Love it or hate it, winter weather is a natural part of living in Pennsylvania. As you break out the salt and shovels and keep an eye on your weather app, Hamilton Health encourages you to stay safe, especially if you have existing heart conditions or a family history of them.
Understanding Heart Health in Winter
When it gets cold, your heart has to work harder to keep you warm. However, due to the low temperatures, your blood vessels constrict, making it more challenging for your blood to flow through them. This phenomenon is why many people with coronary heart disease or a similar heart-related condition often experience angina, or chest pain, during winter. It’s also why you’re at higher risk for high blood pressure, strokes and heart attacks during winter.
Even if your heart is completely healthy, taking care of yourself in cold weather is extra important. Anyone can experience hypothermia, especially when it’s too windy for your body to warm the area around you. Add strenuous activities like shoveling to that, and the potential for heart muscle damage is higher than usual.
Can Shoveling Snow Cause a Heart Attack?
Yes, heart attacks and snow shoveling can go hand in hand, especially if you are not used to the activity. When you have to do so, make sure you bundle up in layers and warm up inside often to keep your blood vessels from constricting. Also, take your time and give yourself breaks when you need them. Regular breaks can also prevent other common shoveling-related ailments, like hernias and even general muscle aches.
If you are really concerned, you can ask local kids or your neighbors to help you out — perhaps they can take care of the shoveling this season while you handle mowing the lawn this summer.
Still, if you experience any of these symptoms during shoveling or after you finish, call 911 immediately:
- Chest pain
- Dizziness
- Shortness of breath
- Nausea or vomiting
- Numbness or tingling in the back and upper body
- Cold sweating
Keep Your Heart Health in Check at Hamilton Health
In most cases, shoveling and being out in the snow can be a fun time for the whole family. Do your best to protect your heart, and you can enjoy the most wonderful time of year with ease and relaxation.