How Does the Heart Pump Blood

About the Heart
Heart is the most important organ in the human body. It is nothing but a pump, composed of muscles which pumps blood to each and every part of the body. It carries all the vital oxygen and necessary minerals which helps our body to function in a proper way and also throws out the waste products which we don't need. For example, the brain needs continuous supply of oxygen and glucose. If it is not supplied properly, the brain loses consciousness. In the same way muscles too need glucose, oxygen and amino acids, as well as the right proportion of sodium, calcium, potassium salts in order to function properly. So, if the heart has any difficulty in pumping the blood through the body, it can lead to serious problems and also be fatal.

Heart is a little larger than your fist, and is located to the left of the middle of the chest. The heart is the most important organ because of the work it does. The heart pumps blood to each and every cell of your body which is an important task for the human body to survive.

How Does the Heart Pump Blood?
The heart is the center of the circulatory system. The circulatory system works to ensure a steady supply of essential nutrients throughout the body. It consists of network of blood vessels which carries blood to every cell of our body. Heart works like a pumping machine which continuously provides blood through the circulatory system. It is estimated that the heart beats about an average of 100,000 times a day.

The tubes or the blood vessels which carry blood to and fro the heart are called arteries and veins. The blood present in the heart is pumped through chambers. There are four chambers present in the heart. The upper chamber is called atria and the lower ventricles. Each chamber has a right and left side which are connected by valves. The right side of the heart receives oxygen-poor blood which is pumped to the lungs where oxygen is inhaled and carbon dioxide is released. The left side of the heart receives this pure oxygenated blood which is later circulated to the whole body. Therefore the left ventricle is strong and large to perform its duty to provide blood throughout the body.

The function of all the four chambers, in a continuous and well-coordinated manner is very important for a normal healthy heart. The heart does not rely on the nervous system to perform its actions. It has its own electric system for its working. This electric impulse is like a natural pacemaker which governs the heartbeat and also causes the muscles to contract and relax. The muscles present in the four chambers relax to fill in the blood and then contracts to pump the blood through the body. When the chambers contract, the valves opens up to allow the blood to flow from the right atrium to right ventricle and from left atrium to left ventricle. When the valves relax they close to prevent the blood flow from flowing back. This is the process carried out by the heart to pump the blood throughout the body.

Way to Have a Healthy Heart
How can you keep your heart pumping normally throughout your life? For that be active, doing brisk physical activity for at least 30 minutes a day can help in maintaining your heart's health. Keep a check on your diet and follow healthy way of eating. Eat more vegetables and fruit, grain products and lower the amount of fat you eat. Avoid smoking completely or at least reduce and also make sure that you avoid secondhand smoke (passive smoking) which can have an adverse effect on the heart. Learn healthy ways to manage stress as stress is directly related to the functioning of the heart. There are many ways to manage stress such as, getting enough sleep, meditation, eating healthy, physical activity, listening to music and talking to someone.

It has been observed that people get into unhealthy ways to tackle stress like taking drugs, letting out anger by yelling and screaming at others, drinking too much alcohol and eating excessively. Keep away from these unhealthy ways. Do a physical check up on a yearly basis and ask your doctor to keep a track record of your blood pressure. These are some of the ways you can learn to keep your heart pumping faithfully and perfectly throughout your life.