Nowadays, heart surgery is commonly performed on patients
suffering from heart disease, which is often a threat to
longevity. But does heart surgery make you live longer? Is
Oriental medicine a better approach to heart disease?
According to the most recent report from Journal of the
American Medical Association, at least 12,000 Americans die
each year from unnecessary surgery, and tens of thousands
more suffer complications as a result.
Every year in the United States, surgeons perform 1.2
million angioplasties, during which a cardiologist uses
tiny balloons and implanted wire cages known as stents to
unclog arteries. This Roto-Rooter-type approach is less
invasive and has a shorter recovery period than bypass,
which is open-heart surgery.
Nevertheless, a surgery is still a trauma, and the body
responds to it with major blood loss and swelling, and all
manner of nerve and pain signals that can plague the
patient for months, if not years.
Research has indicated that angioplasty did not appear to
prevent heart attacks or save lives among non-emergency
heart subjects. If that is the case, then why the surgery?
Dr. William Boden of the University of Buffalo School of
Medicine, Buffalo, New York, and author of the study also
added: "If you have chest pain and are stable, you can take
medicines that do the job of angioplasty." Medicines used
in the study included aspirin, and blood pressure and
cholesterol drugs, and they were taken along with exercise
and diet changes in patients participating in the study.
Dr. Boden did have a point about not opting for surgery.
But do medicines, such as aspirin, as well as blood
pressure and cholesterol drugs, save lives and prevent
heart attacks, or are there better alternatives? Heart
health is longevity health. Conventional medicine offers no
miracle cures. Healing the heart has to be wholesome
because it is the "residence" of the body, the mind, and
the spirit. Therefore, medicines play only a minor role, if
any, in the cure of heart disease. Modern Western medicine
addresses only the symptoms, not the causes, of heart
disease. According to the Oriental way, your heart is the
"emperor" of your whole being, and the health of your
entire system depends upon the normal functioning of your
heart. According to Chinese philosophy, heaven and earth
merge to make a human being, and the place where they merge
is in the heart, which is the "center" of the human body,
hence the importance of the heart.
Disturbances in the heart affect your whole body. The
movement of blood throughout your body (circulation) is
managed by multiple organs, which in turn interact with one
another. A failure in any one part of this system can
result in pathology.
If there is a circulation issue, all the organ systems in
your body will be deprived of the nourishment supplied by
your blood, which include nutrients and oxygen. Your heart
has a dramatic effect on everything else in your body.
The force that keeps life going is "qi" (internal vital
energy), which is determined by the balance of "yin" and
"yang." Poor diet, stress, and lack of exercise can cause
your "yin" and "yang" to become out of balance, thereby
disrupting the flow of "qi." One symptom is "thick" blood,
which is the root cause of heart disease.
Severe stagnation in "qi" and in the blood may produce
internal heat, which goes into your blood and steams your
body, drying out your blood vessels as well as raising your
blood pressure.
In Chinese medicine, the basic cause of chest pain is
obstruction of the circulation of "qi" and blood. Chest
pain may be due to either deficiency or excess patterns of
"yin" and "yang," resulting in imbalance and discord.
Accordingly, the Oriental medicine focuses on using
different foods not only to nourish the body but also to
clear any blockage in the flow of "qi."
Truly, foods are directly involved in many of the risk
factors for heart disease. Paying attention to what you eat
is one of the most important preventive measures you can
take.
The foods that best protect you against heart disease
include the following: oily fish, fruits and vegetables,
fiber from whole-grain breads and cereals and unrefined
carbohydrates, nuts and seeds, and green tea, among others.
In addition to the different types of food to protect your
heart, you need to understand the importance of energy
balance. You need enough calories to maintain your energy
level, but no more than what you can burn off. This is
energy balance.
Even when you are dieting, you should not drastically cut
back your calories such that your energy needs are not met.
The number of calories you need depends primarily on age,
gender, and activity level.
Essentially, the Oriental medicine employs foods and
acupuncture to maintain smooth flow of "qi" and blood.
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Stephen Lau is a writer and researcher, writing synopses of
research of doctors and scientists. His publications
include "NO MIRACLE CURES - Only Wholesome Self-Healing,"
"How To Teach Children To Read" and "Blueprint For Success
In Affiliate Business."
He has created websites, including "Longevity for You" on
health, and "Golfing Success Info" on the art of playing
golf.
http://www.longevityforyou.com
http://www.golfingsuccessinfo.com
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