The Coolidge examiner., 1935-03-08

younger nan %
this age group Is due chiefly To
bacteria Infections and Is only a con
tinuation OF the same causes OF
death that affect the heart during
adolescence. After thirty years OF
age the heart diseases belong more
and more to the chronic variety
and are usually heart failures due
20 the exhaustion OF a previously
damaged heart.
Anyone running a distance finds
that his speed decreases because
he Is tired lie automatically slows
UP and rests. II he starts run
ming again before having had a com.
plete rest, he finds that he can
not run the same distance as be-
fore. This IS a crude comparison
of just what the heart does when
II Is Impaired or diseased.
Anyone with a disease of the heart
cannot do the physical work of the
individual with a normal heart.
Muscular work demands a strenu-
ous pumping action on the part of
the heart during the period of ex-
ertion. The patient with a chronic
heart disease finds II difficult to rest
his heart. IL Is In "A continuous
state OF exhaustion. The whole
problem OF the prevention of death
from heart disease Is prevention OF
exhaustion of the heart muscle.
During adolescence and young
adult life the exhaustion OF the
heart Is usually due to an infec-
tion OF the lining OF the muscle
wall Of the heart itself. In other
words. II Is local bacterial growth
that causes poisoning OF the heart
muscles and uses up the energy
that should be devoted TO resting
and reserve force. Older indivld-
uals. those past forty and forty-hye,
who suffer from chronic heart dis
ease, may not have any bacteria
growing In the heart. but have dam
aged hearts due 10 previous history
or past experiences OF bacterial
growths In the heart. II the heart
muscle has been damaged and so
has scar tissue, the heart will nat
urally have less pumping force and
Il viii try 10 pump faster in order
TO carry the same load. This de-
creases It's reserve power, and as
the reserve power decreases, the
heart goes still faster. Finally
the beat becomes irregular. A per-
son with such heart Is facing
heart failure unless he can In some
way rest the heart muscle.
You can probably recall that dur
Ing your adolescent period OF life.
after running a race or doing some
other strenuous exercise. you had
10 stop because you became short
of breath. and you had a tight feel
ing In the chest or even slight pains
on the left side OF the chest. After
few minutes rest these symptoms
passed or and you could again take
part. This is a typical example Of
cardiac exhaustion. and IL Is the
way some OF the heart diseases OF
adult life began.
A beginning heart attack should
be red light You should go TO a
physician right after the first at
tack to see just why your heart is
exhausted. The average individual.
however. doesn't do this, but con-
tlnues working and may work for
ten or fifteen years with increased
frequency OF the mild heart attacks
Then when he ultimately does 90
10 a physician, his heart is so ex-
hausted that only a prolonged rest
In bed win offer any relief at all.
If a person with beginning evidences
OF exhaustion OF the heart muscle
could take short periods of rest
each day, just long enough to re-
store the tired muscles. he would
find that the heart would function
better and he might prevent a Sc
rious condition. An individual with
an exhausted heart should not walk
70 work, or dig I'm the garden, or
fire the furnace. for instance. Many
of these little duties are just too
much for the heart when 1t is in a
state Of exhaustion.
A person with heart disease who
knows the limits his heart will stand,
can live a happy and useful life by
adjusting himself and his daily du-
ties to his heart. Emphasis should
also be placed upon the use of to-
bacco, alcohol and sometimes coffee,
as irritants to the heart under GER
tain conditions.
Sore throats. head colds, sinusitis,
give off toxins that irritate the
heart, make it 20 faster and in
crease its load. Certain weather
conditions, particularly during the
fall, winter and spring months, may
irritaIe the heart muscles and
cause frequent heart attacks.
The heart has wonderful power
of adaptation. We can use this
power to change our lives so that
we can favor an exhausted heart.