Simplified Heart Physiology, or “Why Me”

Your heart is basically a large muscle that is very complicated in how it works.

The human heart is divided into four parts (or Chambers): the top right is the Right Atrium, bottom right is the Right Ventricle, top left is the Left Atrium and the bottom left is the Left Ventricle.

Blood is sucked from the body into the Right Atrium and passes down to the Right Ventricle. The blood is then pumped to the lungs to be oxygenated. The Pulmonary Vein transfers the blood from the lungs to the Left Atrium, which acts as a sucking mechanism. The blood then passes from the Left Atrium to the Left Ventricle and is pumped out of the body to all the different areas via the Aorta.

This simplified explanation of how the heart works gives us a working knowledge to explain why anyone who has had Heart Failure usually wants to know… “Why Me.”

There are four main possibilities…

1) There can either be fluid in or around the heart. This could be due to several different reasons but it does cause the heart to work too hard and eventually get out of sync. This interruption requires defibrillation and is called Heart Failure.

2) A problem with a valve inside the heart means that the blood is stuck in the heart and not pumped out; therefore, it causes the heart to get out of sync and results in Heart Failure.

3) A blockage in the arteries that will not allow the blood to flow out into the body, again causing the blood to back up and the heart to go out of sync, resulting in Heart Failure.

4) Infection. It doesn’t necessarily have to be in the heart, though it can be. Infections in the foot, leg, mouth, or anywhere in the body (internally or externally) can cause that bacterial, viral, strep or other infection to travel through the bloodstream. This infection then alters normal function when it passes through the heart and results in Heart Failure.

Obviously, there are other possibilities not mentioned here. The main thing to remember is that not everyone dies from Heart Failure. When the heart stops, it needs to be defibrillated (or put back into sync) so it can supply the body with oxygenated blood.

Defibrillation can save a life, but it is not a guarantee. If the heart damage is too bad, it may not be able to be resuscitated.

Many of the 550,000 annual Heart Failure patients can’t be resuscitated.

Proper defibrillation training and timing is of the utmost importance.

Any questions sent to this blog will be addressed the following week when possible. I may not always have an answer, but I will offer the most holistic and natural response I can.

Lastly, if anything you read proves to be helpful to you (or someone you care about) I ask you to send $19 (or $20) to :
Dr Mark Fullerton
c/o Edward Jones
9271 Reidville Rd Greer, SC 29651.

This is my way of leaving something for my family and loved ones when I do pass.

Next Week - Statistics for Heart Failure Patients

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