A person’s heart is a muscular organ that is about the size of the fist of the person to whom it belongs. The weight of the organ is on average 300 grams in men and 250 grams in women. The heart is symmetrically divided into two parts - the right and left. Each part consists of two chambers. The upper chamber - the atrium - is designed to collect blood. The lower chamber is called the ventricle, in which there are inlet and outlet valves that prevent backflow of blood. The inner walls and septa of the heart are composed of complex layered muscle tissue called myocardium.
The main function of the heart is the continuous circular movement of blood throughout the body. Impulses for contraction automatically arise in him. This property of self-excitation is provided with the help of a conducting system located inside the myocardium. This system has the ability to generate its own impulses, and also conducts electrical impulses that come from the nervous system. All pulses in the aggregate cause excitation and contraction of the myocardium. Impulses themselves arise in one of the areas of the heart - in the right atrium. They force to make rhythmic contractions.
This body carries an enormous load, as a result of which it is often susceptible to various negative influences. Therefore, we often feel heaviness in the chest. Some are mistaken, they think that it is the chest or chest that hurts, but it does not occur to them that this is a burden in the heart. This means that there are problems in the functioning of the whole organ or in the vessels that distill the blood to the heart. What are the reasons causing painful feelings, why does heaviness appear on the heart?
1. With prolonged experiences or stress, adrenaline is released into the bloodstream - the stress hormone that causes vasoconstriction and vasospasm, and heaviness in the heart. In this case, blood circulation is disturbed, as a result, the heartbeat becomes more frequent, there is a feeling of lack of air, discomfort. Pain appears in the form of tingling in the left chest, the so-called feeling of a “lump in the throat”. These manifestations are not associated with physical exertion and intensify during unrest.
2. Another cause of severity is hormonal imbalance. They appear, as a rule, before or during menstruation, when the body is reconstructed at the hormonal level. At this time, the appearance of stitching pains in the region of the heart, intensifying with inspiration. The hormonal background in women is rebuilt during menopause, and during this period, heaviness also appears in the heart, which is manifested by pressing, stitching and constricting sensations. Blood pressure spikes during this period can also cause unstable performance and severity.
3. Very often pain and heaviness in the heart occur with vegetovascular dystonia. These pains are of a different nature and are similar to myocardial infarction or an attack of angina pectoris. In this case, the use of nitroglycerin does not help, since the pain in the organ is not associated with physical activity.
4. A very adverse effect on the heart and biorhythm disturbance, which may be caused by night shifts, lack of daytime rest, change of time zones. In such situations, the heart and blood vessels work around the clock, experiencing a load, after which a vasospasm may occur and blood pressure may increase. Pressing or stitching pains begin to bother.
5. The excessive (systematic or prolonged) use of alcoholic beverages is also detrimental. Alcohol, which enters the bloodstream, literally in a few minutes sharply increases the frequency of contractions of the heart muscle, and increases the production of adrenaline. Because of this, myocardial oxygen demand increases, which, in turn, increases the heart's need for more blood. There is a heaviness behind the sternum, the heart rate is disturbed.