The brain is considered a master organ; the heart is considered the soul of that master. The heart contributes to all other organs of the body as its main function is to pump fresh blood to organs so that our body work properly. The human heart is a 4-chamber organ located in the middle of your chest with over a ten ounce it is the most critical organ of the human body. Today with our lifestyle we are facing various issues related to our circulatory system, stay tuned when we talk about ways to keep your heart healthy.
Functioning Of The Heart & Its Structure
The basic structure of the heart is it consists of 4 chambers two on either side. The upper 2 chambers are known as atria and the lower 2 chambers are known as ventricles. The heart is made up of 3 layers which are the epicardium, myocardium and endocardium these layers are surrounded by the pericardium. These layers need to be plaque-free to ensure your body possesses a healthy heart.
Part Of Our Circulatory System
The basic function of the heart is to circulate blood to different body parts. The heart along with the blood and blood vessels make a cardiovascular system. The right side of the heart which receives blood deficient in oxygen as it is consumed by body parts. The heart pumps this blood towards the lungs where it is oxygenated and returns to the left side of the heart which is then pumped back to other body parts.
This is the basic anatomy of the human heart and our major cause is to keep it healthy. To do that we have to make some necessary changes in our lifestyle including our eating habits. The smooth and right amount of blood circulation in our body ensures a healthy heart.
5 Phenomena That Can Cause Rising Heart Problems
As life progresses at a pace and we have entered an era where we have all the necessary resources to live effortlessly in this world. The main problem is that our progressive nature has also bought some lifestyle changes that are hampering our health and we are welcoming some new diseases into our system.
All these drawbacks in our lifestyle causing day to day problems and restrain our body to keep a healthy heart.Our body parts are getting witnessed with some new problems daily. Let’s talk from a broader perspective and not talk about the body as a whole.
The idea here is to discuss a member of that ecosystem whose care is of utmost importance to us. The human heart even though being a main member of our physical existence in this ecosystem is getting impacted badly due to certain avoidance of facts by us.
In earlier years, heart diseases were a concern of old age. But new data has shown a significant rise in cases of heart attack in people in the age group of 20 to 30 years. There can be many factors related to this change. Some important ones are.
- Age- The heart is like a machine that pumps blood to every part of the body. The heart has nodes that generate electrical impulses. the heart also gets affected by ageing.
- Some age-related complications be arrhythmia, cardiomegaly, arteriosclerosis etc. but due to changes in lifestyle and food habits younger generation is becoming the victim of heart failure, stroke, and heart attacks.
- Diabetes- Uncontrolled blood sugar has grave consequences on almost every part of the body. Blood sugar is well-regulated by hormones called insulins. But when the body fails to keep a check on the blood sugar, they start to damage the organs.
- High sugar concentrations can damage the blood vessels of the heart leading to heart diseases. Diabetic patients are at greater risk of cardiovascular ailments than normal individuals.
- Hypertension- The blood flows through pipes called vessels. As blood pumps from the chambers of the heart, it exerts pressure on the vessel walls called blood pressure. These walls are elastic. But many factors can decrease vessel elasticity which can lead to heart diseases.
- One such problem is hypertension. Hypertensive patients can have low blood flow to heart muscles that can lead to chest pain, ischemia and thick heart muscles.
- Obesity- Obesity is unwanted, uncontrolled fat deposition in the body. Obesity can invite a plethora of problems. Fats deposited in the walls of vessels can clog the circulation leading to stroke, angina, and heart failure.
- Smoking- Cigarette smoking, and tobacco are very well documented to have a detrimental effect on human health. Tobacco is addictive and it eats the body. Nicotine is a component present in cigarettes that can cause damage to vessel cells and can lead to the development of atherosclerosis.
- Chronic smoking can cause persistent high blood pressure and increased heart rate.
Along with your heart, you need to take care of your mental issues also. Please click here to find out how easily that can be done.
Few Alarming Signs That Should Not Be Ignored
Heart issues can be silently progressing or they can be acute and painful. The heart like any other organ gives signs that can damage the structure. Any abnormal symptoms or signs should never be ignored or we won’t have a healthy heart.
- Any chest pain (angina), discomfort, heaviness or tightness in the chest area, pain radiating to jaws, numbness of legs, weakness, or fainting can be due to diseased coronary arteries, the one that supplies the heart muscles.
- Any underlying condition that ceases the blood flow in heart muscles leads to death in that area. These signs are suggestive of a heart attack. Prompt intervention is required in such cases.
- Normally, the heart beats rhythmically. In the resting position, a normal adult’s heart beats around 60-100 beats per minute. There are some medical issues where the heartbeat becomes irregular called arrhythmia.
- Symptoms can include like fast beats (tachycardia) or slow beats (bradycardia), dizziness, chest pain, fainting, and shortness of breath. The patient should consult medical personnel for further investigations.
- There are some defects during the formation of the heart. These anomalies are called congenital heart diseases. During fetal development, doctors keep an eye on any malformation that needs proper vigilance. Here is why ultrasonography plays an important role.
- A baby born with these defects can show a range of symptoms according to the severity of the condition like cyanosis (bluish discolouration), and swelling of legs, hands, and eyes.
- There can be shortness of breath accompanied by easily tiring physical activities. Once these symptoms are visible in a child, he/she should be given proper medical attention.
Pathogens do not escape the heart also. There are well-documented cases of bacterial, fungal or other infections causing inflammation of the heart’s lining called endocardium. The disease is referred to as endocarditis. The pathogen can get lodged in the endocardium, heart defects, valves of the heart or heart stunts.
Symptoms can present as pain in the chest area, fever, malaise, swellings, heart murmurs, and shortness of breath. Less common symptoms can vary from weight loss, fatigue, skin lesions, and pain near the left rib cage suggestive of spleen involvement.
Depending upon the severity of the condition, treatment can be done with a course of antibiotics under medical supervision only.
Key Signs Of A Healthy Heart
A healthy heart and fit heart should be the need of the hour as our lifestyle is taking a toll on our health. But how to check if the heart is working effectively? Here are some points to check.
Good blood report
Blood levels suggestive of high levels of bad cholesterol named LDL (low-density lipoprotein) make your heart sick. The optimal range of LDL falls between 100-129mg/dL. More than 190mg/dL is considered very high. This fairly high amount leads to plaque formation in the arteries causing a high risk of heart attacks.
On the other hand, high levels of good cholesterol, HDL (high-density lipoprotein) help remove cholesterol from the blood and keeps things great.
Good electrocardiogram
EKG or ECG is a non-invasive test that records the heart’s electrical activity. Electrodes are placed over the chest area and a graph is printed on the paper during a cardiac cycle which is later on examined.
Normal coronary angiogram
In cases where doctors feel there are chances of any blockage of the heart. Angiography is advised. By this test, any narrowing or blockage in the coronary artery can be detected.
5 Ways To Keep Your Heart Healthy?
You will be surprised to know that the cardiovascular system is the first organ that develops in the foetus. This makes our hearts more important. Heartbeats continuously keep us alive. But somehow until it shows the signs, we fail to acknowledge its importance. The heart has minimum requirements to be fit and healthy.
- The heart is a muscular organ. So, like your exercise to maintain your muscles, your heart needs exercise too. Be active!!! Maintain an energetic lifestyle. Let your heart race.
- Eat healthy and quality food. Food fuels our bodies. The right amount of food will be well assimilated into the body. Establish a healthy diet routine. Add all the essential micro and macronutrients that are needed by the body.
- Quit smoking. Smoking gives you false satisfaction. It makes you a slave by addiction. Chronic smoking can have deleterious effects on the body.
- Avoid alcohol abuse. Chronic alcohol use can cause inflammation of the pancreas and liver. The pancreas regulates the glucose level of the blood. Long-term alcohol abuse can lead to diabetes or other complications. Similarly, the liver helps to sort toxins in our bodies. Liver cell inflammation can cause various liver diseases like liver cirrhosis, liver abscess etc
- Focus on mental health- mental health is gaining importance as people are speaking about it. Mental health should be given priority as body health. Stress, anxiety, breakdowns, aggression, and insecurities are ways of the brain addressing haywire. The brain regulates all the systems in the body via hormones. Hormones are like messengers that help in control and coordination.
- The heart also receives directions from the brain. Any mental turmoil can directly or indirectly impact the physiology of the heart.
Conclusion
In today’s scenario, heart diseases are rising at a great pace. Heart health is directly related to the overall well-being of an individual. There is a great need to look for amendments in food habits and lifestyles. The body is a beautiful machine that needs to be taken care of by following simple practices. Adopt a well-balanced life. Don’t give room to mental stress. thrive for things or actions that make your soul happy. A happy soul will make a healthy body.
Exercises, sports, yoga, cycling, and anything that pumps your heart should be practised with full enthusiasm. Regular medical check-ups will prevent any sudden, inevitable situations like attacks, strokes or death. Working for the body should be the priority and we should seek for good health and happiness.
