Know the symptoms and tips to prevent a holiday heart attack.
The Doctor Oz Show featured a story on holiday heart attacks, citing that heart disease related deaths increase 5% during the holidays with the most heart attacks occurring on Christmas Day, the day after Christmas and New Year’s Day.
Dr. Oz offers six tips to help prevent a holiday heart attack:
1. Give Peace a Chance – Reduce stress related high blood pressure and heart rate by bringing a little peace back into the holiday planning and preparation time. Arrange to exchange fewer gifts, buy more prepared holiday meal dishes, and talk with close friends or family members if you begin to feel the pressure building.
2. Get In The Spirit With Fewer Spirits – The chemicals in alcohol may irritate the heart muscle, which can cause an irregular heart beat and lead to stroke, heart failure and heart attack. Enjoy the holiday season while keeping alcohol at a minimum.
3. Pare Down That Platter – High fat meals can reduce the space for blood to flow through the arteries, therefore rendering your arteries less effective at pumping blood through the body. Opt for more vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins while enjoying the high-fat richer foods in moderation.
4. Beware The Open Fire – Wood smoke contains toxins that could damage the arteries and cause respiratory problems that add stress to the heart muscle. Limit the number of fires and ensure proper ventilation.
5. Stay On Track –People get busy during the holidays causing them to miss medications and skip their regular exercise routine. Remember to pack medications and your athletic shoes when you travel and maintain your normal activity level.
6. Know When To Get Help – Do not immediately discount discomfort or pain as indigestion. Be aware of the symptoms of a heart attack and call 911 or get to the nearest emergency room if the symptoms are present.
Heart attack symptoms:
• Pain or discomfort in the center of the chest that may feel like pressure, squeezing or fullness.
• Pain in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
• Shortness of breath
• Sweating and exhaustion
• Nausea and dizziness
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Comments
Good advice,I never thought of that, guess I never looked at the stats before, but it does make sense. It's good to see the heart attack symptoms printed out, that makes a better impression,something to think about.
Perfect timing on this article. With the recent case in the news I think a lot of people need to be aware of heart attack risks. This is suppose to be a joyous part of the year! Great tips
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