Masters of Health Magazine February 2019 | Page 28

It also helps to remove carbon dioxide and other wastes. To function properly, the heart needs a constant supply of good nutrition - chemically, electrically, and emotionally.

According to the Mayo clinic, a healthy adult heart should beat from 60 to 100 times a minute while at rest. The average is 70 beats a minute, which is around 100,000 times a day. An athlete’s heart beats slower - from 40 to 60 beats per minute.

Faster than normal heart rate is called tachycardia or arrhythmia, and slower than normal is called bradycardia. Both could be a sign of heart problems.

Causes of Tachycardia include heart disease damage, mineral/electrolytes imbalance, birth defects (congenital heart conditions, including QT syndrome), heart valve disorder, anemia, high or low blood pressure, sudden stress or fright, smoking, fever, dehydration, over active thyroid (hyperthyroidism), diabetes, heavy alcohol use, caffeine and various other drugs, medications, or a constant state of fear.

Types of Tachycardia:

•Arterial fibrillation

•Atrial flutter

•Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT)

•Ventricular tachycardia

•Ventricular fibrillation, which can be brought on by a heart attack, trauma, and a lightening strike

Symptoms include:

•Rapid pulse rate, heart palpitations, uncomfortable or irregular heart beat or sensation of flopping in the chest

•Chest pain

•Shortness of breath

•Lightheadedness

•Fainting (syncope)

Causes of Bradycardia can include sinus node problems, old age, heart tissue damage or infection, congenital heart defect, heart infection (myocarditis), Inflammatory disease (rheumatic fever, lupus), heart surgery complication, underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), drug abuse, smoking, heavy alcohol use, sleep apnea, dehydration, medication, psychological stress or anxiety, chemical imbalance and/or deficiencies.

Heart Block (atrioventricular block)

Bradycardia can also occur when electrical signals transmitted through the atria are not transmitted to the ventricles.

•First-degree heart block: All signals from the atria reach the ventricles but are slowed.

•Second-degree heart block: Not all electrical signals reach the ventricles, resulting in slower and irregular rhythm.

•Third-degree heart block: None of the electrical signals reach the ventricles. The natural pacemaker takes over, but signals and control of the beat of the ventricles are unreliable.

Symptoms include:

•Chest pains

•Shortness of breath

•Dizziness or lightheadedness

•Fatigue or easily tiring during physical activity

•fainting (syncope)

•Confusion or memory problems

It is important to pay attention to your heart rate from time to time. A recent study published in the Journal of the american Medical Association found people whose resting heart rates increased from under 70 beats per minute to moe than 85 beats per minute over 10 years had a 90 percent increase risk of dying from heart disease compared to those whose heart rate stayed around 70 beats per minute. Interestingly, your heart doesn’t stop during heart failure. It just doesn’t pump blood as well as it should. The only time the heart stops is during cardiac arrest.