It’s February, and while Valentine hearts are everywhere, how much do you know about this hard-working organ?
Q: How many times a day does your heart beat?
A: Your heart beats more than 100,000 times each day. During an average person’s lifetime, their heart will beat more than 2.6 billion times.
Q: How much blood does your heart pump?
A: With each beat, your heart pumps about a quarter-cup of blood. Every minute, it pumps nearly 1.5 gallons (5.7 liters). Over the course of a day, it moves more than 2,000 gallons.
Q: Why is the location of your heart important?
A: Your heart is just behind and a little to the left-of-center of your breastbone. This placement, and that of your rib cage, offers your heart protection. Because your heart is off-center, your left lung is slightly smaller than your right one.
Q: How is your heartbeat “coordinated?”
A: The two sides of your heart have to work together. “Used” blood flows into the right side, where it is then pumped into your lungs. After being re-oxygenated there, the blood goes back into the left side, so it can be pumped back out to the rest of your body.
Q: What are the only cells in your body that do not receive oxygen-rich blood from your heart?
A: Your cornea, the clear tissue on the front of your eye, is the only part of your body with no blood vessels. It has to be transparent so that you can see. Your cornea gets nutrients and oxygen from your tears and the liquid inside the eye.
Q: How many miles of blood vessels are in an adult human’s body?
A: About 60,000 miles—enough to circle the Earth’s equator twice.
Q: When do most heart attacks occur?
A: Mondays are the most common day of the week for heart attacks to occur. Christmas Day sees more cardiac deaths than any other day of the year, with December 26 and January 1 coming in second and third.
Q: What motivated the invention of the stethoscope?
A: Modesty. Before the stethoscope, the only way that healthcare providers could listen to someone’s heart was to press an ear directly onto their patient’s chest.
Q: Is there really such a thing as having a “broken heart?”
A: Sort of. “Broken Heart Syndrome” is a brief condition where the heart muscle rapidly weakens after a person experiences a sudden physical or emotional stressor. The burst of stress hormones brought on by the stressful event can temporarily stun the heart muscle, causing symptoms similar to a heart attack. Regardless of cause, always seek emergency medical help if you have any symptoms of a heart attack:
- Chest pain or pain in other areas of the upper body (one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach).
- Trouble breathing or shortness of breath.
- Unexpected fainting or passing out, or multiple instances where you become dizzy and nearly pass out.
- Heart palpitations.
- An unusually slow or fast heartbeat, or one that skips or adds beats.
- Other signs, such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea, or lightheadedness.
- The only way to know what’s causing these symptoms is to have the proper tests run.
Q: How can I take good care of my hard-working heart?
A: Although a few risk factors for heart disease may be out of your control (age, family history, and sex—males are at higher risk), there’s still a lot you can do to reduce your overall risk and protect your heart:
- Quit smoking and vaping.
- Manage your cholesterol and blood pressure.
- Get active and avoid a sedentary lifestyle.
- Get enough good, restorative sleep.
- Watch your weight—too much body fat (especially if it’s around your waist) is a risk factor.
- Diabetes increases the risk of heart disease. Learn about prevention and what you can do to avoid developing it. If you already have diabetes, make sure to get regular check-ups, and do your best to keep blood sugar levels under control.
- Avoid alcohol. Any level of consumption carries risk. If you drink, keep it light and occasional. This gives your body a chance to recover.
- Some stress is unavoidable and can even be beneficial. However, if your stress levels feel like too much, too often, seek out ways to bring it back down.
- Adjust your diet to include mostly vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans/peas, and lean protein. Limit saturated fat, sodium, sugar, and red meat.