Show ins essm RHEUMATIC HEART DISEASE VaI vular heart disease which causes leaky valves Is usually duo to an infection of tho the lining of tho the heart end and its valves endo cardl which aich develops as a complication om of one of I 1 the rheumatic diseases of this group acute rheumatic fever Is the one most apt to bo be complicated by dr nathan S davis ill III heart disease othor other rheumatic diseases are st vitus danco dance chorea scarlet fever growing pains ton or sinusitis tho abe organism that causes the heart disease Is a type of streptococcus during the active stage of tho the disease tho the heart muscle and the covering of the heart pericardium are arc also involved in most instances the scarring in the heart muscle may lessen its efficiency and scars in the pericardium may also limit its effectiveness the rheumatic diseases with the exception of scarlet fever do not confer an immunity and infections re or relapses re apses are quite common and may appear soon after or many years after the first attack the heart Is often again involved and may not be able to combat the infection as it did the first time and a very serious condition or malignant or ba bac AMERICAS ARMY AFTER 25 YEARS I 1 all TV TYPES P E sax A DEATHS Annual Basis fra all disesso Dis essm 4 I 1 t JL r J av 9 1917 la 18 41 1 aerial may arise on the scarred valves or the heart mus mu cle may be so weakened that it can no longer function normally and congestive heart allure with dropsy may develop on the other hand there may be no of the valve and the patient may get along very comfortably with little it if any limitation of activity for britany many years finally following a severe cold or other acute infection which damages the heart muscle the symptoms of heart failure may develop by that time usually 20 to 30 years after fter the simple healed uie the patient Is old enough to have some soine hardening and narrowing of the coronary arteries those supplying the heart muscle and the scarring of the heart muscle that results to complicate the picture doctors in describing the murmurs that aro are characteristic of healed rheumatic heart disease call them systolic it if they occur while the heart Is contracting and emptying diastolic dla if 11 they occur while it Is dilating and filling but au all murmurs are not due to vol vular heart disease or to other conditions that I 1 I 1 may cause leaky valves most of the murmurs that occur while the heart Is filling with blood during diastole ore are due to organic change in a valve but many of those occurring during systole while it Is emptying are functional and of no consequence too many people have in the past been led to believe they had heart disease when the only indication was a murmur many in their teens and early twenties whose hearts are perfectly normal have such murmurs some of them may be due to congenital abnormalities which are so 30 slight light a that they in no way limit the functional capacity of the heart yet ye t such a functional murmur may make it difficult to get life insurance may prevent participation in athletics or in the armed forces because they sound so much like those due to organic disease whichever type you may have dont worry about it as long as you can carry on your ordinary duties without discomfort when you find that it does interfere with such activities s see your doctor and live as he tells you to do pain ain is the firo fire alarm of danger but stopping the alarm does not put out the fire pennsylvania Ienn sylvania medical journal QUESTION BOX send auest questions ions to dr nathan 3 S davis III winnetka III fEn enclose close a self addressed stamped camped envelope Q what would you advise to relieve excessive belching F G astop A stop swallowing air eat more mora slowly chew your food longer Q what would you advise to relieve excessive perspiration of the feet 11 K A wash them every night change socks or stockings dally daily and preferably wear wool ones dont wear the same shoes two days day in nession |