Hot Tips For Cold Weather Heart Health

While grocery store shelves may be empty, firewood piles filled and cell phones charged, there may be a few more items to check off on your prep list for the upcoming winter storms. Along with the many other hazards of cold weather: it can pose some unique concerns when it comes to heart health. The American Heart Association, a global force changing the future of health for all, offers some important information for staying heart-safe when temperatures drop:

Know the cold weather health dangers

• The cold causes blood vessels to contract and coronary arteries to constrict, which can raise blood pressure, increasing the risk of heart attack, stroke or even cardiac arrest.
• Strenuous activities can add stressors to the heart that people aren't normally used to. Our hearts also have to work extra hard in cold weather to keep a healthy body temperature.
• Hypothermia occurs when your body can't produce enough energy to keep the internal body temperature warm enough. It can kill you. Symptoms include lack of coordination, mental confusion, slowed reactions, shivering and sleepiness.
• People with heart disease often suffer angina pectoris (chest pain or discomfort) when they're in cold weather.
• Cold weather is also associated with cold and flu season, but be careful about the cold medicines you take, especially if you have high blood pressure. It's best to check with your health care professional or pharmacist before taking any over-the-counter medications, supplements or substances.

Take precautions to stay heart-healthy

• Your mom was right – bundle up! If you must go out, wear layers to avoid hypothermia and frostbite. Layering clothing traps air between the layers, forming protective insulation. Also, wear a hat or head scarf. Heat can be lost through your head. And ears are especially prone to frostbite. Keep your hands and feet warm, too, as they tend to lose heat rapidly.
• Don't overdo it. Walking through heavy snow — or climbing up the sledding hill — isn't a walk in the park. Your body is already using extra energy to stay warm, so go slow, take breaks and don't exert yourself.
• Shovel safely. If you have to clear off the sidewalks and driveway, start gradually and pace yourself. Ideally, push or sweep the snow rather than lifting and throwing it, that action involves a little less exertion. Pay attention to your body and if something doesn't feel right, stop.
• Stay hydrated. Just because it's cold and you may not feel thirsty, but thirst isn't the best indicator that you need to drink, even if you aren't sweating as much you still need to hydrate.
• Watch out for the added calories in cold weather drinks. Comforting drinks like pumpkin spiced lattes and hot chocolate can be loaded with unwanted sugar and fat.
• Limit the alcohol. Alcohol may increase a person's sensation of warmth and may cause them to underestimate the extra strain their body is under in the cold.
• Check on your loved ones: Elderly people may also have lower subcutaneous fat and a diminished ability to sense temperature so they can suffer hypothermia without knowing they're in danger
• Learn the heart attack warning signs and listen to your body. Even if you're not sure it's a heart attack, have it checked out. Minutes matter! Fast action can save lives — maybe your own. Don't wait to call 911.
• Learn CPR: EMS response times can be slower in bad weather. More than 350,000 cardiac arrests happen outside the hospital each year. Hands-Only CPR can double or triple a person's chance of survival. Save a life in two steps: Call 9-1-1; Push hard and fast in the center of the chest.

Learn more about cold weather and cardiovascular disease at heart.org.