Heart Health Month

Heart Health Month

42,048,000! That is the average amount of beats that your heart beats in a year, and over 3 billion in your life (an average, if you lived until 80 years old). Each heart beat pushes blood through 60,000 miles of blood vessels, all contained inside the human body. To better understand that realize that the circumference of the earth, at the equator, is 24,901 miles long. Your heart also pumps about 2,375 gallons of blood in a day. Said simply, the heart is magnificent! The heart’s first beat starts around the six week mark after conception. It doesn’t stop; well, until we expire. But what do you do to appreciate your heart? How do you assist it in its continuous machine mimicking output? 

Much like a machine, it doesn’t take breaks or shut down. However, our hearts do need maintenance and care. But, what is this “maintenance and care” for the heart? Why is this necessary? What are some issues of a neglected heart?

It is important to understand that the number one killer of men and women in the U.S. is heart disease, at nearly 1 million per year.  Globally it accounts for more than 17.9 million deaths. Heart disease is a list of separate conditions that demonstrate some form of blood flow problems of the heart.   

Heart disease

Heart disease arises from the development of atherosclerosis or arteriosclerosis. 

Atherosclerosis– is the narrowing of the artery from plaque build up. This plaque comes from cholesterol (and other substances in the blood) deposits that settle in place and begin to build up, narrowing vital arteries.

Arteriosclerosis- is the hardening of the artery walls. Arteries are naturally nimble and smooth. When they become thick and hard it is becomes difficult for the heart to effectively push blood through your system. 

People with atherosclerosis have arteriosclerosis. However, you may have arteriosclerosis and not have atherosclerosis. Both of these effect the arteries. To simplify this I will use your interstate knowledge to help with the flow of reading and understanding.  Your arteries are the “highways” that carry blood from the heart out to the body on that long 60,000 mile journey. Each beat (on average there are 80 beats a minute) creates a highway similar to peak travel on the interstate. As long as a beat can travel its course with out delay the flow of traffic remains unimpeded and smooth. However, when you have atherosclerosis or arteriosclerosis you create barriers, obstacles and traffic jams that can start to slow down the smooth flow and soon if not corrected it will eventually cause an all out traffic jam with no movement at all. 

Heart disease unregulated and/or not corrected can lead to these immediate emergencies. All of which are quiet possibly deadly:

Heart failure – Is when the heart fails to pump adequate volume of blood throughout the body.

Heart attack – Occurs when the blood supply to the heart is blocked. 

Kidney failure – Is when a lack of blood reaches the kidneys.

Aneurysm – most notably known as a bubble in the arterial wall bursting.

Stroke – Is when the blood supply to the brain has been stopped by a blockage. The lack of oxygenated blood is depleted from the brain, creating a brain attack. 

Arrhythmia – The prefix “A” means without- rhythm. Or a irregular/abnormal heartbeat. 

(Here is a nice illustration of the heart with great descriptions on the heart. Cleveland Clinic)

There are about 2,300 deaths each day that are associated with heart disease. The cost to families is high, because heart disease is a silent killer, meaning that a person doesn’t always get noticeable warning signs- they just seem to occur catching families off gaurd. It is also costly to the country costing well over $300 billion dollars a year. So, what are the signs and symptoms? The best thing for anyone to do is to make and stick to annual physical assessments with your medical professional. Before you go to your appointment take some time to focus on your symptoms. Practice expressing your pains and quirks so that you are ready to describe what you are experiencing. The more accurate that you describe a concern, the more you are helping your doctor help you.  

Signs and Symptoms

Knowing the warning signs can be the difference between life and death. Take a moment to review this list of signs and symptoms that may be a heart issue. The more of these that you experience the more likely that it is heart related.

• Chest discomfort
• Nausea, Indigestion, Heartburn
• Stomach pain
• Snoring
• Cough produces white or pink mucus 
• Throat or jaw pain
• Chest pain that moves to arm
• Dizzy or Lightheaded
• Easily exhausted
• Sweating
• Swollen lower extremities 
• Irregular heart beat

If in doubt get it checked out. 

Everyone is susceptible to heart disease. Although, there are some lifestyle choices as well as risk factors that will increase the likelihood of developing the condition. 

Risk factors

If you have a family history of heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, over weight, live in elevated air polluted environments. 

Lifestyle choices

Lifestyle choices such as: being a heavy heavy drinker, a smoker, if you don’t exercise; if you eat an unhealthy diet, you are always under stress, are things that increase your chances of heart disease and need to be amended.

Preventing heart disease

Your risk factors such as heredity, and air pollution (short of moving) aren’t easily changed. But, lifestyle choices are directly in your control. To help prevent heart disease minimize your alcohol consumption, stop smoking, exercise regularly, eat a nutritious diet, ( a nutritious diet will help maintain your weight, your cholesterol, diabetes, and may alter stress levels). Adhering to these points will not only help maintain a healthy heart but will help maintain an over all healthy lifestyle. Plus, aid in reducing your chances of a variety of unconscious self-inflicted conditions and disease states.    

Disclaimer: This article is intended as a friendly reminder with recommendations. It is not medical advice, direction or prescription of any sort. Please refer to professional services for any health-related questions, concerns and relief.