Special to Iredell Free News

When you think of winter health concerns, you may think of colds, flus, respiratory illnesses, or even temperature-related diseases like hypothermia or frostbite.

However, the drop in temperature can also affect another aspect of your health – your heart.

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), heart attacks and cardiac deaths occur more during the last week of December than at any other time of the year. In fact, one study revealed a 37 percent increased risk of heart attacks on Christmas Eve, peaking at 10 p.m.

And while no one wants to think of tragedy during this joyous and festive time of the year, it’s important to stay aware and monitor your health.

Your Heart in Winter

What causes more heart attacks during this season? It’s hard to know for sure, but probable factors are cold weather, poor diets, and holiday stress.

Drop in Temperature

“Cold weather puts extra stress on the circulatory system due to constriction of blood vessels, raising blood pressure,” said Dr. Bradley Martin, cardiologist at Statesville Cardiovascular Clinic.

In addition, the cold wind causes your body to lose heat more quickly. Your heart has to work extra hard to maintain a healthy body temperature in frigid weather.

“Prolonged exposure to the cold and hypothermia also can cause damage to the heart muscle and increase your risk for arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat),” said Martin.

Additionally, you may find yourself doing more physical activity in the cold than you’re used to.

The cold weather creates situations that you may not regularly face, such as shoveling snow.

According to the AHA, hundreds of people die during or just after snow removal in the U.S. each year.

“People who are not in good physical shape are faced with doing strenuous physical activity in the cold weather, which creates the scenario for cardiac events to occur,” said Martin.

Festive Feasts

This season especially, we’re more accustomed to indulging in sweet treats and eating large holiday feasts.

“Poor diet with foods that are high in saturated fat, cholesterol, refined sugar, and salt tend to make their way into diets more frequently over the holidays. High blood sugars and elevated blood pressure can result. This can increase your risk for heart attack, stroke, and congestive heart failure,” said Martin.

Holiday Stress

Stress, unfortunately, is a normal part of the holiday season. Cooking, shopping, cleaning, budgeting, and family gatherings can leave us feeling burnt-out and exhausted. The emotional stress of the holiday season has been shown to increase levels of stress hormones in your body.

“Stress increases hormones in the body called catecholamines and cortisol levels. High catecholamine levels increase blood pressure and heart rates and can increase cardiac risk of stroke and heart attack. High levels of cortisol over longer periods of time can increase blood sugar, cholesterol levels, and blood pressure, which also increases the risk of cardiovascular events,” said Martin.

Avoid a Cold Heart this Season

You can take precautions to stay heart-healthy this season. Martin lists a few tips below.

♦ Exercise. Regular exercise is always recommended to help decrease cardiac risk. This can help lower your resting heart rate, blood pressure, and cortisol and catecholamine levels.

♦ Eat a healthy diet. Try to stick to a heart-healthy diet by limiting excess sugars and salty foods. These can increase cardiac risk by causing elevated circulating blood sugar and high blood pressure. Excessive salt can also lead to fluid retention and congestive heart failure. Avoid excess caffeine and alcohol. Cardiac arrhythmias can be triggered by both of these, which can lead to an increased risk of stroke, congestive heart failure, and heart attack.

♦ Manage your stress. Life stressors can feel more overwhelming around the holiday. Activities such as meditation, deep breathing, and yoga can help manage stress and keep your body and mind more in balance.

♦ Make this a year-round habit. Being heart-healthy should be a year-round effort. Focus on regular cardiac exercise (30 minutes, 5 days a week) and eating a heart-healthy diet with lean protein, low carbohydrates, and healthy unsaturated fats. Try to make an effort for good sleep patterns and avoid unhealthy habits such as using tobacco and excessive alcohol or caffeine intake.

♦ Know your limits. Don’t overexert yourself if you have any kind of symptoms such as chest pain or pressure, new shortness of breath, lightheadedness, or palpitations. Make sure you communicate any new concerning symptoms with your doctor.

Signs & Symptoms of Heart Attack

Recognizing heart attack signs and symptoms early is vital. The sooner medical treatment begins, the better your chance of survival.

• Chest discomfort. Chest discomfort is the most common heart attack symptom in men and women. It may feel like pressure, squeezing, fullness, pain, or like heartburn or indigestion. It usually lasts more than a few minutes. It may go away and then come back. The feeling may be severe, or it may be mild.

• Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, a shoulder, the neck, the jaw, or the stomach (above the belly button) can signal a heart attack. Women are somewhat more likely than men to experience back or jaw pain during a heart attack.

• Shortness of breath. This can occur with or without chest discomfort.

• Other signs. Other possible signs include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea, or lightheadedness.
If you suspect a heart attack, call 9-1-1 right away.

LEARN MORE

Dr. Bradley Martin sees patients in Statesville, Mooresville, and Taylorsville. If you would like to schedule an appointment with Martin, please call 704-873-1189.

About Iredell Health System

Iredell Health System includes Iredell Memorial Hospital; Iredell Mooresville; two urgent care centers; Iredell Home Health; Iredell Wound Care & Hyperbaric Center; Community and Corporate Wellness; Occupational Medicine; the Iredell Physician Network and more. Iredell Memorial Hospital is the largest and only nonprofit hospital in Iredell County. The comprehensive healthcare facility has 247 beds; more than 1,800 employees; and has 260 physicians representing various specialties. Centers of excellence include Women’s and Children’s; Cardiovascular; Cancer; Surgical Services and Wellness & Prevention. The Health System’s second campus, Iredell Mooresville, is home to the area’s only 24-hour urgent care facility, as well as an ambulatory surgery center, imaging center, rehabilitation services, and physician practices. The mission of Iredell Health System is to inspire wellbeing. For a comprehensive list of services and programs, visit www.iredellhealth.org.