What does the heart do?
Why does the heart get so much attention? And what are some complications that can affect it?
Your heart is a muscular pump about the size of your fist.
Basically, your heart accepts de-oxygenated blood from the body, sends it to the lungs where it is oxygenated, and then the oxygenated blood is returned to your heart, which pumps it back to the body.
Your heart is surrounded by coronary arteries that provide nutrients to the muscle for it to perform the task of pumping blood.
Problems arise when there is an imbalance or improper functioning of the different parts of your heart or blood vessels.
Your heart is unique in that it has its own electrical impulse. That impulse drives the functioning of the heart in a particular pattern of rate and rhythm. Sometimes that electrical impulse gets messed up and leads to different problems.
Some common abnormal conditions of the heart
Heart attacks are the result of blockage of coronary arteries by cholesterol plaque. A clot is formed when a piece of the plaque breaks away. This can block an artery in the heart and restrict vital blood supply, thus causing a heart attack. This causes death of the surrounding heart muscle and can sometimes be fatal. Even if not fatal, a heart attack alters the functioning of the heart, often limiting it.
Angina is pain or discomfort caused during exertion when the arteries of the heart are lined with cholesterol deposits that restrict the flow of blood.
Arrhythmia is an irregular heart rate and/ or pattern of the heart. So, the heart could beat faster than normal, slower than normal, or have an irregular pattern. The most common kind of arrhythmia is A-fib or atrial fibrillation.
Heart Valve disease. The heart has four valves. Each of them controls the direction of flow of blood between the chambers of the heart. Sometimes, with age, they also become loose and don’t open or close as they should. This can affect the direction of flow of blood in the heart.
Cardiomyopathy is when the structure of the heart muscle changes such that it affects the heart’s ability to pump blood. This can result in Heart Failure when the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the needs of the body.
One of the main ways to strengthen the heart is by participating in aerobic exercise. Check out my post about aerobic exercise.
Leave me a comment and let me know what you learned about the heart and chronic conditions.
Check out my post about Diabetes and the Pancreas.
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