Shoveling snow..Does it cause a heart attack?
Science suggests that shoveling snow can be dangerous, as research has shown that it may put pressure on the heart and is associated with increased blood vessel injury, especially after heavy snowfalls. One study showed that from 1990 to 2006 about 195,000 people in the United States were treated in emergency rooms for injuries and medical emergencies caused by snow shoveling. Of these, 6.7% were heart-related, including all 1,647 deaths.
“Shoveling snow puts excessive pressure on the heart, while at the same time affecting blood flow with the cold, leading to heart attacks and sudden death every year,” said Barry Franklin, a spokesman for the American Heart Association. “In my opinion, this is the most dangerous activity people can do,” he added. Shoveling snow is primarily a vigorous exercise for your arms, and exercising the upper extremities is more strenuous and puts more stress on your heart than exercising, explained Franklin, who is also a professor and director of preventive cardiology and cardiac rehabilitation at Corwell Health at William Beaumont University Hospital in Michigan. The lower limbs. You stand largely still, which can cause blood to pool in your lower extremities, deprive your heart of oxygenated blood, and have a tendency to hold your breath when stressed, which results in a disproportionately high heart rate and blood pressure, Franklin explained. He said the cold air can cause blood vessels to constrict, limiting blood flow to the heart and raising blood pressure.
Stephen Brooks, MD, chief of emergency medicine at the Cleveland Clinic at Akron General Hospital, said he doesn't typically see heart attacks associated with snow shoveling, but every winter, people — mostly men — come to the emergency room with chest pains. “People often think the snow is very light and fluffy until they go out and start shoveling it,” he added.
Experts say that those who are 40 and older, or have risk factors such as diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol and high blood pressure, or who smoke or live a sedentary lifestyle, should think twice before shoveling snow. Experts warn that those with a history of cardiovascular problems, including chest pain, heart disease or previous heart attacks, or those who have undergone procedures such as angioplasty or bypass surgery, should not do so.
What you need to know is that snow removal is hard work. In a 1995 study, 10 healthy men, with an average age of 32.4 years, shoveled snow for 10 minutes, averaging 12 lifts per minute and at a rate of 16 pounds per load of snow. “By calculations, middle-aged and older people shoveling heavy, wet snow might move about 2,000 pounds in 10 minutes,” said Franklin, the lead author of that study. “This is the weight of a medium-sized car.”
So, if you're shoveling snow, experts suggest the following precautions:
– Warm up, pacing your breathing by sweeping in small portions at a time, and taking frequent breaks. drink a lot of water.
– Wear warm clothes, a hat and gloves, and cover your nose and mouth to avoid breathing cold air.
– Also move your legs to prevent blood from pooling in your lower extremities.
– Push the snow instead of lifting and throwing it. Some shovels are designed to push snow. Some even have wheels to make it easier.
If you start to feel dizzy, lightheaded, chest pain, or short of breath, stop immediately and go inside, Brooks says. If you experience chest pain that does not go away quickly when you stop shoveling, call 911 or have someone drive you to the emergency room to be evaluated.
Bottom line: Shoveling snow can be a dangerous chore, especially for those at higher risk. If you or your doctor is concerned about your heart's ability to handle this task, ask someone else to do it.
Lindsey Beaver
Washington Post health correspondent
Published by special arrangement with the Washington Post Leasing and Syndication Service.
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