Heart Complications

The heart is consisted of two stages and act as an electric pump. Thee main function of the heart is to circulate blood through the body. The cells of the heart generate electric current which are important for the heart to pump the blood. The heart is consisted of four chambers. They are called right and left atria and right and left ventricles. The right side pumps blood to the lungs whereas, the left pumps blood to the rest of the body. Right atrium collects blood from the body and pushes it to the right ventricle. In this way, upper chamber of the heart beats.

The right ventricle is responsible for pumping blood and picking up oxygen from the lungs and to return the oxygenated blood to the left atrium. It is further pushed to the left ventricle by the small atrial beats. The special cells in the right atrium called sino atrial node (SA node) generate first electrical impulse and are considered the “natural pacemaker” of the heart. This pacemaker (SA node) function begins the electrical impulse which follows pathways in the atrial walls, to a junction box between the atrium and ventricle called the atrio-ventricular node (AV node). This electric signal provides ground for muscle cells in both atria to contract all at once. The electric signal, at the AV node, waits for a very short time, usually one to two tenths of a second, to allow blood to leave the atria and fill up the ventricles. The signal further passes through electric bundles in the ventricle walls to allow these chambers to contract again in a coordinated way, and pump blood to the body. The SA node produces beating system, each about 60-80 times per minute, which can be felt through the pulse externally.

The heart system of the human body is quite complicated and sensitive as well. Although the body protects the heart as its best but slight malfunctioning of the systemic routine of heart blood pumping can create huge problems. Some of them are treated easily, whereas, most are life threatening. Among the common heart complications, heart failure is major problem. In the heart failure, heart pumps the blood with less force, usually because of the heart injury.

The diseases such as high or low blood pressure, high or low cholesterol, diabetes, asthma, and psychological effects such as fear, pain, anxiety, stress, anger, nervousness, smoking, exceeded amount of alcohol can be reasons of all type of heart complications. The common complications that can occur because of these problems include Heart rhythm disorder, rapid heartbeat, slow heart beat, palpitations, pericarditis, heart block, heart inflammation, heart attacks, cardiac arrest, heart failure, Heart damage, high-output heart failure, and congenital heart disease etc. These complications sometimes are treated through medicines, and through surgeries or transplantation in special cases, when problem is of severe nature. The recommendations for healthy heart given by American Heart Association’s include avoiding tobacco smoke, monitoring high blood pressure, eating food low in cholesterol and saturated fats, being physically active, maintaining a healthy weight, and having regular medical exams.