HEALTH HINTS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIII, Issue 242, 11 October 1902, Page 2 (Supplement)

HEALTH HINTS.

HEART TROUBLES,

There is no class of troubles that afflict us apt to entail more misery than those which affaot the h»art (says Dr. Andrew Wilson in "Lloyd's"). Not only are many of them necessarily serious, but they are frequently insidious in their onset, and sometimes reveal their presence suddenly to the dire dismay of the sufferer.

No class of troubles is more apt to excite alarm than those which select the heart as the seat of attack. It is safe to say, however, that in the vast majority of cases in which people think they are suffering from "heart disease," they are reaLy troutled with something widely different. 1 say this much to reassure my readers'. For example, a man has. a pain in the region of his heart—or in that part of the chest where he fancies his heart is situated. He immediately rushes to the conclusion that his heart .is diseased, and he is much perturbed in his mind, until after an examination by a competent physician he ds assured either that it is a merely functional disturbance of the heart," or is perhaps a trouble utterly unconnected with the heart at all. _t is no uncommon thing for people to complain of heart-irritation when their stomachs are really at the root of their symptoms. An overloaded stomach —I will add, one overloaded at supper —has awakened many a one in the night with palpitation which he fancies is a symptom of heart affection.

Naturally the heart is very liable to exhibit slight disturbances of its action. We know how it sympathises with our mental states, as we are aware that ordinary exercise, increases its action. The character and quality of the blood which it is circulating may affect its work. An anaemic person, for instance, is likely to be subject to irregular action of the body's pumping engine, just as full-blooded people may suffer in similar fashion. Excessive indulgence in alcohol and tobacco may induce irregularity of the heart's work, and even tea and coffee will cause palpitation in certain cases of alarming kind. These facts lead us to What is the practical outcome of this articlenamely, the attempt to teach the differences'—such as,) auy intelligent person may appreciate —between heart symptoms which are of serious import, aud those which are due to mere temporary irritation of the or-

gan. The distinction between two classes of affections here is very important. 1 allude to what are respectively called "organic" and "functional" heart troubles. If we appreciate the difference in question, we shall have largely solved the difficulties regarding heart troubles in so far as the public are concerned. Whe^n a watch is going irregularly, it is not necessary to suppose that its works are disorganised in order to account for the vagaries of its performance. A touch to the regulator puts matters right. This is "functional" disturbance of the watch—interference with its Work through some condition which has no connection with any defects in its mechanism. Suppose, on the other hand, that the irregularity is found to be due to some actual defect in the watch, to the loosening -fa screw, or to something affecting the spring. Here we should say there was "organic" trouble, or that which had its origin in a breakdown of the machinery.

Apply these thoughts to the heart and its work, and you will at once appreciate the difference between what the doctor calls mere "functional" disturbance, and "organic" mischief. A man's heart that is going too fast, illustrates the firs(t condition of things. It is quite healthy, but its action is irregular. On the other hand, a heart which is acting out of lorder, and whose irregularity is due to a defective valve, or some other condition depending upon altered structure, represents a, much more serious state of affairs. This last is what the doctor would call "org-anic" disease.

The plain course here is for us to note the differences between heart disturbance (palnitation and the like) clue to simple irregularity of action, and that originating from organic mischief. Suppose there is palpitation and pain present, it will come on. as a rule, slowly, and it will, be more or less constant, if it is of the serious nature. If due to mere temporary distirnb-ance. it will come ou suddenly, and it will not, be constant. A symptom which should attract attention is any redness, or even blueness. of the face and lips. This is a serious sign, not present in simplo palr-ytati.n. when the face is pale as a rule. A_*ain, in heart trouble of serious kind the action is not always quickened, whereas in common palpitation it is. R"st will relieve the serious trouble, while it does not necessarily better the simpler ailment, and while the palpitation is made worse by alcohol and tonics in organic trouble, these latter may do good in the functional variety. Finally, it may be noted that serious, heart lesions are more common iv men +han in .women, while the palpitpt'on due to stomach and other troubles is more frequently in the fair sex.