DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am 79 and have congestive heart failure with some high blood pressure. Please give the information you have on my illness. — F.W.

ANSWER: Congestive heart failure is a common illness in older people. Up to 10 percent of those older than 65 have it or have had it. The meaning is that the heart has become so weak that it can’t pump enough blood to support all body organs and tissues. You can call it just heart failure. The “congestive” word confuses people.

The signs of a weakened heart are breathlessness when trying to do even relatively easy physical tasks, along with a feeling that all energy has left the body. A third sign is swelling, most often of the feet and ankles. The lungs also fill with fluid from backed-up blood, and that adds to the breathing difficulty. The lungs are congested with fluid.

Clogged heart arteries, heart-valve problems, a previous heart attack, a former viral heart infection and uncontrolled high blood pressure are some of the causes of heart failure. Aging is a major cause. The heart is beginning to wear out.

This sounds hopeless; it isn’t. Plenty can be done. For one, reduce the amount of salt and salty foods that you eat. Salt causes fluid retention in the body. Water pills (diuretics) remove excess body fluid, and they’re a constant part of treatment. Drugs called ACE inhibitors not only regulate blood pressure, but they also ease heart failure. This is only a sample of the drugs that are useful for the treatment of this condition.

Once under treatment, you ought to be breathing with ease and feel a return of pep. An exercise program is then possible and an essential for treatment. The program is one that should be devised by your doctor. Walking is an excellent way to strengthen both body and heart muscles.

The booklet on congestive heart failure provides detailed information on the condition and its treatment. Readers can order a copy by writing: Dr. Donohue — No. 103, Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Enclose a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 U.S./$6 Can. with the recipient’s printed name and address. Please allow four weeks for delivery.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My husband’s behavior has me concerned. He had a flare-up of his ulcerative colitis six months ago and began exhibiting obsessive-compulsive behavior — handwringing and repeatedly rubbing his mouth with the back of his hand. His father is obsessive-compulsive. My husband also has added four more touching behaviors, and he refuses to have his hair cut. Will this progress? I’m at my wits’ end. — S.N.

ANSWER: An obsession is a recurring idea or thought that brings anxiety and fear. A compulsion is a repetitive behavior done to relieve the anxiety generated by the fearful thought. It takes many forms — constant hand washing, repeated checking to make sure the oven is off, touching things in a stereotypical way.

If O-C disorder interferes with a person’s life or impedes his job performance, that person should seek expert advice. Techniques exist to combat this illness. (It is an illness.) Cognitive behavior therapy helps root out the obsession. Deliberately recalling the feared thought without resorting to a ritual to abolish it is another therapy. And medicines can be helpful. Your husband is ruining his life and his family’s life over something that is treatable.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Two weeks ago, I contracted a cold. It’s gone, except for a troublesome cough, which is worse at night. I read in an issue of AARP Bulletin that a spoonful of honey at bedtime often gives better results than cough medicines. I tried it. The results were nothing less than miraculous. What do you say about this remedy? — F.B.

ANSWER: I say stick with it. Honey has been used for many years to suppress coughing. It’s even given to babies older than one year.

Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Readers may also order health newsletters from www.rbmamall.com.

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