One should know that the human heart holds one of the most crucial processes in the body and that’s why when something’s wrong in it, the life of the sufferer likely comes to be at risk. Clinical studies show that heart diseases are among the leading killers, not only for the old ones but now to men and women of a wide age range. So, if you want to protect your loved ones suffering from a certain heart condition, you better take time to know at least a thing or two about the human heart and how to take good care of it.
The human heart of an average adult typically beats at a rate of 72 beats per minute, which is equivalent to a total of around 2.5 billion times throughout a person’s lifetime. When it is considered healthy, it has a normal weight of more or less 11 ounces and it could pump about 2,000 gallons of blood through 60,000 miles accumulated length of blood vessels every day. It has the ability to continue beating when separated from the body, provided that there is an adequate supply of oxygen. About 75 trillion human cells receive the blood pumped by the heart and around 15% to 20% of these are in the brain and other organs in the body’s central nervous system. In fact, the heart performs the most physical work of any human muscle in a person’s lifetime. The energy it provides to the body throughout an average lifetime is about 2.5 gigajoules, which is equivalent to the energy needed to drive a big truck for 20 miles.
Among the common factors that lead to a heart malfunction is the prolonged lack of sleep. It can cause premature ventricular contractions (PVCs), which are primarily manifested by irregular jumping heartbeats. Heavy snoring could also negatively affect the heart because of the condition called obtrusive sleep apnea (OSA). Meanwhile, cocaine is an extremely harmful substance to the human heart as it disrupts the electrical activity of the heart and results to spasm of the arteries that eventually leads to heart attack or stroke. Stressful situations are also likely to trigger irregularities in the functionality of the heart and other cardiovascular organs. In addition, excessive cholesterol build-ups in the body are another heart disease factor as well.
In order to maintain a healthy heart, you should avoid fatty and oil foods, except for some that are considered good for the heart like Omega 3 oil. It is best to stick to fresh fruits and vegetables, along with plenty of water every day. Also, it would be of great help when you do your best to secure enough of sleep and rest and to avoid stressful scenarios as much as possible. Another important thing is the knowledge on how to do cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR, which is a first-aid practice that could be used to save the life of a heart disease sufferer. More and more people are now into CPR training as a result of the campaign of the American Heart Association. Check out citywidecpr.com to see how to get into an extensive CPR training.
