately 2 to 6 new cases of endocarditis occur per year among 100,000 inhabitants. On average, men are affected twice as often as women. The age peak of the disease endocarditis is 50 years. Since the introduction of antibiotic therapy, the overall incidence of the disease has … Frequency (Epidemiology) | Endocarditis
Definition One speaks of heart failure (or heart failure in general) when the heart is no longer able to pump the necessary amount of blood through the circulation. This is mainly due to the fact that the two chambers of the heart no longer have sufficient strength to maintain stable circulation. As a result, physical … Heart failure causes and diagnosis
Symptoms Heart failure manifests itself in a variety of symptoms. First of all, reduced physical resilience, increased fatigue and a feeling of weakness are noticeable. Breathlessness, dizziness and fainting spells may also be indicative of heart failure. All these symptoms are particularly noticeable during or after physical exertion. The dizziness and fainting spells can also … Symptoms | Heart failure causes and diagnosis
Therapy In the case of heart failure, the cause should first be investigated. There is often a connection with high blood pressure, coronary artery disease or heart muscle disease. Heart rhythm disturbances or diseases of the heart valves can also promote the development of heart failure. If one or more of these causes are identified, … Therapy | Heart failure causes and diagnosis
Properties of the heart muscle With humans a heart muscle cell is on the average about 50 to 100 μm long and 10 to 25 μm broad. The left ventricle is the chamber from which blood is ejected into the body’s circulation.This must therefore provide a much higher pumping capacity than the right ventricle, which … Properties of the heart muscle | Myocardium
