American Heart Month: How Your Heart Affects Your Breathing
Every February, we observe American Heart Month in order to raise awareness about heart disease and educate others about heart health. Your heart is the center of your health, and it is important that your heart functions properly so your body can get the oxygen and nutrients that it needs. In this blog, we are going to discuss how your heart affects your breathing and the importance of heart health. Continue reading to learn more!
The Lungs and Heart Function Together
One of the reasons why heart health is so important is that it can affect your lung function and your breathing. Your heart and lungs work together to effectively ensure that all parts of your body are receiving the adequate amounts of oxygen they need to survive. Your heart and lungs function with two loops, so here’s how it works:
The Pulmonary Loop
The right side of the heart picks up blood from the body and moves it to the lungs for cleaning and reoxygenating.
The Systemic Loop
This functions from the left side of the heart and moves the clean, reoxygenated blood throughout the body.
Sometimes it can be difficult to determine what is causing breathing problems because the lungs and heart work so closely together.
Which Heart Conditions Can Affect Breathing?
Many heart conditions can have a negative affect on an individual's respiratory health, and here are a few conditions that may affect someone's ability to breathe efficiently:
Heart Failure
Heart Attack
Tachycardia
Pulmonary Edema
Valvular Heart Disease
Coronary Heart Disease
What Are the Symptoms?
When it comes to heart health, knowing the signs and symptoms of a heart or lung condition is very important. Here are a few symptoms to be on the lookout for:
Shortness of breath
Slow or racing heartbeat
Fainting
Chest pain
Fatigue
When it comes to heart health, it is important to know what can affect your heart and the symptoms of a heart condition. If you have any concerns or questions about your heart health, contact our team today!