Evening star., 1956-03-22

Dear DR.. Steincrohn: I hope
you receive this letter because I
am very concerned about my
heart. I am % years old and
when I was pregnant the doctor
discovered a heart murmur. I
then went to heart specialist
and he said the murmur was
functional.
Can my heart be healthy with
a murmur like that? Is my heart
just as healthy as a heart with
out a murmur? Does that mur-
muir weaken my heart in any
way? I'm becoming a cardio-
path about it all. I'm so afraid,
I can't eat or sleep or be a civil
human being to my husband or
little girl who is four months old.
The way I'm worrying about
my heart makes me sick to my
stomach. I am the kind Of person
who has to have perfect health
or I'm no good to myself or any,
one around me. I hope you can
tell me that I am just as healthy
as I was when was younger.
I was real nervous for quite
a while. Could that cause mur-
mur? I am always tense in my
chest from being scared and
worried about my health. I know
you can't make a diagnosis be-
cause you are long way from
where I live in Minnesota. But
you don't know how much I will
appreciate it if you will only
give me few words of encour-
agement.
People who are not frightened
have no conception of what fear
does to you. I go to sleep every
night thinking I will not wake
up in the morning. I keep worry
ing what will become of my
baby. Won't you please, please
write to me? If you can only
give me a little courage I'll bless
you for the rest of my life.
Sincerely yours, Mrs. D. L. L,
Out Of Realm of Disease
Answer: I wish I could give
people courage. 1t is something
they have to find within them
selves. However, Mrs. D. L. L.,
I can give you some advice that
may help you bear up under
your apprehension.
Your doctor found a murmur.
Your heart specialist corrobo-
rated the doctors findings. I
don't know what your family
physician said about it, but there
seemed no doubt in the cardi-
ologist's mind that your murmur
was functional. That imme-
diately takes it out of the realm
VI llCdIL ulSCdSC.
Functional" means that the
murmur has nothing to do with
any structural trouble in your
heart. Your heart muscle is un-
doubtedly strong; your heart
valves are in good working order.
Often we do not know what
causes a functional murmur.
This sound can be caused by
eddies in the blood stream like
you might find at the base Of a
miniature waterfall. I have ex-
amined many patients with nor
NAL hearts in the sitting posi-
ton and there is no murmur
present. Sometimes when they
lie down fiat, or on one side,
you can hear a functional mur-
muir. This disappears when they
become erect again.
In other patients with normal
hearts a functional murmur can
be Brought on if the patient is
asked to walk up and down steps
in the examining room. This
disappears when the patient
rests.
Then, there are many patients.
presumably like you. in whom
murmur has been found that
persists. 1t is there whether you
sit. stand. lie down, exercise or
rest. This. too. can be func-
ton and unimportant murmur.
Put Trust in Specialist
In answer to your questions:
els my heart just as healthy as
a heart without murmur? Does
that murmur weaken my heart
In any way?"-I can answer only
in a speculative sort of way. As
suming that you have had elec-
trocardiogramS, microscopic ex-
aminations and X-rays, plus any
indicated laboratory tests, I
would guess that the answer to
your questions is: Eyes. your
heart can be as healthy as
heart without a murmur-and,
no, the murmur should not
weaken your heart"
You say you want your heart
to be strong and healthy. I sug-
gest therefore, that you be
thankful that it is. Your heart
specialist says it is and I would
put complete trust in him, if ]
were you. Otherwise, you live
half a life worrying unneces-
sarily about your heart, which
has been labeled a healthy one.
You must remember, Mrs.
D. L. L.. that modern doctors,
especially heart specialists. be-
lieve in telling their patients
the truth about their findings.
Otherwise, they cannot expect
ERI Polio Victim