What happens if you get punched in the heart?!


Question: What happens if you get punched in the heart.?
Answers:
Well this all depends on when you are punched in the heart. Aside from the obvious stuff like possibly broken ribs. Two things could happen.
A) Nothing. You say ow and move on with life

B) Your heart gets "knocked" outta rhythm, and you would die with out treatment. The phenomenon is called "commotio cordis" which is latin for heart commotion

So this is how it could happen. And yes this has happened before.
There is something called the relative refractory period in your heart muscle. The relative refractory period is the period between when your heart has "depolarized" or contracted. and the period has "depolarized" and is again ready to contract. Basically during this relative refractory period the heart muscle is in kind of in limbo. Some of the heart muscle cells are ready to constrict again and some are not. Which means If a stimulus to constrict comes along during that exact refractory period (like a punch to the chest, or a baseball hitting the chest.) some of the heart cells will "go off". These random cells "firing" spread this stimulus to constrict randomly all around, causing the heart to get out of rhythm and go in to a arrhythmia known a ventricular fibrillation, or v-fib for short. If the person is not "defibrillated" (shocked), quickly they could die.
Great question!

If you do not believe me then here are a few examples from newspapers of it happening
.?f=/n/a/2007/11/03/national/a155707D57.DTL" rel="nofollow">http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cg...

http://www.5min.com/Video/Commotio-Cordi...

PS nicole, CPR does not get the heart back in rhythm. It instead keeps oxygened blood moving to the brain and vital organs until help arrives with a defibrilator. That is all.Health Question & Answer

A normal punch to the heart impacts on the ribs that cover it. There may be bruising and tenderness but usually you should recover without problems. Damage depends of course; on the force of impact, too hard and a rib may crack and the heart temporarily be stopped from the shock. A really hard blow may break a rib and send it into the heart, killing it, but with such a blow the heart would probably die anyway from internal bleeding.

It is easier to damage the heart from a blow sent upward from below the rib cage than from one coming in onto the rib cage directly at the heart. The ribs are flexible and are made to compress and protect the organs of the torso. The body has been designed through evolution to expect 90 degree impacts, such as from running into small trees or branches in the forest. It is not designed to resist angled attacks, which is a weakness that the Chinese Martial Arts specialize in using to their advantage.
Health Question & Answer

Depends on hard the punch is.
When your heart stops, CPR essentially pushes it into rhythm again..

I heard once how very obese people who had heart afilure in hospitals were dragged off of the beds and slammed into the floor to get their hearts started again. And then whoever was trying to start the heart again would really have to punch their hearts to get them going again, to get through to the heart.

I didn't mean any offence to anyone who might be overweight, but this actually happened in hospitals.

So I guess it changes the rhytm of your heart, or helps it start again. I wouldn't suggest it though.Health Question & Answer

If it is powerfull enough your heart might skip a beat, but I doubt it. You will have a bruised sternum however and you might have damage to the cartilage that connects your sternum to your ribs. I landed on someones elbow in football and I still get pain in my chest area. Its a sensitive spot. Imagine if your sternum wasnt there.Health Question & Answer

There's no way someone will punch you in the hearth you have bones that protect it.
Basically nothing happens you'll just get a 'boo boo' lol
It really depends how hard you've been punched but in most cases it's your paranoia that may make it seriousHealth Question & Answer

depends if u break a rib or not, if not then ur fine, the heart is the most resilient muscle in the whole body, after all it has to work non-stop for 70-100 years
if u break a rib, then that rib can puncture the heart or a lung, in which case u better get to a hospital kinda quickHealth Question & Answer

It depends on the force of the punch and the condition of the target. The possibilities are great. If punched in the chest, you could end up with injuries ranging from mild irritation to death.Health Question & Answer

Regardless of age, getting hit or punched in the chest, at a very specific time of your cardiac cycle, can cause your heart to stop. It's extremely rare, but it does happen.Health Question & Answer

Nothing, thats what your rib cage is for

Unless somethign pierces or cuts it, (like a rib can if hit hard enough) the heart can take a serious "beating" before screwing up

Ugh, that was badHealth Question & Answer

you don't. That's what ribs are for. Besides, the heart is a muscle so nothing much. Only if it's cut should you worry.Health Question & Answer

bruised boob.

maybe a cracked or broken rib.

if it's some 300 pound fighter, possibly they could damage it, but it's unlikely..Health Question & Answer

nothing....unless u have a heart condition,or a weak heart, if its ruptured something could happenHealth Question & Answer

I guess it depends on how hard. Because if it was really hard then you could die. I had a friend that almost died because his drunk friend got a little too carried away.Health Question & Answer

Nothing unless perhaps you are an elderly person, in which case it could start an arrhythmia (abnormal rhythm.)Health Question & Answer

Your heart breaks and you sit at home eating ice cream with your near and dear girl friends to help you get over that bastard. Lol.
I don't know... probably nothing serious.Health Question & Answer

what did u mean , did you mean in your left side of your upper body .?
if yes , well it depends if it is serious u can die , or ,,,,,,Health Question & Answer

YOU CANT ITS PROTECED BY YOUR RIBS AND LUNGS!!
IT WILL JST GET BROKEN!Health Question & Answer

nothing serious.Health Question & Answer

Nothing, your rib cage is protecting it.Health Question & Answer

Nada. Rest easyHealth Question & Answer

nothing unless your chest is cut openHealth Question & Answer

it stops working and you die rigth away.Health Question & Answer

you fall in love with the next person you see. Health Question & Answer

nothing unless you have no ribsHealth Question & Answer

Your heart breaks.Health Question & Answer

you could die.Health Question & Answer

Your heart will bleed
Health Question & Answer

You get a broken heart =(Health Question & Answer

if hit hard enough you could die Health Question & Answer

it would hurt...Health Question & Answer

it will hurtHealth Question & Answer



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