Is winter tough on the heart?

Heart awareness saves lives

Sizwe Motaung*, a 57-year-old teacher from Krugersdorp, felt a crushing pain in his chest soon after getting up one morning recently. Sizwe thought the pain wasn't much to be worried about but his wife Christina saw he was in some discomfort and insisted on taking him to hospital. As it turned out her caution was well placed as Sizwe had suffered from a mild heart attack. Her prompt action in getting Sizwe to a hospital may have saved his life.

As part of the Government Employees Medical Scheme's (GEMS) ongoing effort to educate our members and future members on a range of healthcare topics, we would like to share real life member stories with you and explore certain important healthcare issues. This article looks at the subject of heart failure in the winter months.

Studies suggest that more heart attacks occur in winter than any other season. There are thought to be a number of reasons for this, including the fact that the cold can increase blood pressure and the chances of blood clotting, improving an individual's chances of having heart failure or a stroke.

It is also thought that sudden exertion such as pushing a car or chopping wood may increase an individual's risk of a heart attack. One can suffer accidental hypothermia, which is when the body's temperature falls to below normal, and add strain to the heart. Another factor may be the fact that people tend to stay indoors, do less exercise and eat more unhealthy food during the colder months of the year. This may cause a rapid deterioration in their heart health.

What can you do?
What can one do to avoid becoming a heart attack victim in winter? Those who suffer from heart disease, and who are elderly, are advised to be extra cautious at this time. If the cold is thought to improve the chances of heart attack, then staying warm and dressing warmly should help one to reduce the risks. Much of our body temperature is lost through our head, so wear a woolly hat when you go out into the cold. Several layers of clothing can help make sure that you keep warm. Those who are not used to physical exercise, meanwhile, should avoid sudden exertion while out in the cold.

These are some of the precautions you can take that can help over the winter, but anyone who has heart disease should also visit their doctor and find out how they can control it over the longer term.

Know your risk factors
There are a number of risk factors for heart attacks. Knowing what your personal risk factors are can help you to take responsibility for your own health and take steps to reduce those risks. These risk factors include:

• Obesity healthy eating habits (low GI and low fat foods) can help you to overcome problems with your weight.
• Sedentary lifestyle - ask your doctor how you can go about getting regular exercise, which has great benefits for your health.
• High cholesterol can damage the blood system. Get yours tested.
• Diabetes needs to be well controlled to ensure it does not cause heart disease.
• High blood pressure needs to be brought under control.
• A family history of heart disease could suggest that you may have a problem with heart disease and should encourage you to get examined by your doctor.
• Smoking increases blood pressure and contributes to the development of heart disease. If you smoke you should stop immediately.

Recognise heart attacks
Those heart failure victims who can get good medical attention early have a better chance of surviving. Sizwe is fortunate that his wife had the presence of mind to get him to hospital when she became concerned that all was not well with him.

With this in mind, it is imperative that everyone can recognise the symptoms of a heart attack and seek medical help as soon as possible.

What are the signs?
The typical pain of heart attack presents itself as a central chest or abdominal discomfort, a squeezing, tightening, crushing or pressure like pain. The pain may radiate to the left shoulder, jaw, arm or hand. Be aware, however, that not everyone shows these symptoms. In the elderly and diabetics particularly, many patients say that they do not experience pain but rather have an abdominal or chest sensation accompanied by fatigue, shortness of breath, light-headedness, excessive sweating and/or nausea.

A good rule of thumb is, if the symptoms are as above and are new to the patient or are familiar but are now occurring with increasing severity or frequency, he or she should be urgently evaluated by a doctor.

It is as well to keep in mind that there are other medical conditions that may present themselves in a similar way to a heart attack. These include panic attacks, pneumonia, a pulled muscle and heartburn. So what if you are not sure whether you or a loved one is having a heart attack? Rather visit a medical facility and make sure as it is better to be safe than sorry.

In summary...
If you are concerned that you may suffer from heart disease or that your heart disease may not be controlled, visit your doctor. He or she will be able to give you advice on how to control the ‘silent killer', as heart disease is often called, and will treat you if necessary. Also do not ignore the signs and symptoms of a possible heart attack. Knowing them will allow you to be able to identify a heart attack if it occurs and perhaps even save a life.

If you would like to know how GEMS can assist you to obtain more information about any of your healthcare needs, you can contact the GEMS call centre on 0860 00 4367 or send an SMS to 083 450 4367. GEMS will assist you in every way possible to ensure your family's health and well-being.

Sources:
1. American Heart Association, ‘Cold weather and cardiovascular disease', www.americanheart.org.
2. Lower Blood Pressure, ‘Cold weather heart attack risk', www.lowerbloodpressurecheap.com.

*The member's name has been changed in order to protect his identity.