Today marks the first snow storm for the Watertown area. It may look beautiful, but the snow is heavy and can be hazardous to your health. The American Heart Association gives these tips for the winter:
- Take frequent breaks.
- 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. The act of lifting heavy snow can raise blood pressure acutely during the lift. It is safer to lift smaller amounts more times, than to lug a few huge shovelfuls of snow. When possible, simply push the snow.
- Don’t drink alcoholic beverages before or immediately after shoveling. Alcohol may increase a person’s sensation of warmth and may cause them to underestimate the extra strain their body is under in the cold.
- Be aware of 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
Even if you’re not sure it’s a heart attack, have it checked out. Minutes matter! Don’t wait more than five minutes to call 9-1-1. Prairie Lakes Cardiology team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. With an on-site cath lab and a team of highly trained clinical staff and physicians, Prairie Lakes is equipped to handle any heart care emergency.
Even if you’re not sure it’s a heart attack, have it checked out. Minutes matter! Don’t wait more than five minutes to call 9-1-1. Prairie Lakes Cardiology team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. With an on-site cath lab and a team of highly trained clinical staff and physicians, Prairie Lakes is equipped to handle any heart care emergency.
A study by the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions found patients benefit most when blood flow is restored to the heart within 90 minutes of a heart attack. According to the National Cardiovascular Data Registry, Prairie Lakes does this in half that time, on average. In addition, Prairie Lakes' quality outcomes consistently exceed the 95th percentile.