Many people assume that the location of the heart is in the left side of the chest. That assumption is brought on due to oversimplified diagrams and gestures such as pressing your right palm to your left chest when listening to the national anthem. However, these assumptions are incorrect. Do you know where is your heart located?

Heart Location

So, where is the heart located? The answer is that it sits in the middle of the chest, behind your sternum (breast bone). On either side of your heart are the lungs. Below your heart lies the diaphragm, the muscle that stretches on the lower border of the ribcage and enables us to breathe. The heart is slightly tilted, and therefore projects more towards the left side of your sternum, which explains the popular opinion that it is found in the left side of the chest.

Reason Behind the Asymmetry

Why is the heart tilted? There is a lot of discussion around this topic in the world of science, trying to explain the evolution behind where is the heart located. However, the majority seems to agree that it has to do with the asymmetric structure of the heart because of its function (which will be explained further in this text). In short, one side of the heart is heavier, so it tends to overcrowd the space. Because of this structural asymmetry, it would be logical that there is asymmetry in the positioning itself.

The Functions of the Heart

After knowing where the heart is located, it is easier to understand the deeper structure and function. The heart is a muscle, divided into four chambers. These chambers are called atria and ventricles, and you have two of each. So there is the left and right atria and left and right ventricles.

Large vessels carry the blood from the rest of the body towards the heart, and these are called veins. The blood comes from the veins into the both, atria which are smaller and can be seen as lobbies. The blood is then squeezed from the atria into the ventricles, which are the large chambers, sort of like dining halls. Ventricles are larger than atria and do the majority of the pumping of blood back into the body. All the vessels leading away from the heart are called arteries, so the ventricles pump the blood into the arteries, which then carry the blood away from the heart. In summary, the blood is carried from the veins to the atria, from the atria to the ventricles, and then from the ventricles to the large arteries.

According to its function, the heart can be divided into the left and the right heart. The left is located towards the left side of your body, and its function is to pump blood throughout the entire blood system. That's a lot of work, so it's quite bulky in its muscular weight. The right side of the heart is located towards the right side of your body and pumps blood only through the lungs, which makes it significantly less muscular than the left side.

In other words, the left heart receives the blood from lungs filled with oxygen and pumps it to the entire blood system, while the right heart receives the blood having little oxygen and gets it to the lungs for a "refill.” This is thought to be the main origin of the asymmetry discussed earlier.

Ways to Keep Your Heart Healthy

Now knowing the heart location and function, it is important to consider the fact that heart attacks are the number one killer in the western societies. However, there is a variety of things that have been shown to preserve the health of the heart.

1. Get enough sleep

Getting at least 7 hours of sleep has been shown to decrease the risk of heart disease. So catching those Z's could be a lot more relevant to your health than catching the late night TV programs.

2. Check blood pressure regularly

When the pressure in your bloodstream is high, your heart struggles a lot more to push blood against it. This is why it's important to visit your doctor annually in order to see whether your blood pressure is within the normal range.

3. Reduce stress

Emotional stress has been shown to significantly put a strain on the work of your heart in the same way that high blood pressure does. Controlled deep breathing, such as when doing yoga, has been shown to help relax the body and thus let the heart work with less strain.

4. Exercise and lose weight

Exercise and weight loss are two of the more important ways of keeping your heart healthy. Like any other muscle, the heart requires training, and anything from a 10 minute brisk walk daily can significantly improve your cardiac health. By doing this in the sun, you can kill two birds with one stone as direct sunlight has been shown to release compounds that decrease blood pressure in your system.

5. Be careful about hygiene

Maintaining good hand and oral hygiene can reduce your risks of having a heart attack. There are harmful bacteria living on our skin, mouths, and in our environment that can enter your bloodstream and attack the heart. Because of this, you should brush your teeth at least twice a day and wash your hands before every meal, after every visit to the bathroom, and every time you enter your home.

6. Avoid "bad fat"

Eating whole grain foods and nuts can increase the amount of "good fat” in the system, which can help you get rid of "bad fat” found in dairy and processed foods. The bad fat makes the arteries narrow and, again, raises the blood pressure, making the heart struggle to push blood against it.

7. Quit smoking

Smoking, not surprisingly, is directly correlated to heart disease. It makes your vessels more narrow and increases the blood pressure. Within just 24 hours of smoking cessation, your risk of heart injury significantly drops.

8. Sing

Singing has been shown to improve breathing and cause changes in heart rhythms, giving it the exercise to resist any possible heart attacks.

There are a variety of things we are unaware of that present a threat to your heart, but it is up to you to get educated and use your new knowledge to your benefit.