Lub-dub. Lub-dub. Lub-dub. In a healthy adult, the heart makes two sounds. The first sound (the lub) happens when the mitral and tricuspid valves close. The next sound (the dub) happens when the aortic and pulmonary valves close after the blood has been squeezed out of the heart.
You probably don’t give your heart much thought as it pumps away faithfully, day in, and day out. But we’re thinking you might be open to learning more about the amazing muscle that is so vital to your life.
10 Surprising Facts About Your Heart
#1 Your heart beats over 100,000 times per day.
#2 Your heart pumps about 1.5 gallons of blood every minute. That adds up to over 2,000 gallons a day.
#3 There are 60,000 miles of blood vessels in your body – enough to go around the world twice.
#4 The average heartbeat of a woman is about 8 beats a minute faster than a man’s heartbeat.
#5 An adult heart is about the size of two hands clasped together. A child’s heart is about the size of a fist.
#6 The heart supplies blood to every part of the body – except the cornea.
#7 The right side of your heart pumps blood into your lungs. The left side of your heart pumps blood back through your body.
#8 The greatest number of heart attacks occur each year on Christmas Day. The day after Christmas and New Year’s Day are close behind.
#9 More heart attacks happen on Mondays than any other day of the week.
#10 Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States. That’s why it’s important to love your heart to pieces by following a heart-healthy lifestyle.
Celebrate your heart during Heart Awareness Month
February is Heart Awareness Month. What better time to start taking better care of your ticker? You’ll find an abundance of information at the American Heart Association’s website.