The heart is one of the most important organs in your body, and in some ways the most familiar; we know we have to keep it healthy to live well, most of us know someone who has had a heart problem or even a heart attack, and it's one of the few organs that we can actually feel as it functions (just put your hand in the middle of your chest!). But there are some things that you may not know about your heart that can help you understand why it's so important.

1. Athletes actually appear to have smaller hearts. The heart is a muscle, as are your biceps. But while striving for big muscles might be an athlete's visible goal, on x-ray a really good athlete's heart looks SMALLER than average. That's a sign of an efficient heart - a heart that pumps blood well squeezes very hard to send as much blood as possible to the body with every beat. An enlarged heart, in contrast, may indicate that the heart's having to work too hard because of muscle damage or the increased effort of moving blood through clogged arteries.

2. The "lub-dub" that your heart makes when beating is the sound of heart valves closing. The human heart has four chambers with valves - little one-way doors - between them. If the heart is working correctly, you hear "lub" when blood first enters the heart and 'dub" after it leaves. If doctor hears a 'swish" or "gurgle" - murmurs - instead of a thump, that may be a sign that the valves aren't working as well as they should. Extra sounds (lub-dadub) sometimes indicate uncoordinated valve action (indicating heart injury) but it may be just be the sign of a young and athletic heart.

3. The heart needs blood, just like all your other organs. The heart fills with blood and then pumps the blood to the body about once a second or more. But it doesn't take nutrients and oxygen directly from the blood before pumping it; instead it pumps the heart through a series of blood vessels called arteries. Each organ has groups of arteries that deliver oxygen and nutrients to it - including the heart! These are called "coronary" arteries; if these arteries are narrowed or damaged, the heart may have trouble receiving the nutrients and oxygen it needs to live.

4. Heart cells (myocytes) are precious. Unlike skin, which quickly heals after most injuries, if heart cells are injured or killed during a myocardial infarction (or "heart attack") they are difficult to repair or replace. For many years, in fact, it was believed that you only had one set of myocytes, and once damaged, they could never be replaced. Recent research suggests that there may be cells in the heart (stem cells) that can develop into myocytes if needed, but how they are triggered and how long it takes them to repair damaged tissue isn't known. It is known however that heart damage is difficult to overcome, so prevention is an important part of taking care of your heart.

5. Your heart is a piece of electronic equipment. Myocytes use electrical signals as a means of communicating with one another and coordinating the beating of the heart. The flow of electricity is recordable by an electrocardiograph (ECG). An ECG of a damaged heart can be comparing the flow of electrical waves in the heart to waves in the normal heart to determine what sort of damage has been done. In addition, if there is significant damage to the electrical communication between heart cells, an artificial pacemaker (usually called a pacemaker) may be implanted in the heart to coordinate the electrical signals used and keep the heart beat regular and coordinated. Many hospitals request that cell phones not be used in certain locations in the hospital because of artificial pacemakers - in rare cases, cell phones have been known to interfere with the functioning of pacemakers. Pacemaker users are recommended to use their cell on the opposite side from where their pacemaker is implanted.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/19007

Do you exercise every day? If you want to live a long, healthy life, maybe you should.

A recent study by Timothy Wessel, a physician at the University of Florida, indicates one of the strongest risk factors for developing heart disease is inactivity - even more so than being overweight. During the four-year study of 906 women, Dr. Wessel documented those who were moderately active were less likely to develop heart disease than sedentary women, no matter how much they weighed. The study concluded: "These results suggest that fitness may be more important than overweight or obesity for cardiovascular risk in women."

In January, the updated U.S. Dietary Guidelines strongly urged that everyone should take part in "at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity" on most days, above whatever activities they do at home or work. To loose weight or to avoid gaining weight as we age, 60 minutes of daily moderate to vigorous exercise is recommended. And those who have already lost weight and are attempting to keep weight off need 60 to 90 minutes of daily exercise.

A study of 9,611 adults by the University of Michigan Health System, found that people in their 50s and 60s who participated in daily exercise were 35 percent less likely to die within the next eight years than their inactive couch potato counter parts.

Convinced that it's time to add exercise to your day?

The Basics -- Make Exercise a Life Priority:

- If you're not use to exercising, check with your doctor before beginning any strenuous fitness routine.

- Start slow. If 30 minutes of exercise is too much, start with 15 minutes and add a few minutes each day.

- If you don't have time for 60 minutes of exercise, break it up into two 30-minute sessions throughout the day.

- Schedule a specific time to exercise everyday - then keep to your schedule!

- Take part in more intense activities that can improve your
heart health, such as: running, dancing, swimming, cycling, and climbing stairs.

- Find exercise that you enjoy. You will be more likely to
continue and improve your daily performance if you look forward to a favorite activity.

- Wear proper clothing and footwear. This has two functions. Clothing and shoes that are suited to your activity will enhance performance and offer the right kind of support for your body and feet. They will also place you in a better frame of mind for exercise. When you wear your favorite running outfit and slide into your special running shoes, your mind says "it's time to get out the door and put my feet in motion!"

- Add everyday activities to increase your overall fitness
level, such as gardening, housework, walking to the store, take the stairs instead of the elevator, and raking leaves.

- Always drink lots of water.

- If you feel discomfort or pain after an activity, use ice
therapy immediately to reduce swelling and numb pain. Always have a cold pack in your freezer, ready and waiting. Most aches and pains attributed to exercise respond well to icing and will melt away within 24 hours after applying ice for several 20-minute sessions. Using cold therapy reduces down time, getting you back on schedule fast. (If the pain does not lessen within 48 hours after using ice therapy, is intense or becomes worse, see your doctor.)

Exercise every day...take care of your heart...live long!

Disclaimer: This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical treatment or consultation. Always consult with your physician in the event of a serious injury.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/14897