Heart function and health

HEART MADE EASY:

Short Essay

Heart is our slightly bigger than Fist sized muscular organ having two parts, left and right, separated by strong wall called septum ।In nose also we have septum ।

Each side is further divided in upper and lower chamber।Thus we have two upper chambers called atrium and two lower called ventricle।Total 4 chambers।Heart can be called a pulsating muscle organ similar to the balloon hand pump of rubber attached to blood pressure machine with doctors, to fill air।  press relax press relax।                      How it works ? It has special tissues that make it contract and relax at normally 70 times a minute in resting position. This is done by electric pulse discharge through

AV sinus nodes.some  time the route may change or short circuit, causing serious problem and person may even faint. it is serious disease ।But food stress diet management can  reduce it

                            Flow route of blood:   Heart is twin pump 

discharging blood to lung , and also clean blood to arteries and collects used blood from body . This used blood is having least oxygen and more CO2 . So once heart has to send used 

blood to lungs , and once received back clean blood from lungs, to body.Hence twin pumps.Obviously it will have two inlet valves and two outlet vales which are basically flaps like, and shut the port at fixed sequential intervals।It is  nature's wonder।     The heart is strongest organ in body ,which keeps trying to be alive। But other organs and flexible rubber like pipings fail it। Heart is a muscle and needs nourishment for itself and has its own blood system through 3 coronary arteries।When we have blocked flow in any of these due to stenosis/scale deposit , we get angina pain and finally heart muscles starts weakening and dieing। When muscle parts get infarcted।Finally heart stops contracting and unable supply enough blood to body and itself ।Less blood flow is called congestive heart failure due to many reasons and if muscle stops completely and suddenly,it is called massive heart attack। When blood is not supplied to heart itself, it feels pain called heart attack which is mainly due to infractions in muscles called MI (myocardial infarction)

Patient normally can't survive 3rd attack since by that time major portion of contracting muscles have got dead.  

How blood flows in heart ?                             The right atrium receives used blood . The right ventricle pumps this oxygen-poor blood to the lungs for cleaning through the pulmonary( Lungs) valve. On left side, The left atrium receives oxygen-rich blood from the lungs and pumps it down to the left ventricle through the Mitral valve. The left ventricle then pumps the oxygen-rich blood through the aortic valve out to the rest of the body.

Heart pumps 2000 gallons blood every day year after year .

Slower is heart beat rate , more is its life.The muscles slowly age so do valve flaps , which may also get stenosis , harden, and fold back due to various reasons and blood back flows may happen from one point to previous point called regurgitation of blood, or just like a water hammer or swirl in mechanical pumping systems.

Due to TB and other reasons atrium walls may swell thus reducing volume of intake blood and hence output . First symptom is breathing trouble, tiring etc.

In perfect heart, blood ejection fraction rate should be 60 to 65% , all valves should close fully and not leak, at a perfect time and coronary arteries are open and clean feeding this hardworking organ fresh blood, non stop for life time at 60 to 110 beats per minute depending on our activity.

Sportsmen's heart beat 58 to 60 times only in resting.

The discharge pressure from heart is called systolic pressure normal value is 110 to 130 and on relaxation the veins should be at 70 to 80 mmHg pressure called diastolic.

When our tubes harden or scale deposits inside these , called plaque, the pressure values goes up called hyper tension .

If scale builds in coronary arteries it is called coronary artery disease or CAD.

So doctor removes it or compresses it from inside by a small balloon , so passage opens.He may put a small wire ring there called stent.

When blockage is 85% bypass surgery is needed

If our heart supply reduction is slow, nature on its own, makes collateral arteries which is another wonder of nature.

So heart tries to live as long as it can.

One should identify signals and become careful to modify diet, reduce stress and exercise (called cardio or aerobic exercise like walk cycle  swim or dance)

Please note push ups etc are not aerobic exercises and only tone up major muscles.

Avoid junk food , minimize oils specially saturated fats , balanced diet with potassium calcium ,vitamin C magnesium and zinc. Diabetes and heart disease are cousins.Heart problem will follow diabetes if not controlled.Since it reduces metabolism and renovation of cells and muscles.

Doctors use different types of hypertension medicines depending on cause . For example beta blockers reduce heart rate thus reducing blood flow.Beta blockers are also used in techi-cardia or over speeding heart.

Rinsing of tubes: When we jog or run, heart beat rises , pressure goes up thus giving a surge of blood inside tubes and any hanging plaque  inside , is washed off.

Before jogging one has to slowly warm up then take heart rate to 140 to 180 depending on age and fitness of body muscles, and knee joints.This 5 minutes exercise slowly reducing back to zero speed , cleans up tubes.Heart returns to normal rate and so the BP.

Never do this without consulting doctor।

What doctors do in a TMT test is make patient run fast on belt ,step by step।If coronary arteries are blocked, oxygen shortage happens and pain in chest or jaws start।The ECG graph changes shape, and test is stopped and patient is helped to recover।

Normally if you touched 160 to 180 bpm you pass test।it is done in 4 stages।only fit persons can reach end।

In body free oxygen radicals are injurious।Anti oxidants like vitamin E and selenium are prescribed।fruit also have phytochemicals ।

Disclaimer: It is general reading on heart and health for simple narrative view for common man understanding।To remove fear and mystery, and create awareness।

Neither it is expert advise nor any prescription।No accuracy of contents guaranteed।Just enjoy and trust and love your trusted friend inside।It is compiled by non medical doctor।