HEART UNDER ATTACK

 

(Prov. 4:23-NIV) “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”

 

 

Heart: (a) A hollow, muscular organ in the body which acts as a pump to force and supply blood and oxygen throughout the body to keep it alive. (b) The emotional, intellectual or moral seat of life.
Heart Attack:  an acute episode of heart disease due to insufficient blood supply to the heart muscle.

                Our heart is one of the most important organs in our physical body. It is designed to pump and carry blood and oxygen, nutrients, carbon dioxide and waste materials through our arteries to other organs to keep our bodies functional and maintains life in us. Our heart supplies the source for everything we do. Without it, we’d be lifeless!  Our heart is prone to constant attack. Unless we guard it, do the proper things to keep it healthy and strong, it will be affected, become damaged and will cause death eventually if not cared for. Any matter which enters through our blood stream that is not good for our heart will cause it to work improperly and will cause us to have heart issues.

            There are factors in our human heart which will cause it to dysfunction due to certain attacks to it. Listed below are just a few major causes of Heart attacks. See video clip posted as well.

Some Causes of Heart Attacks:

1.       Blood which normally flows to the heart becomes blocked or clots in arteries.

2.       Plaque build-up in the arteries (caused from eating certain fatty and unhealthy foods).

3.       Coronary artery spasms or inflammation within the vessels

4.       Drugs like cocaine

5.       Emotional stress or pain

6.       Exposure to extreme cold

7.       Cigarette smoking

8.       Dietary or Hormonal factors

9.       Lack of physical exercising – cardiovascular exercises

                Our heart can be described as the engine of our body similar to a vehicle’s engine.  Without an engine, there is no activity or movement to cause it to operate. It is lifeless, motionless and useless. The only thing left to do with a vehicle without an engine is to throw discard or dump it. Some factors which can cause an engine to die or become lifeless:

1.       Improper care or maintenance

2.       Ignoring warning signs when prompted to service it

      3.       Deterioration by aging of mechanical parts or putting wrong parts in engine
      4.       Excessive mileage and wear and tear beyond its life.

        When these factors are known to us, we can do several things to remedy the problem. We can fix it, replace it or get rid of it.  In reference to our physical heart, we cannot live or exist without it. This is why it is so important that we guard it, maintenance and shield it from harmful things that will damage it. It is our choice to keep our heart healthy so we may live longer. In comparison, our emotional heart can be affected by things  we allow to attack it and which cause us harm.  Please return back tomorrow as we deal with these things as we discuss “How to Guard Our Heart”!