Winter season and pollution is highly damaging for heart patients and their health. Know what doctors have to say about this.
The low AQI is breaking all records in recent times where pollution doesn’t seem to control. Things get worse with winter season as the climate becomes dry and cold. The combination of winter pollution is catastrophic which makes life difficult for one and all especially those with poor cardiac health. They need to be extra careful about their health as this season is particularly very bad for them. India especially is facing an epidemic of cardiac problems such as coronary heart diseases.
Heart-Related Problems During Winter
The exact reasons why heart problems intensify during this season aren’t known. The risk factors are touted to be cold climate, stress, inactivity, dietary changes, etc. Our blood vessels contract in cold temperatures which increases blood pressure and load on the heart.
As per health reports, winters season marks the onset of depression, seasonal affective disorders, hypothermia, heart failure, along with other cardiac issues. The cases increase by 50% as compared to other seasons which shows how bad is this cold season for your heart.
Some of the common problems that arise in this month are:
Hypothermia: In this condition, the body temperature of the person reduces to 35-degree celsius or below. This happens as your body doesn’t have sufficient energy to keep itself warm. This might lead to the death of the person if not administered on time.
Also Read: Common health problems that people face during winter
Angina Pectoris: Discomfort and chest pain are commonly experienced by patients of coronary heart diseases. In winter, heart arteries shrink or block which obstructs the blood circulation and your muscles lack blood supply.
Dr. Abhay Kumar, Director, Department of Cardio-Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Aakash Healthcare Super Speciality Hospital, Dwarka, New Delhi, says, “Heart attacks and angina are more common in winter months in India. December and January can be a dangerous time for people with heart problems.”
Also Read: Hazardous Air Quality Could Worsen Health Of Heart Failure Patients
Tips For Heart Patients To Stay Safe
Stay Warm: One of the most important things to minimize the risk of heart issues in winter is staying warm and maintaining body temperature. Also, elderly people are advised to stay indoors as much as possible.
Dr. Rupesh Kaushik, Senior Consultant, Dept of Cardiology, Aakash Healthcare Super Speciality Hospital, Dwarka, New Delhi says, “In order to be safe from cardiac problems or at least reduce the risk of cardiac problems, people should try to keep themselves as warm as possible with the help of warm clothes, bone fires, warm baths, etc.”
Also Read: Know The Protective Role of Curcumin in Cardiovascular Diseases
Eat less: We tend to eat more in the season as food provides energy to function in the cold climate. But this habit is not good for your heart. You may eat frequently but only healthy food and in small proportions. This would suffice your body’s food requirements without putting extra stress on your heart.
Avoid processed foods: We end up eating more junk, fried, packaged and processed foods in this season. This practice needs to be controlled. These are high on sodium content which is bad for heart health. Eat a heart-healthy diet that includes fiber, whole grains, vegetables, salmon, oatmeal, etc.
To know what is a proper heart-healthy diet, watch this video.
Read More on Heart Health
All possible measures have been taken to ensure accuracy, reliability, timeliness and authenticity of the information; however Onlymyhealth.com does not take any liability for the same. Using any information provided by the website is solely at the viewers’ discretion. In case of any medical exigencies/ persistent health issues, we advise you to seek a qualified medical practitioner before putting to use any advice/tips given by our team or any third party in form of answers/comments on the above mentioned website.