According to traditional Oriental medicine, the heart, not the brain, is the seat of consciousness. An old European adage states, 'As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he'. How we feel in our hearts is the measure of who we really are. What we think in our heads is often no more than a superficial impression, passing momentarily through us via the senses.

Hence, heart diseases reflect deep-seated issues of identity, feeling, and consciousness. Heart disease is perhaps the main cause of death in the Western world. This is largely because the heart is denied in a culture which aims at personal achievement rather than communion with others. Many of us literally die of broken hearts or spiritual starvation.

The initial symptoms of the person with heart disease result most commonly from myocardial ischaemia (reduction of blood supply to the heart muscle), from disturbance of the normal contractile activity of the myocardium (abnormal muscle contractions), or from an abnormal cardiac rhythm or rate (abnormal heart rhythm).

Ischaemia manifests most frequently as chest pain, while reduction of the pumping ability of the heart commonly leads to weakness and fatigue or, when severe, produces cyanosis (blue colour of lips and tongue), hypotension (low blood pressure), fainting, and increasing abnormal fluid accumulation when the heart starts to fail, leading to oedema and shortness of breath. Cardiac arrhythmias (abnormal rhythms) often develop suddenly, and the resulting signs such as palpitation, angina, shortness of breath, low blood pressure and faintness, generally occur abruptly and may disappear as rapidly as they develop. Very often cardiac symptoms are most prominent during activity, whilst the cardiac function at rest might be totally adequate.

Heart diseases include heart attacks, angina, arteriosclerosis and hypertension. Heart attacks, the end result of most heart diseases, are often preceded by palpitations, insomnia, numbness or severe pain in the chest or middle back that radiates down the arms. Other indications are cyanosis, loss of consciousness, fever, cough, hiccup, shortness of breath and vomiting.

The combination of the widespread fear of heart disease in the Western world with the deep-seated emotional connotations concerning the heart's function results in frequent development of symptoms which mimic organic heart disease. It must be recognised that, for instance, shortness of breath is not limited to heart disease, but is also characteristic of conditions as diverse as lung disease, marked obesity and anxiety. Similarly, chest pain may result from a variety of causes other than myocardial ischaemia; frequently it is caused by chronic neck problems.

Causes of heart disease include wrong diet, physical or emotional trauma, congenital or hereditary factors, suppressed emotions or excess strain and anxiety. It may occur as the complication of other diseases such as rheumatic diseases or liver disorders. As the heart is an organ of emotion, emotional causes should always be considered first. These include difficulties in work or relationship, usually indicating that on an inner level we are not in touch with our own hearts. They may show insensitivity to the hearts of others.

Considering those causes it is striking how little attention our technological approach really pays to the emotional impact and its effect on the heart function. No attention at all is given to treating these causes and all our efforts are directed to the physicality of the heart. This seems totally disproportionate to the real picture heart diseases present and the treatments required, thereby disconnecting the real causes from the effects on the heart function. It is obvious that dietary issues, life-style issues and emotional issues are at the heart of heart diseases.

Differentiation of Heart Diseases

There are three different sets of symptoms we can recognise amongst heart diseases, which we can link to three different sets of causes. This division is based on the quality behind the symptoms rather than the Western physical approach of where the physical problem can be located.

1.       The red faced, angry, ambitious, hard driving executive, who suddenly dies of a heart attack, is a typical picture we all know. In this category we find deaths in which the autopsy clearly shows the cause of death to be a massive heart attack, but fails to show any sign of clogging up of the arteries. An inexplicable phenomenon for our medical authorities!

In this category the symptoms are burning sensation in the region of the heart and a feeling of smouldering heat. There will be spontaneous sweating, fever and a general feeling of heat all over the body. The face will usually be flushed, with red or bloodshot eyes. There will be dizziness, sometimes fainting, and the eyes and skin will become pale and yellow. Vomiting of bile or sour fluids may occur, along with loose yellow stool. There may be nosebleeds or a tendency to bleed easily. Emotionally, anger and irritability will prevail, with outbursts of temper which cause an aggravation of symptoms.

2.       Another type is more common in the elderly, where there is drying out and hardening of the blood vessels.

These are indicated by palpitations, tremor in the heart, numbness, tightness in the chest and throbbing, breaking or bursting pain in the heart region. There will be insomnia, laboured breathing, dry cough and constipation. Often there will be a dark discoloration around the eyes. The individual becomes very intolerant of noise and loud speech. Attacks will be more common following overwork or excessive exercise. Psychologically, there will be restlessness, fear, even fright, anxiety and sometimes fainting, after which the symptoms will worsen.

3.       The last type occurs mainly from overeating and the accumulation of mucus, fat and cholesterol which obstruct heart functioning.

Here, the heart diseases are indicated by a feeling of heaviness and stiffness in the region of the heart. There will be congestion in the chest, accumulation of phlegm, cough, excess salivation, lack of appetite, nausea and perhaps vomiting. Fatigue and excessive sleeping are symptoms, and mentally the person may feel dull and lack clarity. Emotionally, there will be greed and attachment and an unwillingness to let things go.

In short, we can divide heart diseases into nervous heart conditions, inflammatory heart conditions (myocarditis, endocarditis, pericarditis), and congestive heart conditions.

Specific Treatments

The first thing for the heart always involves an extended period of rest or reduced activity, both physical and mental. Strain and worry should be set aside. People must get back in touch with their real hearts and what they really want to do in life. Heavy exercise and travelling should be avoided.

1. Dietary wise, these people should totally avoid alcohol, hot spices, and drastically reduce their intake of oil or greasy food, red meat, and salt. Exposure to sun and strong exercise should be limited. Emotionally, strain, anger, hatred, resentment and violent urges should be set aside. One should cultivate peace, love and forgiveness.

An emerald set in silver, and worn on the middle finger of the right hand, is helpful. Pearl and moonstone are also recommended. Sandalwood oil should be applied to the forehead and to the chest.

Good herbs are saffron, sandalwood, aloe gel and barberry, motherwort, myrrh and golden seal. Barberry can be given in equal parts with liquorice and taken with ghee (purified butter).

2. The diet here should avoid dry, light and artificial foods and irregular eating habits. Fish is good, as well as oily vitamins such as A, E and D. Garlic can be used freely, particularly in a milk decoction. The person should rest, relax, be quiet and spend time in nature.

It is helpful to wear a ruby or garnet set in gold, on the ring finger of the left hand to strengthen the heart. Sandalwood oil can be applied to the forehead or chest when palpitations or pain occur. Important herbs are cinnamon, cardamom, sandalwood, and liquorice, as well as comfrey root, hawthorn berries and myrrh.

3. Avoid sugar, dairy, cheese, butter, eggs, fatty meats, lard and salt.

Here also, the person can benefit from wearing a ruby or garnet set in gold. Camphor, mustard or cinnamon oil can be applied to the chest.

Herbs to expel phlegm should be taken, such as calamus, cardamom, cinnamon, long peppers, cayenne peppers, bayberry and motherwort. Liquorice should be avoided as it increases cardiac oedema.

Now it becomes clear that a different set of symptoms really requires a different treatment approach if we want to make a difference to the suffering caused by heart diseases. Believing that the same diet will be healthy for everybody, that the same exercise regime or the same lifestyle will be healthy for all, is a fundamental mistake in the Western approach to diseases. Believing that all heart diseases have the same origin and therefore require the same treatment, obviously restricts the effectiveness of the approach. This can never give the individual anything more than a "statistical" chance of improvement. What the individual really wants is to know what he/she personally needs to do to surely improve the situation he/she is in.

Linking definite causes directly with a set of symptoms helps to clarify the confusing picture heart diseases have painted for so long. It is imperative for our understanding to recognise patterns and differences, so we can respond appropriately rather than in a blanket-fashion.

If you want a treatment to work you have to be specific and tailor it to the requirements of the individual. In order to achieve this you have to understand what is happening to the individual that is causing the symptoms. Within this framework, always remember that physical symptoms and mental and emotional status are closely linked. TT

© Patrick Quanten MD

 Independent Health Adviser

Acknowledgement.

This article has been supplied by Today’s Therapist Magazine – the Uk’s leading trade journal for today’s therapist. Visit: http://www.todaystherapist.com