Show Your Health Excitement Anxiety Increase Blood Pressure Heart Beat By James W. W Barton MD M.D. When Then I wake in the morning I 1 find ind my heart rate rate usually about 48 8 sometimes 51 After lying I awake and thinking thinking think- think I ing ng 0 over v e r the P- P PI I plans lans for the day Y k kI s sI I I find my heart in r rate te to be 68 r 7 A I so sometimes m e t imes t I 1 72 2 When I return return re- re turn urn home from boxing b bouts 0 u ts n not o t w wit i t h- h 0 standing the fact that hat I did some som e boxing xing when young and have Dr Barton examined every heavyweight boxer except Gene Tunney I find my heart rate up to 80 Apparently although I remain c calm aIm a 1 m my thoughts are on every blow of the 1 boxers and unconsciously I am delivering delivering delivering de de- livering blows or warding warding- them off In other words our hearts beat faster and stronger and we pump extra blood when we are excited or upset in mind When we have our heart or blood pressure tested or undergo o a metabolism test to find whether our thyroid gland is pouring a normal amount of juice into the blood or less or more than normal normal normal nor nor- mal we arc are supposed to be in a complete resting st state te Unfortunately Unfortunately Unfortunately for the test if we have something on our mind are worried worried worried wor wor- ried about the outcome of the test the heart will be he beating beating- faster and harder and the blood pressure w will ll be increased Control Anxiety In the Journal of Clinical Investigation In In- Drs J J. J B B. Hickam W. W tL Ii Cargill ll and A A. Golden point out that because physical rest does docs not mean emotional rest or relaxation relaxation relaxation tion widely different values are arc obtained A study of the effect 1 of emotional disturbance anxiety in 23 unselected medical students showed that the average output of blood from the heart was raised from 42 in the control period that thatis is both mind and body were at rest to 62 in the anxious period The heart rate and the amount of oxygen used by the lungs also increased Blood pressure was slightly raised When muscular t exertion was taken taken taken-a a muscular or body action creating a natural need for more blood and more oxygen oxy oxy- gen the gen the amount of blood and oxygen became normal for the work or exercise taken A few minutes' minutes exercise when were we're worried worried worried wor wor- ried restores us to normal Vessels Tighten An important reaction to lo anxiety anxiety anxiety was an over-all over increase in inI tightness I or tone of the blood vesI vessels vessels ves ves- I sels which finally caused a decrease decrease decrease de de- crease in the amount of blood pumped by the Ule heart despite an increase in blood pressure When you become anxious or afraid chronic fear the tense nerves partly close the blood vessels vessels vessels ves ves- sels a act actually c t u a II 11 y decreasing the amount of blood despite the rise in tempera temperature ture How Is Your Blood Pressure Send today for Dr Bartons Barton's booklet dealing with both high and low blood pressure entitled How Is Your Blood Pressure To obtain obtain obtain ob ob- tain it just dust send lOc and a stamp to cover cost of handling and mailing to The Salt Lake Lae Tribune-Telegram Tribune Home Service Bureau Salt Lake City 10 Utah and ask for your copy Released by Bell Syndicate Inc |