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Aortic Aneurysm

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Aortic Aneurysm
Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm:
The Walking Time Bomb

The human body is made up of many different systems that allow the body to function in a variety of ways. But in order to keep these systems working properly, the body needs nourishment and exercise. This should include a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet that will aid in the reduction of the plaque (fatty buildup) that narrows the arteries and aid in controlling high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Additionally, to lower many of the causes for maladies within the human body, salt intake need to be reduced and to stop smoking. Those who do not follow these precautions are susceptible to a condition called aortic aneurysm. It is a deadly condition that needs to be attended to as soon as possible.
A thoracic aneurysm is an abnormal ballooning or bulge in the wall of an artery caused by a weakening in the wall of a high pressure artery. The areas within the aorta that an aneurysm is known to occur is the aortic root, aortic arch and the ascending and descending aorta. An aneurysm can occur in anyone of these sections and can grow large enough to rupture which causes severe bleeding inside the chest cavity (Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm, 2012).
Anytime you have a blood vessel with a weakened area that begins to bulge, it has the possibility of rupturing. A majority of aneurysms occur in the aorta, the largest artery in the body which carries oxygen-rich blood away from the heart to all parts of the body. The aorta comes out from the left ventricle of the heart and travels through the chest (thoracic) down into the abdomen where it is termed abdominal aorta (Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm, 2012). The Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm (TAA) accounts for one in four aortic aneurysms. With the aneurysm being in the aorta there is a greater risk of death due to massive internal bleeding. “Sixty percent of thoracic aortic aneurysms involve the aortic root and/or ascending aorta, 40% involve the descending



References: Aortic Aneurysm. (2011). Retrieved from http://cardiosmart.org/HeartDisease/CTT.aspx?id=1636. Aortic Aneurysms. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.sts.org/patient-information/aneurysm-surgery/aortic-aneurysms/. Aortic Dissection (2008). Retrieved from http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/aortic+dissection. Brody, J. (1994). Personal Health. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/1994/04/13/us/personal-health-767972.html?pagewanted=2. Bupa 's Health Information Team, (2010). Thoracic aortic aneurysm. Retrieved from http://www.bupa.co.uk/individuals/health-information/directory/t/thoracic-aortic-aneurysm#textBlock217200. Chest Trauma Traumatic Aortic Injury. (2004). Retrieved from http://www.trauma.org/archive/thoracic/CHESTaorta.html. Isselbacher, E. (2005). Thoracic and Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms. American Heart Association. 2005;111:816-828. doi: 10.1161/01.CIR.0000154569.08857.7A. Retrieved from http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/111/6/816.full.pdf+html. Mayo Clinic Staff. (2010). Thoracic aortic aneurysm. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/aortic-aneurysm/DS00017. Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm. (2012). Retrieved from http://my.clevelandclinic.org/heart/disorders/aorta_marfan/aorticaneurysm.aspx. Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm Tseng, E. (2011). Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm Treatment & Management. Retrieved from http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/424904-treatment.

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