Since ancient times, humans have known that the heart is important. However, for a long time, people did not know what the heart did. The famous Greek philosopher, Aristotle, knew that the heart was important, but he thought the heart was the seat of intelligence, or what the brain does back in the fourth century BC. The famous Greek doctor, Galen, whose ideas were the cornerstone of medicine until the mid-17th century, thought the heart was the source of the body’s heat and soul. He thought the heart was secondary to the liver, which was the source of the humors that (he believed) controlled all of the body’s functions and emotions.
The Stockton Cardiology Medical Group offers the best heart specialists in the area. With offices in Manteca, San Andreas, Stockton, and Tracy, we offer the diagnosis of and the treatment of heart conditions and heart disease. In this blog post, we’ll explain in brief how the heart works. Contact our cardiologists today for your heart health care!
HOW YOUR HEART WORKS
As you know, the main job of the heart is to deliver life-giving oxygen and nutrients to every cell, living tissue, and organ in the body so it can survive and thrive. It then removes the waste from your cells as well. Your heart beats an incredible 100,000 times per day. As the central part of the circulatory system, your heart pumps blood throughout blood vessels that deliver oxygen to the cells.
Basically, your heart is divided into two parts, the right side and the left side. The right side of your heart is where the returning blood goes, meaning the blood that has delivered oxygen to the body. Here it picks up more oxygen and leaves behind carbon dioxide. The left side of your heart receives the nutrient-rich blood loaded with oxygen from your lungs and pumps it to the rest of your body.
The flow of blood in the heart is divided four ways:
- The right atrium receives the oxygen depleted-blood and pumps it into the right ventricle.
- The right ventricle then pumps this oxygen-depleted blood to the lungs to pick up more oxygen and release the carbon dioxide to be expelled.
- The left atrium takes the new oxygen-rich blood from the lungs and pumps it to the left ventricle.
- The left ventricle then pumps this oxygen-rich blood to the rest of your body so you can continue to do all the wonderful things your body can do.
HOW STOCKTON CARDIOLOGY MEDICAL GROUP HELPS WITH HEART CARE
Your heart is an incredible muscle that is responsible for the quality of life that you lead. It is imperative to take good care of it, so it can continue to fuel your lifestyle, whether that’s taking a long walk around a lake in your neighborhood, keeping up with the grandkids, running a 5k, or traveling to another country for a much needed vacation.
Stockton Cardiology Medical Group offers complete heart care, including diagnosis and treatment, for heart conditions and heart disease. We are passionate about helping patients live their best lives. Contact our heart specialists today!