The heart is the main organ that pumps blood throughout your body. The size is about the same as two clenched fists. The main function of the heart is to deliver oxygenated blood to every part of your body, which is crucial for your survival. Every day, our heart beats around 100,000 times. Thus, it is important to keep your heart healthy.[1] There are different myths that are related to your heart.
- As long as I am still young, I have no need to worry about heart attacks
We usually relate heart attacks with old age, and think that there is no need to care for your heart health while you are young. However, recent studies show that those developing heart diseases are getting younger. People in their 40s, 30s, and even their 20s currently have an increased risk of developing heart diseases.[2] Thus, it is important to take care of your heart health, no matter how old you are. - I can’t prevent heart problems if I have a family history
Indeed, it is impossible to change your family history. However, you still can reduce the risk of heart attacks by maintaining a healthy lifestyle and eating healthily.[3] - Irregular heartbeat is harmless
A lot of us think that it is fine if your heart is beating too fast, too slow, or with an unusual pattern. Although a little irregularity is harmless, in excess it can easily develop into something much more fatal.[4] Thus, it is important to check with your doctor and pay attention to any symptoms. - If I have a heart disease, I should not move much
When we are diagnosed with a heart disease, a lot of us think that exercise could put an even higher pressure on our heart and so we should not move too much. However, it is found that exercising could actually improve one’s overall heart health and can help in the reduction of heart attacks.[3] - If I have smoked for years, quitting smoking can’t reduce the risk of heart disease
The benefits of quitting smoking start the minute you quit, no matter how old you are. In just three years after you quit smoking, your survival rate from heart diseases might be the same as if you never smoked at all.[5]
The heart does an important job in keeping your body working. It pumps blood to nourish the organs and tissues in your body while removing waste products. Thus we must keep our heart as healthy as possible at an early age, so that we can live a healthy life with a healthy heart.
References
- How the Heart Works & Pumps Blood Through The Human Body [Internet]. WebMD. 2022 [cited 23 August 2022]. Available from: https://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/guide/how-heart-worksCDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2022. Heart Disease: It Can Happen at Any Age. [online] Available at: <https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/any_age.htm> [Accessed 23 August 2022].
- Heart Disease: It Can Happen at Any Age [Internet]. CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2022 [cited 23 August 2022]. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/any_age.htm
- 8 Things You Can Do to Prevent Heart Disease and Stroke [Internet]. www.heart.org. 2022 [cited 23 August 2022]. Available from: https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-lifestyle/prevent-heart-disease-and-stroke
- Heart arrhythmia – Symptoms and causes [Internet]. Mayo Clinic. 2022 [cited 23 August 2022]. Available from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-arrhythmia/symptoms-causes/syc-20350668#:~:text=A%20heart%20arrhythmia%20(uh%2DRITH,slow%20(bradycardia)%20or%20irregularly.
- Smoking and Cardiovascular Disease [Internet]. Hopkinsmedicine.org. 2022 [cited 23 August 2022]. Available from: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/smoking-and-cardiovascular-disease#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20AHA%2C%20stopping,many%20contributors%20to%20heart%20attack.
