Avoid heart attack risk this winter as temperatures continue to dip

Lower temperature can put people with existing heart conditions at risk. Here’s how you can prevent heart attacks in winter

For representational purposes

BENGALURU: Winter is often associated with several health risk factors such as heart diseases, respiratory disorders and highly contagious viral infections.

People, however, tend to focus more on common ailments such as cold, fever and allergies etc. The drop in temperature can significantly impact your heart health and can put people with existing heart conditions at maximum risk of heart attack or a cardiac arrest.

These heart attacks can emerge from various factors such as low temperature, air pressure, wind and humidity. Therefore, understanding how winter can affect your heart health can go a long way in preventing a heart attack during this season. 

Wear warm clothes to limit exposure to
cold weather

Staying in a cold environment often causes our bodies to make certain physiological adjustments to preserve our core body temperatures.

These adjustments can present a challenge to people with heart disease and can cause: 

• Increase in heart rate 
• Increase in blood pressure 
• Lowering in heart beat and making it substantially harder for the heart to pump

An increase in the propensity for blood clotting
Precautions to take during winter
People with heart ailments can adopt the following precautions to prevent a cardiac arrest during this season:

• Limit your exposure to the cold weather and wear warm clothes
• Avoid stressing yourself as it can trigger a cardiac emergency
• Avoid overheating yourself as it causes blood vessels to suddenly dilate—which can lead to hypotension (low blood pressure) in a person with heart disease
• Limit your alcohol consumption 
• Get a flu shot
• Keep healthy habits intact such as, starting an indoor exercise programme, having homemade warm meals and drinks regularly. This will give your body energy it needs to keep you warm.

Signs of heart attacks

• Pain or discomfort in the chest that can sometimes 

• feel like squeezing or pressure

• Pain in the body, including the arms, back, neck, or jaw

• Shortness of breath

• Feeling lightheaded or nauseous

• If someone is feeling any of the above symptoms 

• then they should immediately contact a hospital or healthcare provider

(The author is Sr. Consultant, Interventional Cardiology, Aster CMI Hospital)