CIRCULATION I 3 I 



can tell whether the wave patterns recorded in an electrocardiogram are 

 normal or abnormal, and so gain additional evidence about the condition 

 and action of your heart muscle. 



In addition to these methods of examining the heart, there are many 

 others which your doctor will use if he thinks it necesary. For example, 

 the extent and speed with which the red cells of the blood settle down when 

 a sample of blood is allowed to stand in a column (sedimentation test) is 

 a valuable means of uncovering rheumatic and other infections. Deter- 

 mining the way the heart behaves in various forms of physical exercise 

 may be used in testing the heart's function. In short, there are now so many 

 ways of taking the guesswork out of the heart examination that it is no 

 wonder that our doctors today are able to make more accurate diagnoses 

 than could doctors in the old days. 



LIVING WITH HEART DISEASE 



If the doctor finds that you have any form of heart trouble after making 

 his examination, he will tell you because he must depend upon your co- 

 operation. He has at his command many potent drugs and new surgical 

 techniques, but he cannot live your life for you. And in the long run it is 

 the way you live, more than the medicines you take, that determines how 

 long and how happily you will live with an impaired heart. 



The object of the way of living which doctors usually recommend for 

 persons with heart trouble is the lifting of all removable burdens — for ex- 

 ample, those imposed by fatigue, obesity, infections, and emotional upsets, 



EXERCISE AND REST 



The speeding up of the heart's action which accompanies sudden or vio- 

 lent or prolonged physical exertion can easily be accommodated by 

 healthy young hearts, but it puts an extra and unnecessary strain on dam- 

 aged or middle-aged hearts. The amount of exercise which a person with 

 heart disease or high blood pressure may take will be carefully prescribed 

 by the physician, and the patient must use judgment and discretion in 

 carrying out the doctor's advice according to his ability to perform with- 

 out getting tired or out of breath. 

 Things to remember are: 



1, Don't run or walk fast to catch anything — train, bus, streetcar, plane, or 

 any other vehicle. As the saying goes, "It is better to miss it and live than catch 

 it and die," 



2, Don't walk against a high wind, as this throws an extra strain on the heart, 



3. Don't do any more climbing than is necessary — if you must go upstairs or 

 up hill, do it slowly with frequent rests, 



4. Slow up — use moderation — in everything you do. Get out of bed slowly 

 — never jump out. Cut down the speed at which you work, or work for shorter 

 hours if possible. The doctor may advise a change of occupation if your present 

 work is too fatiguing. 



