My Life Monday Taking care of your heart You are familiar with your heart beating but do you know why your heart beats? Your heart is a strong pump made up of muscle tissues which pumps nearly 6500 gallons of blood each day. The heart beat is the activity that transfers the blood to your lungs and the rest of your body. The blood in circulation supplies the oxygen needed to support your body tissues and their functions.

What can lead to heart failure? Heart failure simply means that your heart is not pumping blood as well as it should do. There are many causes to heart failure but the common ones are as follows:  Coronary heart disease ( which is the narrowing of blood vessels to the heart.) This limits the blood supply. Smoking, high cholesterol levels, obesity or diabetes can lead to coronary heart disease.  A heart attack can damage the muscles leading to heart failure.  High blood pressure-If the pressure created by the blood flow increases, the heart will have to pump harder to circulate the blood. The extra effort thickens the heart muscles and weakens the heart.  Problems with the heart valves. ( Valves regulates blood flow to the heart.) If valves don’t open and close according the heart beat, the heart will have to work harder and this workload could eventually lead to heart failure.  Toxic substances such as alcohol abuse adds stress and damages the heart cells.  Irregular heartbeats- when the heart beats too fast or slow, it does not pump enough blood to meet the needs of the body.  Genetic abnormalities-A problem you were born with.  Side affects of medication.

What are the symptoms? Visit the doctor if you experience any of the following:  Fatigue  Extreme tiredness during an exercise routine  Shortness of breath  Swelling of feet, ankles or legs  Lack of appetite and nausea  Increase heart rate  Frequent coughing  Frequent urination during the night  Confusion and impaired thinking

Simple prevention… A few simple prevention techniques can reduce the risk of heart failure or heart disease. Do  Exercise regularly  Eliminate unnecessary stress  Drink 8 glasses of water a day  Maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle  Maintain a proper diet  Visit the doctor regularly and treat underlying diseases such as hypertension and high cholesterol Don’t  Smoke or remain in areas where people are smoking.  Drink excessive amounts of alcohol, caffeine or sugar concentrated drinks.  Ignore signs or symptoms that indicate heart problems