Medical Questions » Heart Questions » Question No. 496
| Question: | I am 86 years old, but do not have high blood pressure or cholesterol. My heart is good, but for a long time now I get breathless even if I walk a short distance. I have been advised to take little heart tablets, but am unwilling to do so if I can find any other way to overcome the shortness of breath. What do you suggest? |
| Answer: | To work effectively, the body requires oxygen to be supplied to every cell. This is received from the lungs through the bloodstream.
If the heart is not beating and pumping as effectively as it should, not enough blood reaches the cells of the body, and as a result they do not receive enough oxygen (fuel) to work effectively. Signals are then sent to the lung to breathe faster, and the heart to beat faster, to improve the amount of oxygen entering the lungs and being pumped around the body in the blood.
Unfortunately, unless the heart beats more effectively, as well as faster, the body still does not receive sufficient oxygen, and you develop tiredness, muscle pains and shortness of breath.
This condition is called heart failure, and it is a very common problem in older people, but not normally serious. Tablets can be taken to strengthen the heart contractions and overcome the condition.
The most common medication used for mild heart failure is Lanoxin, but others are also available. This drug has been known for over 200 years (it was originally made from the Foxglove flower and drunk as a tea), is very safe, and very effective. I suggest you use the tablets prescribed by your doctor—you may find diem remarkably effective, and your quality of life may improve significantly.
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