heart

Chest pain? It might be one of these 7 things

Some of them -- like that chest muscle you pulled raking leaves last fall -- are more annoying than serious. But others can be far more serious.

Health.com spoke to three leading cardiologists across the country, and all of them reiterated one thing: If you're having chest pain, and you're not 100% sure what's causing it, either call your doctor or call 911.

"I know of one person who died and the last thing in their search bar was 'heart attack symptoms,'" says Sharonne Hayes, a cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

Why Bolivian hunter-gatherers have the healthiest arteries

She was, it turned out, a 3,500-year-old Egyptian princess, her mummified skin leathery brown, her coffin over 10 feet long and lavishly carved.

But when researchers slid Princess Ahmose Meryet-Amon’s body into a CT scanner, they found, at least in one respect, she was not so different from some 92 million un-royal Americans: Her arteries were hardened and blocked by plaque. The researchers also examined the shriveled blood vessels of over 100 other mummies from Egypt, Peru, the American Southwest, and the Aleutian Islands — and found similar signs of cardiovascular disease.

'Healthiest hearts in the world' found

They also smoke a lot less, but they do get more infections which could potentially increase the risk of heart problems by causing inflammation in the body.

Understand your heart first

And if so, then do the sayings like “I love you with all my heart” and “my heart swelled with joy” mean something or are they just poetic language?

The heart, as basically as one can describe, is an electromechanical pump.

An interview with Dr Suresh Venkita - Medical Doctor and Chief Physician from Pacific International Hospital in Port Moresby, explains that the heart surely feels but in response to the brain.

How to lower your sodium intake

That extra fluid can be hard on your heart and blood vessels. It can cause high blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease or stroke. High amounts of salt also raise your risk of kidney stones and bone loss. 

How alcohol affects your heart health

But use of alcohol—which is a risk factor for heart problems—is something you can control.  

Most adults can drink alcohol in moderation and be fine. That means 1 to 2 drinks a day for men and 1 drink a day for women. A drink is 12 ounces of beer, 4 ounces of wine, or 1 to 1.5 ounces of spirits, depending on the proof. 

However, there's more you should know about alcohol and your heart.

Dangers of Excessive Drinking

Drinking too much alcohol causes more than a high. Here are some of the ways alcohol affects your heart: