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Heart Attack Prevention Tips from Heatwave

Fitness

Heart Attack Prevention Tips from Heatwave

Heatwaves are unpleasant for healthy people. Days that are cloudy, hot, and humid might be risky for persons who have heart problems.

It’s important not to overheat your body (or too cold). Proteins that create your body and run practically all of its chemical activities can cease operating if your temperature rises too high. Extra heat is emitted by the human body in two ways, both of which put pressure on the heart:

Radiation. Heat naturally travels from heated to cooler areas, similar to water flowing downhill. You radiate heat to the air as long as the air around you is cooler than your body. When the air temperature approaches body temperature, however, this transfer stops.

Evaporation. Each molecule of sweat that evaporates from your skin carries heat away from your body. On a hot day, a teaspoon of the sweat evaporates and cools your bloodstream by 2 degrees F. However, once humidity rises over around 75%, there is so much water vapor in the air that evaporation becomes more difficult.

Credit: Abstract Aerial Art/Getty Images

The cardiovascular system is also strained by evaporation. Sweat removes not just heat from the body, but also salt, potassium, and other minerals that are necessary for muscle contractions, nerve transmissions, and water balance. To counter these losses, the body produces hormones that aid in the retention of water and the reduction of mineral losses.

TIPS to prevent HEART ATTACK

Simple decisions can help you weather the storm and keep the heat from overworking your heart and spoiling your summer.

Take it easy. By delaying exercise or other physical activities until the weather has calmed down, you can turn procrastination into a virtue. The best times to go are late at night and early in the morning. If you exercise, drink more water than normal.

Cool is cool. The best way to beat the heat is to breathe cool air. Fans assist to a point, but when the air is as hot as you are, sitting in front of one is about as effective as sitting in front of a blow dryer. Spending an hour or two in a movie theatre, a supermarket, or with an air-conditioned neighbor can help if you don’t have air conditioning. A chilly shower or bath, as well as placing a cold, damp towel or ice pack under your arm or near your groin, will help relieve pain.

Drink to your health. The lower your coolant level is, the more likely you are to overheat. Sadly, staying hydrated isn’t always simple. Stomach or intestinal issues, diuretics, a defective thirst signal, or a lack of fluid consumption are all factors that can cause problems.

Try drinking a glass of water every hour on severely hot and humid days. (Ask your doctor or nurse first if you have congestive heart failure.) Sugary sodas and full-strength fruit juices restrict the transport of water from the digestive system to the bloodstream, so limit your intake. Caffeinated beverages and alcohol, in particular, should not be relied upon for fluid because they can promote or exacerbate dehydration.

Eat light. Stick to smaller meals that don’t put too much pressure on your stomach. Cold soups, salads, and fruits can satiate your hunger while also providing additional fluid.

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