The human heart is a powerful pump like organ. You can say, it is a bunch of various special muscles that is having size of your fist. The organ circulates the blood to and from body’s millions of cells, tissues, organs and systems. Normally, an adult heart pumps 5 liters of blood re-circulated continuously throughout the life.
The heart pushes the blood into tubes called as arteries and into more tiny cubes called as capillaries. Finally, the blood goes into tissue or organs and comes back through the veins. The whole cycle takes about one minute, within which, the blood brings oxygen and nutrients to the cells, organs, tissues, bones and muscles.
In Ayurveda, heart is called as ‘hridaya’. This means everything. The main seat of the soul (aatma) is considered in the heart. All the bodily minute channels (srotas) depend on the heart. This is also one of the three vital organ (called as marma) of the body, hitting on which, even death may occur.
-
Heart starts beating before the birth and keeps on beating till death.
- Heart beats one hundred thousand times a day making this 35 millions times in a year and so on and on…
-
Heart circulates the blood of the body (which is 5 liter approximately) thrice a minute.
-
The heart muscles are the only muscles that do not take rest through out their life.
-
Everyday, our blood travels approximately 19000 Km. This is all due to hearth. This distance is four times distance across the USA from coast to coast.
-
One can imagine the force of the heart. The pumping capacity of the heart is tremendous. If the main artery is cut, the blood can squirt upside as high as 30 feet.
Above facts give an idea, how important heart is for human body. If the heart is kept healthy, this results into overall health of the body. Ayurveda states that certain rules and regulations are to be flowed to make the heart healthy and happy.
Nearly 16 million people die due to the heart disease across the world. The disorders include myocardial infarction, sudden cardiac arrest and many more. The heart is to be protected. There are many diseases that target the heart for instance, diabetes, rheumatism and many more. Even the death of single cell of the heart muscle can cause big damage to the body. Our food, lifestyle and habits have an impact on the heart.
Ayurveda believes that the heart is something like lotus upside down. Its petals are opened and blood flows trough that. One has to keep these petals open and fully widen all the time. Some of the conditions like atherosclerosis in which, the plaques is accumulated into the blood vessels and restrict the blood flow. This cuts of the sufficient supply of the blood to the organ. Insufficient blood supply will lead to organ damage.
There are lot many conditions that affect the heart in one or the other way. Some of them are described below
High blood pressure
Hypertension brings extra pressure and loading on the heart. Heart has to work more forcefully to pump the blood for circulation. This makes the heart muscle getting tired and then they finally give up. The heart, often gets enlarged if it has to work hard to meet the body demand of blood.
In hypertension, the arteries get hardened and may increase the chance to get heart stroke. Due to damaged blood vessels in the brain, it may also bring cerebro-vascular stroke. Furthermore, it can also damage another vital organ like kidney. Congestive cardiac failure and coronary artery disease are the later stage of the high blood pressure.
High blood cholesterol
Cholesterol is of two types; good (HDL) cholesterol and bad (LDL) cholesterol. The bad cholesterol is risky for the heart. Bad cholesterol carries fats and lipids from the liver to the heart and other organs. If this cholesterol remains in the blood, then it damages the heart. Bad cholesterol is accumulated in tiny arteries, which supply the blood to the heart and results into the heart stroke. The heart is damaged due to the lack of blood supply.
Smoking
Latest studies reveal that smoking increase the heart rate. Increased heart rate produce tightness in major arteries and that causes the irregular heartbeats. All these factors force the heart to work harder and faster. The carbon monoxide, a gas coming out of burning tobacco enters into the blood and it reduces the amount of oxygen in the blood stream. Lack of oxygen may also result into death of the cell.
Smoking is known trigger factor for creating high blood pressure. High blood pressure as seen before is one of the major cause for heart attack. tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide are poisonous to the heart. They also build fatty plaques in the tiny arteries that supply the blood to the heart. Plaques make damage to some arteries. Smoking is also believed to be having bad effect on the fibrinogen, which is an important blood clotting material and therefore, the blood clotting are more susceptible to occur in tiny arteries.
Smokers die with 70% greater death rate than that of non-smokers. Some of the people feel happy that they are smoking low tar or low nicotine cigarettes, which is of no use as they inhale more deeply to meet their requirement of having nicotine or tar.
Obesity
Obesity is well known factor for causing heart diseases. If one crosses the BMI (body mass index) then he or she is likely to invite many other diseases including heart disease. The BMI is measured by weight (in kg)/height (meter square). If this crosses 30, then one is about to have heart disease and many more that can worsen the normal lifestyle.
Ayurveda says that once the medo Dhatu (adipose tissues) are increased, they get seated into micro channels of the body and hence block the supply of blood and so the oxygen. This will trouble the entire system especially circulatory system. If this has gone far, the heart gets affected as lack of oxygen/blood supply to its muscles.
Diabetes
Increased level of the blood sugar is also triggering factor that can bring heart disease. It is susceptible of being developed the condition called coronary artery disease. Raised blood glucose levels accelerate the thickening of the tiny arteri basement membrane, which may turn to the coronary artery disease.
Regular check up is very much required to prevent the further heart damage. Any of the above condition may lead to heart disease and therefore, person having them should be very careful.
Some of the common symptoms are like radiating pain in the left hand from the heart to shoulder and then to fingers is considered as important sign of early heart attack. Gripping and squeezing pain in the heart is hazardous sign and to be taken care as early as possible. Sometimes but not always, there will be vomiting. Breathlessness is quite common with a patient suffering from heart problem. Fainting, heaviness and chest pain with palpitations are not uncommon.
Perspiration is found in major cases. There may be irregular pulses. Lightest exertion gives tremendous pain in the heart. ECG is best as primary diagnosing tool for heart attack.
- Regular exercise will be very beneficial. These exercises are to be light and moderate. You can take health advisor’s help for this.
- Yoga postures are very beneficial for treating the heart problem.
- Brisk walking, light jogging will be better. Light aerobics can to be done with caution.
- Body massage with medicated oils are beneficial in heart problem it improves the blood circulation in body.
- Reduce stress, anxiety, depression and worries. They may work as trigger factors creating heart problems.
- Never work hard (physically). You need rest to give your heart rest.
- Avoid spicy and junk food. They increase the chances of getting heart problems.
- Oily food, sugary food, canned or packed food and foods with preservatives are harmful to heart.
- Excess salt will lead to hypertension, which is again dangerous for heart’s health.
- Some of the Ayurvedic drugs like arjuna, aamla, daadima are time tested and trusted heart caring herbs. You either can go for the single herb extract or can go for the formula containing these herbs.
- Light diet like corn flakes, rice flakes is good in heart problem.
- Stop cold drinks, carbonated beverages, stimulant drinks such as excessive coffee, tea or alcohol.
- Smoking worsens the case of any heart disease.
- The food that is heavy to digest like refined flour, white flour etc is strictly to be avoided.
- There should be proper timing of having meals. In between two meals, there should be proper gap. This will allow your digestive system to digest the food in a proper manner.
- Low fat diet is preferred.
- Some of the Ayurvedic formulas like arjunarishta, daadimarishta, hyridayarnava rasa are practiced to cure heart problems since years in Ayurvedic science.
- Latest researches reveal that some breathing techniques called Pranayama is very beneficial in heart problems.
- Do not wear tight clothes; it may give pressure to your heart.
- Regular checking of lipid profile, cholesterol and heart scanning will be best to know your heart’s current situation and its functions.
