Betterlife | Learn With Steem | Can cold precipitate heart attack?
I am saddened by the recent increase in sudden cardiac deaths in our locality. In our locality in last 2 days, 2 deaths occured . In the morning when i reached duty , my employees were discussing about the same. So they asked me the reasonable behind it. I explained it to them and i think , i should write about it here too to promoted learning on the mentioned subject.
I can correlate it clinically to sudden cardiac death secondary to heart attack. Health authorities of our state have already issued warning in this regard. There is dramatic increase in cardiac deaths due to intense cold especially in elderly and patients having some underlying comorbidities like hypertension and diabetes. Although intensity of cold is yet to touch it's peak here. Peak time is after 20th December to ending january. So, if people don't become sensitized to this issue, situation may worsen further. Fuel to fire is added by upsurge in COVID cases here. COVID in itself is a triggering factor for multiorgan dysfunction syndrome (MODS}.
Cold weather sometimes creates a perfect storm of risk factors for cardiovascular problems.
Dr. Randall Zusman
Wht is heart attack?
I will try to explain everything in lay man language and will try my best to avoid typical medical terminology.
Heart attack is gradual decrease in functioning of heart usually due to decreased flow of blood to heart. Decreased flow can be multifactorial and most common is due to blokage of blood vessels supplying heart due to cholesterol plaque etc.
How cold precipitates heart attack?
SubfreeIng cold is known to cause Vasoconstrictiion - means shrinkage and decrease in diametre of blood vessels. Vasoconstricition inturn leads to decrease in blood flow to heart and thereby precipitate heart attack.
Narrowing of blood vessel diameter due to cold also leads to increaae in blood pressure which inturn increase mechanical load on heart and making it more susceptible to heart attack.
High Risk Groups.
It is not like that all people living here or other places where temperature touches subzero, die during winters. Rather, certain category of people are at increased risk of developing heart attack during cold and they are :
- Elderly people.
- People having underlying preexisting heart disease.
- Underlying blood vessel disease.
- Diabetic and hypertensive patients.
- Children.
What can we do to prevent ourselves in such conditions?
Dress properly.
Dress codes of places change as per weather conditions. Winter dresses include use of thermal top and lowers, multiple layer upper body garments, extra socks, caps etc
Avoid overheating.
Generally in winters, we keep more than required heating modalities in our homes or work places. Excess heating of body can lead to exact reverse of what is happening in excess cold, that is , excess heat cause blood vessels to dilate - Vasodilation. Vasodilation inturn leads to decrease in blood pressure which is again dangerous. So keep as much heat as required.
Avoid overexerting yourself.
As winter has started. Most charming thing to experience during winter is SNOW. Walking over snow more than few inches is a laborious task and is itself exerting. While Watking on snow the correct way to walk is to push the snow and not to shovel it because later is exerting.
Avoid skipping meals.
During severe cold, people prefer living dormant indoor and often skip meals. Too much dormancy and meal skipping are aggravating factors for circulatory compromise . So avoid such deleterious practices.
Avoid agent which cause blood vessels to constrict.
Certain agent like caffeine, nicotine, alcohol and some drugs which cause vasoconstrion must be avoided because they are doing exactly the same thing which is being done by cold.
Follow indoor exercise programs.
Avoid skipping medicine, if any .
Keep yourself properly hydrated.
Cc
@steemitblog
@steemcurator01
@steemcurator02
Wow, this is real lecture. I admire your profession. Health first. I have picked the points you mentioned about how to avoid falling victim to this heart attack as we call it here.
I have picked dress properly and avoid over heating the house or body. I never knew over heating can cause this problem.
I appreciate your tutorial. @drqamu
#twopercent #nigeria #affable
Nice to know that you got something to learn.
These is a coincise and direct caution from you as a medical personnel, it is important that we all protect ourselves from harms way. I really learnt a lot from this.
Thanks for sharing @drqamu, I would love to read more similar confents from you.
#twopercent #nigeria
That is good to hear.
Thank you.
You are welcome.
Am back again i lost account before now my new user name is @mekzikoh
Thanks