If someone asks where the heart is located, the most common answer is probably somewhere on the left side of the chest. And there is some truth behind this common thinking but the anatomy is actually very different.
The human heart is located at the center of the chest between the two lungs and behind the breastbone. It is tilted slightly towards the left, so the heartbeat might be more noticeable on the left side of the chest.
When World Heart Day is celebrated on September 29, knowledge of this essential organ is essential to understand how it is working and why cardiovascular health is important.
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5 facts about the heart are some of the interesting facts about the heart that are worth knowing.
1. Your Heart Is Not Completely On The Left.
The heart is situated in the middle of the chest in the space between the lungs. But its pointed lower end (called the apex) points towards the left side.
This is why the heart is usually viewed as being on the left. However, most of the organ is centrally located in the middle of the organ but the left side is slightly leftward.
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The heart is also protected by the rib cage and enclosed in a protective sac called the pericardium.
2. The heart has four chambers.
In a normal human heart, there are four chambers: two atria and two ventricles.
The right atrium receives oxygen-poor blood returning from the body, while the right ventricle pumps that blood towards the lungs.
The left atrium receives oxygen-rich blood from the lungs, and the left ventricle pumps it through the aorta to the rest of the body.
A muscular wall called the septum separates the right and left sides of the heart. This separation prevents oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor blood from mixing.
3. The Heart Is The Size Of Your Fist.
The adult heart is often described as being about the size of a person's clenched fist.
It is a muscular organ that works continuously— contracting and relaxing to move blood throughout the body.
The heart's muscle is called the myocardium. Like other living tissues, the heart muscle itself requires a regular supply of oxygen and nutrients that it receives through the coronary arteries.
4. Your Heart Has Four Valves.
The heart has four valves that help keep blood flowing in the correct direction.
They are the tricuspid valve, pulmonary valve, mitral valve, and aortic valve.
The valves open to allow blood to flow forward and close to prevent it from flowing backwards. The right side sends oxygen-poor blood into the lungs, while the left side pumps oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body.
The valves may have problems with normal blood flow and may need to be examined or treated.
5. The Heart Pumps Blood Through Two Circuits.
The heart works essentially according to two systems of circulation.
The right side receives oxygen-poor blood from the body and sends it to the lungs. In the lungs, the blood releases carbon dioxide and receives oxygen.
The oxygen-rich blood then flows back to the left side of the heart. The left ventricle pumps it through the aorta and into arteries that distribute it around the body.
This continuous circulation supplies tissues with oxygen and nutrients while helping transport carbon dioxide and other waste products away.
6. The heart beats continuously.
The heart acts on itself and contracts and relaxes all the time to keep blood flowing.
The heart pumps blood through a network of blood vessels that reaches virtually every part of the body, the American Heart Association says.
The number of heartbeats per minute changes as a function of physical activity, emotions, age, and overall health.
The heart beats faster during exercise, for example, to increase blood flow and oxygen flow to working muscles.
Heart health depends on your daily habits.
Learning about how the heart works is only one part of maintaining cardiovascular health. Everyday habits can affect heart health over the long term.
Hence, regular physical activity, a healthy diet, avoiding tobacco, weight loss, and controlling conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes would all add up to cardiovascular health.
It is particularly important to examine symptoms of a heart problem. Chest pain, unexplained shortness of breath, fainting, excessive sweating or sudden weakness should not be ignored, especially when the symptoms are severe or sudden.
World Heart Day should help us focus our attention on cardiovascular health, but heart health is not something that needs attention only once a year.
The heart may be on the left side of the chest, but its position is more central. From its four chambers and four valves to its continuous work in circulating blood, this muscular organ does a complex job every day.
Knowing these basic facts of cardiovascular health helps to help people see the need to protect cardiovascular health through everyday choices and medical attention and care.
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