The winter’s chill may bring about a festive mood, and even if the cold doesn’t bother you, the icy temperatures can do extensive damage to your heart than meets the eye. Layering up may save you against frostbite, but why does the cold pose such an invisible threat for people struggling with heart disease?
The Cold and Your Cardiovascular Disease – What’s the Connection?
There’s no doubt that people need to take precautions before venturing out into a snowy landscape, but these concerns are often reserved for winter sports enthusiasts. For people with long-time cardiovascular disease, going out to shovel snow out of the driveway can aggravate your heart in destructive ways.
This is because the freezing temperatures force the heart to work hard to help the body beat the cold, which means the blood vessels will undergo extreme strains to keep the blood pumping. Other ways the cold weather can worsen your heart condition includes the following:
- Increase heart rate;
- Increase blood pressure;
- Overwork your heart;
- Increase the risk of blood clotting;
All these factors can contribute to heart attacks and strokes, so it’s crucial to protect yourself from the cold to mitigate the ruthless risks involving matters of the heart.
How to Safeguard Your Heart from Winter’s Chill?
Tip #1: The simplest and most realistic way to protect your heart from the dangers of winter is to limit the time you spend out in the cold. If that’s not a feasible option, always be vigilant when wearing the proper winter clothing to keep your body warm from head-to-toe.
Tip #2: Limit strenuous activities as much as possible, especially if it is set outdoors. Remember that the cold weather is already pushing your heart to the brink, so engaging in labor-intensive activities will only exacerbate your condition.
Tip #3: Avoid drinking alcohol before spending your time out in the cold. While it seems like one shot of liquid gold can warm you up, it can actually do the opposite since it draws heat away from your organs.
Tip #4: Sweating even amidst the freezing weather is a bad sign, especially for your heart! It means that your body is overheating, which can cause your blood vessels to dilate and result in low blood pressure.
The Bottom Line: How the Biting Cold Can Mean Trouble for Your Heart
The winter season may be a joyful time for many, but it’s important to remember that the lower the temperature, the higher your risk of developing a heart attack or stroke.
How Can We Help?
Here at Garden State Medical Group, our professionals strive to provide holistic care so patients can have access to integrative and functional treatment options. In this case, we can help create comprehensive guidelines that can protect your lungs from the detrimental effects of wildfire smoke.
Not only do we aim to understand the clinical aspects of your condition, but we also look into the biological and behavioral factors that impact your well-being. Check out our site and see what our primary care clinic in NJ can do to improve your health!