Heart is one of the most important organ of our body that is located at the front of the chest on left side of body. The size and weight of heart depends on the age and sex of the individual. Difference...
Heart
Heart is one of the most important organ of our body that is located at the front of the chest on left side of body. The size and weight of heart depends on the age and sex of the individual.It pumps blood throughout the body.This organ structurally comprises muscle and tissue. It mainly consists of four chambers: two atria and two ventricles. Brain and Nervous tissue control the function of the heart. Now, why is heart so important? Heart maintains blood pressure in our body and also transports blood containing oxygen and carbon dioxide throughout the body. Oxygenated blood provides oxygen to cells of the body and carbon dioxide and other waste can be taken from the cells to excrete it out. It's important to know the parts of this important and complex organ so that we can further understand the pathologies( diseases) and other disorders associated with them. Parts of heart include walls, chambers, valves, blood vessels and conduction systems. Now if we talk further about anatomy of the heart, heart chambers are four in number: Right atrium, Right ventricle, Left atrium and Left ventricle. Coming on heart valves, they are of two types: Atrioventricular valves( TRICUSPID AND MITRAL VALVE) and Semilunar valves( AORTIC AND PULMONARY VALVE). Further, Blood vessels are of 3 types: Arteries, Veins and Capillaries. For proper functioning of heart, conduction and impulses are most important. So, conduction system includes SA Node, AV Node, Left Bundle Branch, Right Bundle Branch, Bundle of His, and Purkinje Fibres.
Pathologies Associated With Heart
There are various diseases associated with heart and we all are very well aware of the fact that heart pathologies and disorders are the leading cause of death in developing as well as developed countries.
Now coming to the main part of our discussion,
Heart Attack vs. Heart Failure vs. Cardiac Arrest
They all are the commonest cause of chest pain and also major and serious complications of cardiac patients.
Heart Attack
Now coming to them individually, first of all let's discuss about Heart ATTACK.
What happens when heart attack occurs? Blood flow to the heart is blocked. In simple words, blood is unable to reach the heart. Now what can be the reason of blood not reaching the heart? So, the causes of heart attack are blood clot or presence of plaque (deposits of fatty substance, cholesterol, calcium, waste products that are sticky in nature) .Now, how can we know that it's a heart attack? Chest pain, shortness of breath, feelinG of tiredness since several days or weeks can be the alarming signals that should be addressed urgently so that treatment can occur at an accurate time. There are a lot more symptoms like faintness, sudden sweating, dizziness, anxiety, and restlessness that should be taken care of.Now, what to do in case we feel that someone is having a heart attack around us. Just be calm and call medical emergency as soon as possible
Heart Failure
What is Heart Failure? Now, when Heart muscles fail to pump as much blood as the body needs, we call it heart failure. It is usually long term, gradually developing but occurs instantly only. One shocking fact about heart failure is it can occur in patients of any age.
Causes of heart failure include clot in lungs, heart valve disorders, problems associated with thyroid or kidney. It can be genetic or the muscles of the heart have weakened over time. In early stages of heart failure, usually there are no symptoms. Later on symptoms include dry cough, disorientation, dizziness, fainting, fatigue, fluid buildup, rapid breathing, bluish tinge in skin, wheezing and stridor and noises in airways or breathing. Nowadays, heart failure is one of the most common causes of sudden deaths of individuals because it can also lead to one of the post havoc full cardiac arrest. Whenever you see such symptoms in your near ones, immediately take them for medical help as it can save one precious life.
Cardiac Arrest
Now what is this cardiac arrest? The term is self explanatory. Cardiac =Heart , Arrest = Stoppage i.e. the heart stops working that is th heart beats are stopped and for person recovery, it needs to be restarted. The most common cause of cardiac arrest is the problem in conduction system of the heart. The warning symptoms of cardiac arrest can be known before a month if you are aware of them. Cardiac arrest is very serious condition because it can lead to death of patient within minutes because the blood has been stopped flowing to the major organs of body like brain and lungs. Symptoms include dizziness, shortness of breath and loss of consciousness. Within seconds, patient caan be unresponsive because of lack of blood supply to organs. It comes under medical emergency.
So, after knowing all this, what can we do at our level to prevent such mishappening with us?
- Get aware of all the symptoms that are alarming signals of heart diseases
- Know about CPR ( It is intended to pump the heart and can save the life of 25 % patients)
- Reduce the consumption of fatty foods
- Increase the physical activity in order to prevent plaqu accumulation
- Improve your lifestyle, sleeping pattern and stressfree life spo that you stay way and live a happy and healthy life.
