If you want to enjoy this winter season, then you have to take care of your heart. Find out how cold weather impacts your heart.
If you live in a snowy area, chances are you’re shoveling snow on a recurring basis. While this typically doesn’t lead to any problems, people with cardiovascular disease may need to be more careful. Keep reading to find out how cold weather can impact your heart health and how you can stay safe.
Cold Weather and Your Heart
While doing certain outdoor activities during the winter may seem fun, you need to take certain precautions to avoid health issues like hypothermia. When your body can’t produce enough energy to keep your internal body temperature warm, you experience hypothermia, a potentially fatal condition.
So if you’re planning to do some winter sports, pay attention – especially to children and the elderly, as they may have limited ability to communicate or move. In addition, the elderly may have a diminished ability to sense temperature, which means they can experience hypothermia without realizing they’re in danger.
Other things to watch out for are rain, snow, and high winds, which can steal body heat and put you at a higher risk for hypothermia. To keep warm, make sure you wear layers of clothing, wear a hat or head scarf, protect your ears, and keep your hands and feet warm.
Staying Safe
While you may have a choice in whether you go out skiing or not, shoveling snow may not be up for debate. To help you stay safe while you remove snow, here are some practical tips you can follow.
Take Breaks
It’s important that you give yourself frequent rest breaks so you don’t overstress your heart. Also, pay attention to how your body feels during those breaks.
Know the Heart Attack Signs
If you’re having a heart attack, it’s essential that you get immediate attention. However, you first have to be able to recognize the symptoms of a heart attack. If you’re unsure, call your doctor anyways and have it checked out immediately.
Don’t Drink Alcohol
Drinking alcohol can increase your sensation of warmth, causing you to underestimate how cold your body actually is. In other words, don’t drink alcohol either before or right after shoveling snow.
Taking Care of Your Heart
Making sure your heart is in great shape is a lifelong endeavor, but you need to pay special attention during the winter – especially if you have a heart condition. Protect yourself from the cold by keeping warm and following the tips mentioned if you have to go outside.
In addition to these tips, you can give your heart health an extra boost by taking a supplement like L-arginine Plus. Its ingredients provide support for your circulation, blood pressure, cholesterol, and overall heart health. Promote your heart health by staying safe this winter and taking L-arginine Plus.