Crossfire on the health of Italians, especially the most fragile. Threatening them is the mix of heat and Covid: “One amplifies the effects of the other and vice versa, with an immediate impact on symptoms such as headaches, fatigue and shortness of breath, and on the functionality of the heart”. Bruno Trimarco, professor emeritus of Cardiology at the Federico II University of Naples, explains. “The heat – he warns – certainly has a significant impact on patients affected by Covid, both in the acute phase and in the post-infection, on the so-called Long Covid. In fact, on the one hand, high temperatures amplify the symptoms of the infection, on the other they can increase the stress on the heart, hit simultaneously by a double fire, the virus and the heat together”. How to protect yourself? No to ‘do it yourself’ supplements, yes to cool showers and drinking water even if you are not thirsty, the specialist reminds us.
Who is at greater risk?
The people most at risk are the frail, such as the elderly, children and chronically ill, already vulnerable to heat and Covid individually. “Scientific literature – analyzes Trimarco – has already documented that extreme heat represents a risk for the heart, causing chest pain, heart attacks and sudden death. When it is too hot, a reduction in blood pressure values can occur due to the dilation of blood vessels and the loss of fluids with profuse sweating that increases the risk of dehydration. In some patients, however, an opposite effect occurs and blood pressure can increase suddenly and uncontrollably. Among the most common symptoms can appear tachycardia, palpitations, dizziness and shortness of breath”.
For its part, Covid is also associated with symptoms common to those triggered by the heat, such as asthenia, brain fog, shortness of breath and headaches. “Furthermore – the cardiologist highlights – we know that Covid-19 triggers a series of inflammatory processes that affect endothelial cells, i.e. the cells that line the inside of the heart and blood vessels. Among the effects produced are oxidative stress, inflammation, alteration of the heartbeat, compromised ability to pump blood and oxygen to other tissues. Studies suggest that people with Covid, compared to those who are not infected, run a 55% greater risk of suffering a serious cardiovascular event such as heart attack, stroke or death. They are also more likely to experience other heart problems such as arrhythmias or myocarditis, i.e. inflammation of the heart muscle”.
The remedies
To avoid the effects of the heat-Covid combo, countermeasures are needed. Which ones? “No to ‘do-it-yourself’ supplements, yes to cool showers or baths and to ‘planned’ water consumption: that is, commit to drinking at least a litre and a half of water during the day even if you don’t feel thirsty”, recommends Trimarco.
“Tiredness and weakness, symptoms common to Covid and excessive heat – observes the cardiologist – can lead to stocking up on supplements. But the vast majority are useless, at least against Covid. A study that we published in the journal ‘eClinicalMedicine’ promotes a mix of natural substances, composed of arginine and vitamin C. Arginine is an amino acid naturally produced by the body, which stimulates the production of nitric oxide, a key substance for correct vascular function. Vitamin C, on the other hand, thanks to a nanotechnology that optimizes its absorption without side effects, antagonizes oxidative stress and improves vascular remodeling with beneficial effects on cardiac function and a cascade on the entire organism”.
Other tips: avoid going out if you are positive for Covid, both to avoid infecting others and to keep yourself away from the heat outside; keep the house cool, using the night air to cool it, and during the day using shutters or blinds and turning off as many electrical devices as possible; use light and loose clothing and sheets; avoid sugary, alcoholic or caffeinated drinks that can worsen symptoms and interact with medications in use.
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