Ahead of the enormous snowstorm set to hit metro Detroit, the American Heart Association is cautioning that the danger of a heart attack can increment during snow shoveling.
The AHA says heart attack risk increments for the individuals who are moderately aged or older, individuals who lead a stationary way of life and individuals who have been diagnosed to have a heart condition. The AHA offers these additional precautions:
- Counsel a doctor
- Offer yourself a break so you don’t overemphasize your heart
- Try not to eat a heavy meal before shoveling, as it can place an additional load on your heart
- Try not to drink alcoholic beverages before shoveling because it can build an individual’s sensation of warmth and cause them to underestimate the cold
- Know about the perils of hypothermia, dress in layers of comfortable garments and wear a cap.
- Use a small shovel, the act of lifting heavy snow can raise blood pressure. It is more secure to lift smaller amounts more times.
- Listen to your body: If you feel the warning signs for heart attack, stop what you’re doing and call 911.
The AHA says specialists have discovered that the heart rate and blood pressure responses to shoveling heavy, wet snow frequently met and surpassed similar reactions during greatest exercise testing.
