How to Guard your heart?

You can guard your heart, too, by avoiding obesity and, if now over- weight, by sensible reducing. If you are overweight, your heart has to work harder routinely, day in and day out, minute after minute. Take your heart seriously-but don't worry about it. If this sounds contradictory, it is really not. Fear can injure the heart; and too many people are more afraid ~f heart trouble than of anything else. Because of their fear and anxiety, they may actually be contributing to the development of heart trouble. Not worrying about your heart simply means this: Have your heart examined at regular intervals by your physician.

If he says your heart is sound, get your mind off it and on to other advice he may have for you on proper nutrition and exercise. We should like to emphasize very strongly here that only a physician can tell whether or not there is really anything wrong with the heart. Pounding of the heart (palpitation) can be alarming, but it is more likely to be caused by nervousness than by a serious organic condition. When your heart suddenly seems to "flop over" in your chest, you may be frightened, but needlessly, for the phenomenon often is due to nothing more than the fact that you have been smoking too many cigarettes or drinking too much coffee. Between medical checkups, you can help yourself and your physician keep your heart in good shape by avoidance of excessive smoking.

 If you must smoke (see the chapter on that subject), cut down as much as possible or, preferably, switch to a pipe or mild cigar. Good diet, with regular spacing of relatively small meals, helps the heart to work at its best, and, as noted in the chapter on nutrition, there is evidence that sound diet may well reduce the likelihood of clogging of the arteries feeding the heart. Good diet also can reduce the likelihood of arterial damage elsewhere in the body, helping to maintain the integrity of the whole circulatory system. Keep your work and social life under reasonable control so that you are not chronically fatigued. If you feel tense and "driven" in our competitive world, talk to your physician. He may have advice that will be helpful; he may suggest little patterns of physical activity to be used at particularly tense moments to reduce the tension; if necessary, he may prescribe medication that may help tide you over a tense period; he may, if advisable, have you talk with a psychotherapist. You may be able, by any or all of these measures, to reduce nervous tension to the point where you can avoid trouble with your heart in later life.

Heart problems and Sugar intake - Bodily reactions

SUGAR AND THE HEART 

Can consumption of large amounts of sugar be as much of a factor in coronary heart disease as cholesterol? So British investigators led by Dr. John Yudkin of the University of London maintain. They note that over the past 200 years in Great Britain sugar consumption has gone up almost 25-fold, from an average of 5 pounds per person in 1760 to 25 in 1860 and to 120 pounds in 1960. 

A sizable increase in sugar consumption in the United States also has been noted by American investigators. The British workers note that increasing affluence anywhere is accompanied by increased incidence of heart attacks and by diet changes which include greater consumption not only of fat but of sugar.

They point to studies showing that recent Yemeni immigrants to Israel have little coronary thrombosis but those who have been in Israel 20 years or more become prone to the disease-s-and the major change in their diet is increased sugar consumption. 

Among their own studies, Yudkin and his co-workers report one covering three groups of men, aged 45 to 66. Twenty had recently suffered first heart attacks, 25 had hardening of leg arteries, and 25 others had no health problems. The sugar intake of the first two groups customarily had been roughly twice that of the healthy group. 

Not all doctors agree with Dr. Yudkin. Much work remains to be done to identify the mechanism by which sugar in excess may produce artery disease. And a big question to be answered is whether reduction of sugar intake will reduce risk of artery disease. Still, even the possibility that sugar may be involved in this major disease adds another reason why moderation in its use appears warranted. Ordinary refined sugar is what nutritionists call an "empty calorie" substance. 

It provides energy-but no protein, no vitamins, no minerals. It can add to body weight but does not help the body repair itself. Sugar, as contrasted, say, with cereal, puts the body at a nutritional dis- advantage. 

THE IRON-DEFICIENCY PROBLEM And the Causes in Our Body system

THE IRON-DEFICIENCY PROBLEM

 A deficiency of iron in the diets of young girls and women is a cause of growing concern. Iron deficiency can produce anemia, and the need for iron is universal. Generally, there is no problem in men, who require only 10 milligrams (1/3,000 of an ounce) of iron a day to maintain adequate body stores. 

But menstruating and pregnant women require 18 milligrams a day, and dietary analyses indicate that many adolescent girls and menstruating women have an iron intake of only 10 milligrams a day. Some studies reveal iron-deficiency anemia in as many as 60 percent of pregnant women. The problem centers around the fact, that overall iron content of foods on the market runs around 10 milligrams for every 2,000 calories.

Thus, unless she is paying particular attention to iron, a woman consuming 2,000 calories a day will not be getting adequate amounts of the mineral. The fact is that 50 to 60 percent of iron in the diet comes from cereals and meats, with nearly equal contributions from each, but the proportion of cereals and meats consumed by women varies widely. 

Whenever weight is a problem, too, the tendency is to reduce consumption of cereal products. Most meats provide 2 to 3 milligrams of iron per 3-ounce serving. Dry beans and nuts provide about 5 milligrams per cup. Most leafy green vegetables contain from 1 to 4 milligrams per cup.

Egg yolk, whole grain and enriched bread, potatoes, oysters, dried fruits, and peas are other good sources. There are on the market a number of prepared breakfast foods fortified with high levels of iron; some provide 8 to 10 milligrams per one-ounce serving. The use of iron-fortified food items when necessary to achieve adequate iron intake can be an important aid to health. For some women with high iron requirements-during pregnancy or because of abnormal menstrual losses-physicians may need to prescribe supplemental iron preparations.

WHAT IS A BALANCED DIET?

Understanding Balanced Diet

Nearly 50 nutrients; including amino-acids (the constituents of proteins), carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals are now known to be essential for health. A balanced diet is one that can supply all the essentials. It is almost certain that as time passes still other essential elements in foods will be isolated. This is added reason why a balanced and varied diet makes sense; if it is balanced and varied, it can supply all known requirements and others still unknown. 

The currently known essential nutrients have their specific functions. Briefly, because muscles, heart, liver, kidney, and other organs are composed chiefly of proteins, proteins are needed for development and growth of these organs during childhood and adolescence. After growth is over, body tissues, which are continually being worn out, must be   replaced by new materials, So ample dietary protein is essential at all times. 

Meat, fish, milk, and eggs are among the main sources of protein. Bones are composed chiefly of mineral substances such as calcium and phosphorus which are required both for original bone formation and for maintenance. Milk-fresh, canned, dried, skim, or whole-is a major source. Calcium also is supplied by American and Swiss cheese, molasses, turnip tops, dandelion greens.

And cereals, meat, and fish contain phosphorus. 

The fuel of life-what the body burns for energy-is sugar. Carbohydrates, which include both sugars and starches, provide the fuel most readily, for in the body starches are quickly converted to sugar. Fats and proteins also supply the fuel for metabolism-not as quickly, but they can be stored by the body as reserves, for use as needed. Vitamins help to convert foodstuffs into body tissues-skin, bones, muscles, nerves. Although required only in minute amounts, their role is obviously vital, and it is suspected that trace elements and perhaps still other materials yet to be isolated may perform similar functions.

A well-balanced diet-for young and old, active or sedentary, tall or short-can be supplied daily from four basic food groups: Milk and milk products- 2 servings for adults; 3 to 4 for children; 4 or more for teen-agers. One serving equals an 8-oz. glass of whole or skimmed milk; 1 oz. (1 slice) of hard cheese; or 1/2 cup of cottage cheese. 

Modern medicines and Health Issues

Modern medicines serve a purpose and very often can provide relief for minor problems. In themselves, they are generally safe as long as the dosage recommendations on the package are not exceeded. It's important to keep in mind, however, that such medications, as any others, may produce undesirable effects in relatively small numbers of people who happen to be particularly sensitive to them.

So if you notice any such side effects as rash, nausea, dizziness, visual disturbances, or others, which seem to follow use of a particular medication, you may well have sensitivity to that particular medication, and no matter how popular it is with other people, it is not for you. If in doubt, you should check with your physician. Absolutely vital when you prescribe for yourself is the need to keep in mind that you may be making a mistake in diagnosis, treating the wrong illness, or masking minor and superficial symptoms while an underlying serious problem gets worse.

For example, a "simple" head cold may really not be simple when there is fever, sharp pain in the chest, sputum discoloration, rapid breathing, or nausea; it may, in fact, be a serious bronchial infection or pneumonia. If you do treat yourself, never continue to do so for more than a day or two unless you are certain there is steady improvement-and if your symptoms get worse or change, don't wait even that long before consulting your physician. 

How taking body temperature helps to prevent certain diseases?

FEVER

Fever most commonly signals infection or inflammation somewhere in the body. The temperature is likely to be highest during a bacterial or severe viral infection. With a mild infection such as a cold, temperature elevation may be slight and fleeting. When fever is high, there is usually no hesitancy about calling the physician. But there may be other occasions when the physician should be consulted.

First

A few facts about taking temperature

Aspirin and aspirin-containing medications bring down elevated temperature and tend to keep it down for as long as four hours. So for accurate determinations, temperature should be taken before use of such medications or four or five hours afterward. Remember, too, that if temperature is taken immediately after smoking, it may be higher than normal; and conversely, if taken by mouth just after a cold drink, it may be lower than normal. Before taking temperature, rinse the thermometer in cool water and shake it until the mercury falls below the 95-degree mark. If you use an oralthermometer, hold it under the tongue, with mouth shut, for at least three minutes.

A rectal thermometer, after lubrication, should be inserted up to the 98.6-degree line while the patient lies on his side. It should remain in place for three to five minutes. For the average person, mouth temperature normally is 98.6 degrees, and rectal tends to be about one degree higher. When fever is mild-under 100 degrees orally or 101 rectally-and the only other symptom is nasal congestion, a slight cough, or a scratchy throat, there is no urgency about calling the physician. But take the temperature every three or four hours and note the severity of symptoms. If symptoms become worse or if the temperature moves up to 101 orally or 102 rectally, then notify your physician. Always when fever is present it is important to note the accompanying.

How often periodic medical checkups should be carried out?

How often periodic medical checkups should be carried out is best determined by the physician on the basis of what is most suitable for you as an individual rather than on the basis of a general rule. Age is one determinant. The elderly and the very young generally need more frequent examinations than those in between. But other factors must be considered-present state of health, past medical history, family medical history, occupational hazards if any, etc. Your physician will take these into account in deciding what is most appropriate for you -a checkup once a year, or twice a year, or perhaps once in two years.

BETWEEN CHECKUPS Manifestations of illness or impending illness take the form of signs or symptoms, or both. Signs are objective evidence: for example, a change in skin color or the swelling of a body part. Symptoms are subjective: for example, nausea or pain.

They can vary greatly, of course, from mild' and fleeting to severe and persistent. All deserve attention, though it is likely that if they are mild and transient the reason for them is inconsequential. Any persistentor recurring sign or symptom deserves action. Even if mild it should not be ignored. Passing it off as something not worth notice except by a hypochondriac is dangerous.

 You may become so habituated to its presence that you regard it as something "normal" for you-until the underlying problem reaches a stage where it is irreversible or leads to serious consequences. The following discussion is intended to help you interpret the significance of signs andsymptoms that may appear between checkups, as a guide to when to consult your physician without delay. 

How AUTOMATED MULTI-PHASE SCREENING helps to check diseases in health care

One of the relatively recent developments that is almost certain to bring striking changes in the practice of medicine, adding further to the emphasis on and practicality of preventive medicine, is automated multi- phase screening. The idea is to link electronic detection devices, large numbers of chemical tests, and computer science together to screen or check, at low cost, large numbers of apparently healthy people, looking for the most subtle signs of early disease and even of pre-disease states, doing far more routine testing than physicians have time for, providing them with the results of the tests, and giving them more opportunity to counsel patients and practice preventive medicine.

In a periodic checkup that may run two to three hours, a patient moves from one station to another for checks of hearing, visual acuity, respiration rate, lung capacity. An electrocardiogram is made; a measurement of pressure within the eye is quickly made for detection of glaucoma, a major cause of blindness. A chest x-ray is taken and, in the case of women, a three-dimensional breast photograph (mammography). Pulse and blood pressuremeasurements are included. The patient answers a self-administered questionnaire on health history. And blood and urine samples are taken and automatically checked for indications of infection, gout, diabetes, and other diseases and also for a variety of biochemical values that may give some indications of pre disease changes. A computer summarizes the findings and produces a printed record for the patient's personal physician to evaluate. Automated multiphase screening is moving rapidly out of the experimental phase. Much of the pioneering work in its development was done by physicians at the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan in northern California with some financial assistance from the U.S.Public Health Service

The Public Health Service has awarded funds to set up pilot programs in Milwaukee, New Orleans, Brooklyn, and Providence-some affiliated with health centers in poverty areas, others with universities, and still others with city health departments. Already, some large industries are planning automated multiphase screening facilities as part of their occupational health programs. And there are plans for forming medically directed private companies which would provide automated screening service for patients referred by physicians.

Automated screening facilities may not be available in your community yet. Ask your doctor about them. Tell him you are interested. If the facilities are not available, you will be doing a public service by encouraging your doctor to push for their establishment in the near future.

YOUR ROLE

You AS the patient in preventive medicine have a role to play that goes far beyond cooperating in regular checkups. You can build and maintain your health, taking advantage of the latest knowledge in such areas as nutrition, weight control, physical activity, rest and relaxation (to be covered in later sections of this posts). You can be alert, too, between checkups for any danger signals.

STETHOSCOPE EXAMINATION FOR HEART PROBLEMS AND TO AVOID HEART ATTACK

STETHOSCOPE EXAMINATION

The stethoscope has a small cone which concentrates and slightly amplifies internal body sounds while excluding external noise. One of its major uses is in the detection of heart problems. The heart produces two distinct sounds-e-Iubb-dup, lubb-dup, lubb- dup-which are related to the closing of the valves inside the heart. The rate, rhythm, pitch, and intensity of these sounds, which can be studied with the stethoscope, provide indications of the health of the heart. The stethoscope can pick up any abnormal sounds-for example, a rubbing scratchy noise which may indicate pericardia, an inflammationof the outer coating of the heart.

With it, too, the physician can detect murmurs-audible vibrations produced by blood flow-and can distinguish among various types of them. There are murmurs associated with different kinds of congenital heart defects. Others are produced by over activity of the thyroid gland and disappear when the gland condition is corrected. A fever or anemia may produce a heart murmur which disappears when the anemia or fever is over- come. In addition-and worth special note here-there are innocent murmurs. Unfortunately, many people worry needlessly after being told at some point, perhaps during an insurance examination, that they have a murmur even though reassured it is "innocent." The fact is that innocent murmurs are unrelated to any physical problem and are quite common.

They can be found in as many as 15 percent of normal healthy adults and in an even higher percentage of normal healthy children. Such murmurs are more readily detectable in children because they have thinner chestwalls. And some authorities are convinced that if there were sensitive enough instruments, slight and innocent murmurs could be found in all people. Your physician has been trained to understand the significance of various types ofmurmurs, to distinguish carefully among them, and to heed those which tell him of existing or possibly brewing trouble.

Let him examine you and if he finds a murmur tell you exactly what it means. If he can report that it is innocent and no reason for worry that is exactly what he means. In addition to its value in studying the heart, the stethoscope often is useful in revealing characteristic sounds of asthma and of the lung disorder emphysema. Applied to the abdomen, it is often helpful in gastrointestinal problems; it may, for example, aid in diagnosis of intestinal obstruction. With the stethoscope, too, it is sometimes possible to detect blood vessel problems-the existence and location of an obstruction in an artery, for example.

Heart Attack And Other Problems - Percussion Examination

PERCUSSION

Percussion-a simple procedure to Know heart problems in which the physician lays one hand flat on the chest and raps on it with fingers of the other hand-can provide useful information about some internal organs. With it, the approximate size and shape of the heart may be established, for example. The chest is largely occupied by the lungs which, because they are filled with air, produce a hollow sound when the chest wall above them is tapped. 

Over the heart, which is filled with fluid, the sound has changes to a dull note. The physician can begin percussion at a point on the chest known to be over the lungs, moving in the direction of the heart until a dull sound tells him he has reached it. That establishes one point of the heart's position. Other points can be determined by starting the percussion else- where on the chest and moving in toward the heart again. 

Heart Attack and other Issues in Heart are well explained in the following posts, Please follow all the posts to know about the heart and the problems arising. In this modern days pollution and Global Warming create many issues and the human body cannot tolerate the modern day diseases. Though EBOLA is not a heart related virus directly, We could avoid EBOLA if we were followed some principles and hygienic procedures in Our life. In the same way we can avoid heart issues by adopting certain methods and exercises to avoid the issues in Heart. 

Please follow your physician's instructions in the matters and any suggestion given given here is subject to verify your physician.