The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1942-06-30

vidual that he has heart disease
there are few things that are more
upsetting and disturbing. But the
heart is a remarkably resilient or
gan and people with even serious
heart arrangements often live to
generous years.
Written for Several Classes
This book was written to help,
first, those thousands of men
and women who think they have
heart disease when they haven't;
second, those thousands who, hav-
ing heart disease, are much more
alarmed and anxious over ii than
they need to be; third, those who,
having symptoms of heart disease,
do not realize their significance,
and do not know that they should
Immediately consult a physician;
and fourth, those with real heart
disease who need to understand
the nature Of their trouble" So
says one Of the first paragraphs in
this useful little volume.
The first group of cases men,
toned is very large one. Many
a man and woman worries over
heart disease when actually the or
gan is perfectly normal and it is
only the nerves that are playing
tricks with it. In another large
group of cases the stabbing and
aching pains that the patient
thinks arise in his heart are not
coming from that organ at all, but
are really of a rheumatic nature,
coming from the chest wall.
Symptoms of Heart Disease
Even when heart disease is pres
ent, 1t does not mean that death is
near. | saw a patient the other day
aged Go who had heard the dag
nosis of heart trouble pronounced
on him over twenty years ago and
while he certainly still had heart
disease, it was not giving him any
trouble.
Naturally, heart disease is in
creasing because everybody, if he
lives long enough, will have some
deviation from normal in the
heart. The good doctor says over
and over again to men and women
over fifty, If | were to find your
heart in a boy of twenty, l might
be concerned about it, but in you it
is normal"
Of the different signs and dan
ger signals that suggest the COM
ing of heart disease nothing is a
more delicate indication Of impair
ment in function than shortness Of
breath on going upstairs or walk
ing fast. This means a shortness
Of breath which is brought on by
an amount of walking or exercise
which until a short time before
did not cause distress. A second
sign Of heart weakness is pain be-
hind the breast bone and in the
pit Of the stomach which usually
comes on after exertion.
The load on the circulation is
about doubled during the digestion
Of a meal and therefore many cases
Of heart pain occur after meals
and are put down to acute indi-
gestion.
A symptom that is enormously
thought to mean heart disease is
palpitation-the consciousness Of a
rapidly beating heart. Another
symptom is an extra beat of the
heart interpolated every once in a
while in the course of a normal
rhythm. A person may feel this
extra beat when he sits with his
hands closed and the feeling that
he has an irregular pulse may
make him very unhappy.
Another symptom which is often
put down to heart disease but
which is not, is a form of air hun
ger the feeling that one is not able
to take deep breath.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
c. B.:-What is turbinectomy!
Is 1t an operation or a treatment?
Has 1t any connection with sinus
trouble?
Answer: The turbinate bones in
the nose may become infected and
enlarged and when they are re-
moved by operation. it is called
turbinectomy. The symptoms Of
enlarged turbinates are usually
those Of sinus trouble.