The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1943-02-15

be mixed up and harmful TO the
patient with heart disease is that
the very words "heart disease"
carry such a message Of terror TO
most people.
The physician has to assure his
patient that the term does not i'm
ply immediate death or disability
in the near future. If he succeeds
in doing so, he will have accom-
plished so per cent Of his treat
ment.
The fact is that even in serious
organic heart disease, 1t is usually
a very chronic condition and peo-
pie have been known to live to ripe
old ages. There is a report of an
eminent American musician and
composer who was born with q
very badly de5ormed heart. The
anatomical condition Of the heart
was such as TO make it seem diff
cult TO believe that it could func-
ton at all. Yet this man lived
an active life and contributed to
American music and died only
when he was 60 years old--an age
when many college athletes pass
away.
Three Kinds
In general, we can distinguish
three kinds of heart disease. One
is valvular disease of the heart,
one is high blood pressure and the
other is angina pectoris.
All of these are compatible with
long life and activity and living
out the normal expectancy which
life insurance companies set down.
The question arises as to just how
the heart patient should take care
of himself and what he should do
in order 10 make the promise Of
life expectancy come true.
From time immemorial it has
been stated that exertion wears
the heart down-exercise, over
work. But it may be doubted
whether bodily exertion does any
harm. The patient with valvular
disease usually compensates, as
we say, which means that since
his heart has more work to do, the
heart muscle acts like any muscle
when it has more work to dot
enlarges.
Many people write in TO me be-
cause they have become alarmed
because someone has said they had
an enlarged heart. In valvular
heart disease the enlarged heart
is the safety device and savior.
These people go on for many years
in period of compensation and
then often they break down and
have general congestion.
Causes Of Breakdown
The cause of the breakdown is
much more likely to be due to in
lection or under-nutrition than it
is to bodily exertion. A boy who
has had rheumatic fever and has
developed valvular heart disease is
not likely TO listen to the persua-
sions Of his parents that he should
not play baseball. He is going TO
play baseball and when he is at
bat and hits the ball he is going
to run TO first base as fast as he
possibly can. This probably does
not hurt him in the least.
The heart patient, however,
should be very careful TO avoid
infection. And if he is stricken
with an infection, he should take
extra care Of himself by resting
longer than would be required for
an average person. Focal infec-
tons in the teeth and tonsils
should be cared for.
The nutrition of the patient with
heart disease should receive spe-
cial care. Lack of vitamin B, when
grossly deficient in the diet, leads
to a form of heart failure and it
is we'll that the patient should
become familiar with the foods
which contain vitamin B and see
that he gets a good daily allow
ance.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
d. NJ. L.:-Does sinus trouble
affect bronchitis and is this the
cause Of splitting up phlegm?
Answer: Chronic bronchitis is
more often caused by sinus trouble
han any other one thing. In or
der to relieve the bronchitis the
sinus trouble must be cured.