Listening To Your Heart
A
s a nurse, I was taught the
importance of listening care-
fully to the rate, rhythm and
specific sounds of a patient's heart. It was
fascinating to learn how much vital infor-
mation about my patient's health status
could be gathered through the use of my
stethoscope, knowledge and listening
skills.
Since my years as a cardiac nurse work-
ing with critically ill patients, my under-
standing of the heart has expanded beyond
its physiological functioning to include its
place in the human experience, in both a
literal and metaphorical way.
The very idea of a hospital unit called
cardiac critical care exemplifies the cen-
trality of the heart to human survival.
Without a functioning heart, a person
dies within minutes; so any threat to
heart function is critical.
But the heart is much more than a
pump essential for maintaining life. If you
take a second now to place your
hand over the area where you
feel love or joy or even fear in
your body, chances are it will
be near your heart.
Think about the common
use of terms such as heartfelt,
open hearted, broken hearted,
heartsick and heartache. These
have little to do with the pump-
ing of blood and much to do
with deeply felt emotions. No
other organ in the body is
connected so deeply with emo-
tions.
In 2005, physicians identi-
fied a condition called stress cardio-
myopathy, also known as broken-heart
syndrome.
This syndrome involves a sudden and
often severe decrease in the pumping
ability of the heart, occurring in relation
to physical or emotional stress. Reported
cases have occurred after sud-
den loss of a loved one, marital
conflict, pain and even a sur-
prise party!
Cardiologist Mimi Guarneri,
in her book The Heart Speaks,
writes about the links between
emotions and heart disease. She
describes her professional jour-
ney from fixing clogged arteries
with stents to awareness that
catheterization readings and
cholesterol levels don't tell the
whole story.
She writes, "I have learned
over the years that the deep sto-
ries carved into the hearts of patients can
be told only by them."
She believes now that true healing can
only occur when patients attend to their
emotions along with their physical health.
Drugs to lower cholesterol and blood
pressure are among the top-selling catego-
ries of drugs in the U.S. Yet research has
demonstrated that stress, depression and
other emotional disruptions are even more
dangerous as risk factors for heart disease
than cholesterol.
While physicians may not have the
time or inclination to focus on these
issues with their patients, each of us can
tune into our own hearts and our own
stories.
Meditation, relaxation, journaling and
counseling are all ways to improve our
emotional health, which will have a posi-
tive impact on the health of our hearts,
and thus our very survival. What does
your heart have to say? O
Dr. Denise Jacob, RN, PhD, CHt, practices
hypnosis, healing touch and health counseling
in Birmingham and is a frequent speaker for
area organizations. For more information, visit
www.jacobholistichealing.com or call (248)
514-8259.
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December 25 • 2008
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