Winter Heart Care: Top Tips for Managing Cardiac Health in Cold Weather – It’s important to monitor your diet and exercise regularly to take care of your heart. However, were you aware that you may also have to exercise additional caution in the winter season?
Chilly temperatures may lead to an elevation in your heart rate or blood pressure. Your heart might need to exert more effort in order to circulate blood. These fluctuations in temperature can also impact individuals with heart disease or other heart-related conditions. QndQCardia brings guidance in this blog on helpful strategies or key advice for maintaining good heart health during cold weather. This blog will guide you with top tips for managing cardiac health in cold weather journey, from recognizing risks to understanding the necessary actions to take.
Even though people generally like winter, the decrease in temperature can negatively impact our health, especially our hearts. Winter weather can bring about health issues like heart attacks, strokes, bronchitis, and accelerated hypertension.
What is the impact of cold weather on the heart?
Recently, India is facing an unusually cold winter, particularly in the northern regions of the country. Winter in North India especially Delhi recorded the worst atmospheric pollution. The factors included traffic, burning of waste, wood, and farm fires, causing smog. Many parts of India are experiencing a cold wave as Delhi records a temperature as low as 1.9C. Delhi can become a gas chamber where both indoor and outdoor pollution leads to a build-up of fine particles (called PM 2.5) which can enter the bloodstream and increase Blood Pressure and the risk of heart disease. The severe cold can cause extra strain on your heart, potentially resulting in complications or heart failure.
Low temperatures can lead to the narrowing of blood vessels. This results in both reduced blood flow to the body and heightened metabolic stress. It could also elevate blood pressure levels. Both of these put unnecessary pressure on the heart. The constriction of the coronary arteries due to cold exacerbates and increases the occurrence of angina attacks. Keeping a stable temperature in cold weather is harder as your body loses heat faster. The heart needs to pump additional heated blood, causing increased strain on it.
Top Tips for Managing Cardiac Health in Cold Weather
To help in taking care of your heart during the winter season, QndQCardia has compiled essential and top tips for managing cardiac heart health in cold weather that can make a significant difference in your overall well-being.
Warm Clothing
Warm Clothing helps keep your heart healthy in the winter by keeping your core warm and blood moving to your extremities. Cold weather can affect your heart, especially if you are suffering from cardiovascular disease. So, it is necessary to layer up and wear a hat, scarf, and gloves to help keep you warm. Besides, warm clothing keeps moving while you’re indoors to keep you warm. Having healthy hot meals and drinks also gives your body the energy it needs to keep you warm.
Healthy-Winter Diet
Choosing heart-healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins is crucial to limiting the intake of saturated fats, trans fats, and sodium to regulate blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Eating seasonal fruits and root vegetables that are low in calories and rich in fibre, also contain vitamins, and minerals would help in preventing heart diseases.
Keep Yourself Protected from Viral Infections Or Flu
A flu or viral infection can increase the risk of heart complications and to have a heart attack. Due to this, it is significant to keep yourself protected from influenza by getting a flu vaccine, washing your hands, staying away from sick people, and living in a clean or disinfected place.
Follow a Balanced Sleep Pattern
Your heart rate, blood pressure, and other cardiovascular functions follow circadian patterns, and inconsistent sleep can disrupt these patterns. That’s why a consistent sleep pattern is important for heart health in the winter because it helps maintain your circadian rhythm, which regulates cardiovascular function. That’s why getting enough sleep can help you manage these factors, which can help protect your heart.
Indulge in Physical Activity
Regular physical activity is important for maintaining heart health in the winter because it can improve heart function, and blood circulation, burn calories, boost immunity, improve mood, and reduce the risk of heart diseases. While indoors, regular, moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical activity strengthens your heart muscle. This will improve your heart’s ability to pump blood throughout the body.
Manage Stress
Stress can suppress the immune system and increase blood pressure. That’s why managing stress is important for heart health during the winter because chronic stress can increase the risk of heart disease. Stress management is necessary for maintaining physical and mental health, improving cognitive function, fostering healthy relationships, preventing burnout, and enhancing the overall quality of life.
Conclusion
By following the above top tips for managing cardiac health in cold weather and taking extra precautions during the winter, you can help protect your heart, and cardiovascular health throughout the cold season. Your heart’s health is worth the effort, ensuring you can enjoy the magic of the winter season while staying in peak condition.
For those looking for comprehensive medical care, and heart or cardiology treatments, look no further than QndQCardia, who leads the Cardiology department at Panchkula Haryana. With a wealth of experience and expertise, QndQCardia Healthcare Hospital specializes in diagnosing and treating cardiac disorders, offering advanced solutions for various heart-associated ailments in all seasons.
