Snow Shoveling and Heart Attacks

 

The American Heart Association (AHA) is concerned about the risk of a heart attacks while shoveling snow this season. Individuals at a higher risk are those who are sedentary or have existing heart conditions, such as heart failure, high blood pressure, or cholesterol. The following are some helpful tips.

Give yourself a break. Take frequent rest breaks and pay attention to how your body feels while shoveling to not overstress your heart. 

Don’t eat a heavy meal prior or soon after shoveling. Eating a large meal can put an extra load on your heart.   

Use a small shovel or consider a snow thrower. Lifting heavy snow can raise blood pressure. It is safer to lift smaller amounts more times, than to lug huge shovelfuls of snow. When possible, simply push the snow.

Learn the heart attack warning signs. Even if you’re not sure it’s a heart attack, have it checked out (tell a doctor about your symptoms). Minutes matter! Fast action can save lives. Don’t wait more than five minutes to call 9-1-1.

Don’t drink alcoholic beverages before or immediately after shoveling. Alcohol may increase a person’s sensation of warmth and cause them to underestimate the extra strain placed on their body by the cold.

Consult a doctor. If you have a medical condition, don’t exercise on a regular basis, or are middle-aged or older, discuss the safety of shoveling with your doctor.

Know the dangers of hypothermia. Heart failure causes most deaths in hypothermia. To prevent hypothermia, dress in layers of warm clothing, which traps air between layers forming a protective insulation. Wear a hat because much of your body’s heat can be lost through your head. 

Heart attack warning signs. Some heart attacks are sudden and intense, but most start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. Often people affected aren’t sure what’s wrong and wait too long before getting help. Signs can include chest discomfort that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back; uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach; shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort; and breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea, or lightheadedness. In addition to all of these symptoms, women, more often than men, may also experience shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and back or jaw pain.

How you can help if you think someone is having a heart attack. First, call 9-1-1 and start CPR right away. Then, if an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is available, use it as soon as possible. If two people are available to help, one should begin CPR immediately while the other calls 9-1-1 and finds an AED. Hands Only CPR is effective in saving lives during cardiac arrest. Hands-Only CPR has just two simple steps. If you see a teen or adult suddenly collapse, call 9-1-1; and push hard and fast in the center of the chest to the beat of the disco song “Stayin’ Alive” (100 beats per minute) until help arrives.

To learn more about CPR or find a local class, visit www.heart.org/CPR .