When winter storms roll in, we often prepare by stocking up on groceries, charging our phones, and piling up firewood. But there’s something else we should be thinking about—our heart health.
Cold weather brings unique challenges, especially for people with heart problems. The American Heart Association has shared some important tips to help you stay safe and healthy when the temperature drops.
First, it’s important to know how cold weather affects the heart. When it’s cold, your blood vessels and arteries tighten. This can raise your blood pressure and increase the chances of having a heart attack, stroke, or even sudden cardiac arrest.
Cold weather also makes your heart work harder to keep your body warm. Doing hard physical work in the cold, like shoveling snow or walking uphill, can put extra stress on your heart.
Another danger is hypothermia, which happens when your body can’t stay warm enough. This can be deadly. Watch for signs like confusion, shivering, slowed reactions, clumsiness, and feeling very sleepy. People with heart disease may also feel chest pain in cold weather, known as angina.
And since cold weather is also flu season, be careful with cold medications. Some over-the-counter drugs can raise blood pressure, so talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking them.
To protect your heart in winter, bundle up. Wear several layers of clothes to trap warmth, and don’t forget a hat or scarf. Your head and ears lose heat quickly, and your hands and feet get cold fast, too. Dress warmly from head to toe.
Don’t push yourself too hard. Moving through deep snow or climbing hills can be tougher than you think. Take it slow and rest if you need to. If you have to shovel snow, start slowly and take breaks. It’s better to push the snow than to lift and throw it, which takes more effort. Listen to your body—if something doesn’t feel right, stop right away.
Stay hydrated even if you don’t feel thirsty. Cold weather can trick you into thinking you don’t need water, but your body still needs it. Also, be careful with sweet winter drinks like hot chocolate or flavored lattes. They can be full of sugar and fat. Drink them in moderation.
Limit alcohol, too. It can make you feel warm, but it also makes it harder for your body to know how cold it really is, and it puts extra stress on your system.
Check on your older loved ones. Seniors may not feel the cold as easily, and they may not have enough body fat to keep warm. This puts them at higher risk of hypothermia, even indoors.
Know the signs of a heart attack and pay attention to what your body is telling you. If you feel chest pain, dizziness, shortness of breath, or something just feels wrong—don’t wait. Call 911 right away. Getting help fast can save your life.
Finally, learn CPR. Emergency crews might take longer to arrive in snowy or icy weather. More than 350,000 cardiac arrests happen outside of hospitals every year. If you know Hands-Only CPR, you can double or even triple someone’s chance of surviving. It’s simple: Call 911, then push hard and fast in the center of the chest until help arrives.
Staying heart-smart in cold weather doesn’t take much, but it can make a big difference. Stay warm, stay safe, and take care of your heart this winter.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about how eating eggs can help reduce heart disease risk, and Vitamin K2 could help reduce heart disease risk.
For more information about heart health, please see recent studies about how to remove plaques that cause heart attacks, and results showing a new way to prevent heart attacks, strokes.
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