because you value your body

From the moment it begins beating until the moment it stops, the human heart works tirelessly. In an average lifetime, the heart beats more than two and a half billion times, without ever pausing to rest. Like a pumping machine, the heart provides the power needed for life.

This life-sustaining power has, throughout time, caused an air of mystery to surround the heart. Modern technology has removed much of the mystery, but there is still an air of fascination and curiosity.

To monitor the heart, a doctor begins by touching the chest. If the tip of the heart can be felt pushing against the chest, the heart may be enlarged. Thumping lightly on the chest gives an idea of the heart’s shape. Your body’s vital statistics also tell how well the heart is working.

Next, the doctor places the stethoscope on the chest to hear the sound of the heart. The normal heart sounds, lub and dub, can be heard. Any unusual sounds can also be heard. Heart arrhythmias and murmurs are two possibilities. An arrhythmia is an irregular pattern of the heart’s beat. A murmur indicates that blood is seeping through the closed valve separating the atrium and ventricle.

An x-ray machine passes rays through the chest to make a shadow picture of the heart. The x-ray shows the size and position of the heart. It can also show any obvious deformities.

Modern technology has provided even clearer pictures of the heart. Echocardiography and Electrocardiography are two techniques that provide detailed information about the heart without causing any real discomfort to the patient.

Echocardiography

Electrocardiography

If these procedures do not provide enough information, exploratory procedures may need to be performed. Cardiac catheterization and angioplasty are two common methods for exploring the heart. Because the heart is so well protected from outside danger, monitoring the heart can be a challenge. Medical scientists have several ways of “seeing” the heart without actually having to open the chest. Typically, open heart surgery is performed only as the last resort.

Below are the simple tips that even my dog is doing.

• Get plenty of exercise.
• Follow a good diet.
• Keep your heart clean and drug-free.

Love your self and have your heart be healthy for the rest of your life.

Heart Online
Education of the heart

Franklin Institute
Science resource repository

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