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What Is the Job of the Natural Pacemaker?

The part of the body responsible for the heart rate is the body's natural pacemaker or the sinus node. A person's heart rate may be all over the map depending on the environment the person is surrounded by, the person's health or even their emotional state. If the body's natural pacemaker is defective, it can cause serious problems to the person. These problems can include a fast, slow or irregular heart beat.

  1. What Is It?

    • The sinus node is the natural pacemaker of the heart and is one of the major parts of the cardiac system. The cardiac conduction system's purpose in the body is to control the heart rate. This system generates electrical impulses and conducts them throughout the heart, causing it to pump blood.

    Sinus Node

    • The sinus node is also known as the sinoatrial node. The sinus node, in particular, consists of a grouping of cells found in the wall of the right atrium of the heart. This is where the impulses are generated. The impulses generated by the sinus node move throughout the heart and to the atrioventricular node, which is a grouping of cells near the center of the heart.

    Importance

    • If the natural pacemaker (sinus node) is defective, it can cause many problems to the heart. The signal originated from the node must travel down a specific path to reach the ventricles (pumps blood to the rest of the body). If the sinus node is defective, it may cause the heart to beat too fast, slow or even irregularly.

    Healthy Range

    • When the sinus node is working effectively as a natural pacemaker, it sends regular electronic pulses through the heart. The healthy and normal amount is for the heart to beat with a rhythm of about 60 to 70 beats per minute (resting). The number of beats increases when the person is taking part in physical activity or is experiencing stress/other emotions.

    Warning

    • If you are worried about any condition with your heart, speak with a doctor immediately. The health professional will be able to diagnose the problem and offer proper treatment options depending on the condition. It is a good idea to check your heart rate at home every day.

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