The heart is a muscular organ located between the lungs in the center of the chest and it is about the size of a fist that pumps blood continuously around the body.
Consist of 4 chambers, 4 valves, 2 atriums, 2 ventricles, and 2 separate pumps (left and right side).
Right side: Receives blood from the body and sends it to the lungs.
Left side: Receives blood from the lungs and sends it to the body.
When there is rhythmic contraction and expansion of the heart it is called a heartbeat.
Heart rate is termed as the number of times your heart beats in a minute, it is measured in bpm (beats per minute). A normal resting rate is usually 60 to100 beats per minute, the resting heart rate of a woman is usually about 10 beats more than a man in the same age range. Whereas athletes may have a resting heart rate of as low as 40 beats per minute as they are fit and have larger stroke volume of the heart.
Stroke volume is the amount of blood ejected from the heart per beat. So, the heart of a fit person does not need to beat as many times as an unfit person.
Different aspects concerning heart rate include stress (during stress the body releases the hormone adrenaline which yields an increase in heart rate), temperature and humidity that you are in, nutrition, and hydration (dehydration), while performing physical fitness, medications can also have a dramatic effect on heart rate.
Many people believe that they develop heart issues only after a certain age, but it is not true, the truth is that it takes time for heart disease to develop. When you have a casual social smoking habit that goes on in your 20's you are setting the stage of developing heart disease in the future, so all need to be aware that the disease may also develop when younger and we need to pay attention to this.
States causing irregular heartbeat:
Tachycardia
A condition in which the heart beats more than 100 beats per minute.
Symptoms- Chest pain, lightheadedness, heart palpitations, etc.
Bradycardia
A condition where your heart beats fewer than 60 times per minute, which is unusually slow.
Symptoms- syncope, excessive sweating, confusion, etc.
Atrial flutter
In atrial flutter, the heart's upper chambers (atria) beat too quickly which causes the heart to beat in a fast, but usually regular, rhythm.
Prolonged atrial flutter can ultimately impair cardiac output, also increase myocardial oxygen demand.
Symptoms- May not have symptoms but can increase the risk of stroke, heart failure, and other complications.
Atrial fibrillation
An irregular and often very rapid heart rhythm can lead to blood clots in the heart.
Monitoring heart rate is vital as it can lead to various heart issues if not checked such as:
Heart arrhythmia
An Arrhythmia or irregular heartbeat is a heart disorder that occurs when the heart is beating too quickly or too slowly or following an irregular rhythm.
It can occur due to various reasons or can be a result of a genetic condition, eating or drinking habits of an individual, consumption of alcohol, drugs or tobacco, and others.
Coronary heart disease
It can lead to arrhythmia as caused by plaque buildup in the wall of the arteries that supply blood to the heart.
High blood pressure
It can cause stiffening of the walls in the ventricles and cause arrhythmia in the heart.
Hormonal imbalance
Thyroid glands are the hormone centers of the body and under or over the section of these glands can cause irregular heartbeats.
Other complications that can arise are:
COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)
Aneurysms
Autoimmune diseases
Heart failure
Signs of an unhealthy heart
Leg Pain
Fatigue and breath shortness
Lightheadedness and dizziness
Persistent coughing
Chest discomfort
Upset stomach
Sleeping and snoring problems
Irregular heartbeats
Sore gums and mouth problems
Random cold sweats
Depression
Conclusion:
A rapid heart rate does not forever need treatment but can sometimes be life-threatening. So, to play it safe we must avoid a few things and inculcate healthy lifestyle modifications and be aware of some indications that can lead to various heart issues. And taking proper medications by consulting a doctor and monitoring heart rate is a preventive step taken to be away from various underlying medical conditions.
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