VIII. NONDRUG THERAPY
Alcohol causes the heart muscle to pump less forcefully. Eight ounces of gin given to normal healthy students caused a 33% reduction in the amount of blood ejected from the heart. Can you imagine a sick heart with a handicap? If you have had heart failure, either do not drink alcohol at all or keep it under two ounces of alcohol, a pint of beer, or two ounces of wine daily. Patients who have alcoholic heart muscle disease (alcoholic cardiomyo-pathy) should never drink alcohol.
Exercise or unaccustomed activity imposes increased work on a weak heart muscle and often precipitates heart failure. Walking is the safest and best exercise. Try to walk a half to one mile and stop and rest if you get short of breath. It is not recommended to take longer walks of three to five miles or jogging for patients with heart failure. Stooping and bending exercises may cause some dizziness, especially if you are on vasodilators, diuretics, and nitrates. Patients with class III or IV heart failure, especially if recurrent, are not advised to engage in exercise programs even if they are claimed to be rehabilitation programs. Walking a half to one mile daily and stretch exercises should suffice. You can only strain the heart muscle; you can never improve it. The heart failure that occurs during an acute heart attack is completely different and often clears within one week. Such patients can engage in various exercise programs.