Matters Of The Heart

“The human heart is an amazing organ. Although we all know it is the main organ of the body and is the pump that keeps us alive, there is evidence to show that it is so much more”

Gregg Braden

When it comes to matters of the heart, we must remember that the heart is not just another organ that pumps blood through our system but we can also learn to feel from our hearts.  Listen to what your heart is telling you and start looking after your heart.

I have discussed strokes and shared an amazing video on how a woman followed her own stroke. Now we are going to find out what causes heart attacks.

What is a Heart Attack?

The heart works 24 hours a day, pumping oxygen and nutrient-rich blood to the body. Blood is supplied to the heart through its coronary arteries. If a blood clot suddenly blocks a coronary artery, it cuts off most or all blood supply to the heart and a heart attack results. Cells in the heart muscle that do not receive enough oxygen-rich blood begin to die. The more time that passes without treatment to restore blood flow, the greater the damage to the heart.

A heart attack is an emergency. Call emergency services if you think you or someone else may be having a heart attack. Prompt treatment of a heart attack can help prevent or limit damage to the heart and prevent sudden death. If blood flow in the blocked artery can be restored quickly, permanent heart damage may be prevented. Yet, many people do not seek medical care for 2 hours or more after symptoms start.

Angina is chest pain or discomfort that occurs when your heart muscle does not get enough blood. Angina symptoms can be very similar to heart attack symptoms. If you have angina and notice a sudden change or worsening of your symptoms, talk with your doctor right away.

Coronary artery disease is the most common underlying cause of a heart attack. Coronary artery disease is the hardening and narrowing of the coronary arteries caused by the buildup of plaque inside the walls of the arteries.  Over time, the buildup of plaque can:

·         narrow the arteries so that less blood flows to the heart muscle,

·         completely block the arteries and flow of blood, or

·         cause blood clots to form and block the arteries.

Symptoms of a heart attack

The most common symptom of heart attack is chest pain or discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes or goes away and comes back. The discomfort can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain. It can be mild or severe. Heart attack pain can sometimes feel like indigestion or heartburn.

The symptoms of angina can be similar to the symptoms of a heart attack. Angina is pain in the chest that occurs in people with coronary artery disease, usually when they’re active. Angina pain usually lasts for only a few minutes and goes away with rest. Angina that doesn’t go away or changes from its usual pattern (occurs more frequently or occurs at rest) can be a sign of the beginning of a heart attack and should be checked by a doctor right away.

Other common signs and symptoms that a person can have during a heart attack include:

·         Upper body discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach

·         Shortness of breath may often occur with or before chest discomfort

·         Nausea , vomiting, lightheadedness or fainting

·         Breaking out in a cold sweat

Not everyone having a heart attack experiences the typical symptoms. If you’ve already had a heart attack, your symptoms may not be the same for another one. The more signs and symptoms you have, the more likely it is that you’re having a heart attack.

Sometimes the signs and symptoms of a heart attack happen suddenly, but they can also develop slowly, over hours, days, and even weeks before a heart attack occurs.

Risk factors

Certain factors make it more likely that you will develop coronary artery disease and have a heart attack. These risk factors include some things you cannot change:

·         Being a man over age 45 or a woman over age 55 you are at greater risk

·         Having a family history of early heart disease

·         Having a personal history of angina or previous heart attack

·         Having had a heart procedure such as angioplasty or heart bypass.

Importantly, there are many risk factors that you can change. These include:

·         Smoking

·         Being overweight or obese

·         Physical inactivity

·         High blood pressure

·         High blood cholesterol

·         Diabetes

Certain risk factors tend to occur together. When they do, it's called metabolic syndrome. In general, a person with metabolic syndrome is twice as likely to develop heart disease and five times as likely to develop diabetes as someone without metabolic syndrome.

You can help prevent a heart attack by knowing about your risk factors for coronary artery disease and heart attack and taking action to lower your risks. You can make lifestyle changes to lower your risk by doing the following:

·         Eating a healthy diet to prevent or reduce high blood pressure

·         Eating a healthy diet to prevent or reduce high blood cholesterol

·         Maintaining a healthy weight

·         Following a low-fat diet rich in fruits and vegetables

·         Paying careful attention to the amounts and types of fat in your diet

·         Lowering your salt intake

·         Quitting smoking

·         Exercising as directed by your doctor

·         Losing weight gradually if you are obese or overweight

Get treatment for related conditions that might make having a heart attack more likely:

·         If you have high blood cholesterol, follow your doctor's advice about lowering it

·         If you have high blood pressure, follow your doctor's advice about keeping it under control

·         If you have diabetes, follow your doctor's advice about keeping blood sugar levels under control

·         Take your medicines for the above as directed by your doctor

(Information taken from News Medical, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article on "Stroke".  All material adapted used from Wikipedia is available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Wikipedia® itself is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.)

Much research has been done on the other functions of the heart and what an amazing organ it actually is – take the time to hear what Gregg Braden has to say:

“When we form heart-centered beliefs within our bodies, in the language of physics we're creating  the electrical and magnetic expression of them as waves of energy, which aren't confined to our hearts or limited by the physical barrier of our skin and bones.  So clearly we're "speaking" to the world around us in each moment of every day through a language that has no words:  the belief-waves of our hearts.

In addition to pumping the blood of life within our bodies, we may think of the heart as a belief-to-matter translator.  It converts the perceptions of our experiences, beliefs, and imagination into the coded language of waves that communicate with the world beyond our bodies.  Perhaps this is what philosopher and poet John Mackenzie meant when he stated, "The distinction between what is real and what is imaginary is not one that can be finely maintained ... all existing thing are ... imaginary."

Gregg Braden