It is common to refer to “heart disease” in a patient, and many people understand this term to indicate a single disease. In fact, multiple types of conditions involving the heart comprise the category of “heart disease” and can include congenital heart defects, heart infection, disease of the heart muscle, blood vessel disease, faulty heart rhythms (arrhythmias), and heart valve disease. Regardless of the specific type of heart disease that exists, it is important that patients access the appropriate health services Port Charlotte FL.
Have a Heart
The heart, a fist-sized organ that acts as a pump, has a right side and a left side. On the right side, blood is collected and pumped through the pulmonary arteries to the lungs. While in the lungs, the blood is infused with a fresh supply of oxygen. Blood that is rich in oxygen then enters the left side of the heart. From the left side, blood is pumped through the aorta to provide oxygen and nutrients to the body’s tissues and organs.
Pumps and Beats
The heart uses a series of valves to move blood all over the body. The valves that allow the blood to move in the correct direction include the aortic, the mitral, the pulmonary, and the tricuspid valves. It is crucial that these valves open completely and then shut tightly to prevent any leakage. In addition, the valves must function properly; they need to open one way and do so only when needed.
The beating of the heart occurs in a continuous cycle; the heart repeatedly contracts (or squeezes) and relaxes. During diastole, the heart muscle relaxes, and blood fills the heart’s chambers; blood pressure decreases during this phase. During systole, the heart muscle contracts, blood is pushed from the heart into the circulatory system’s blood vessels, and the blood then travels to all the tissues and the organs in the body; blood pressure increases during this phase.
Although the CDC has recognized heart disease as a leading cause of death in the United States, a heart-to-heart conversation with a specialist can prevent this outcome.
