Do you notice that heart attacks seem to be more prevalent during the winter time and at the holidays? Is it really due mostly to stress? It certainly can play a part, but there are multiple factors that lead to heart attacks and strokes during the holidays. Preventing the holiday heart attack: what you should know.
The Perfect Storm
The time from Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year’s is the perfect storm of holiday heart attacks. Known as Holiday Heart Syndrome, more heart attacks occur during this time than during the warmer weather.
Cold weather increases your blood pressure and affects your heart. One factor to be aware of is atrial fibrillation. When you experience this, it feels like your heart is racing out of your chest and beating vigorously. You may feel short of breath and fatigued. This cardiac anomaly, or irregular heartbeat, can also result in a stroke. Stress at the holidays leads to anxiety and a release of epinephrine into the bloodstream which sometimes can cause a rapid or irregular heart beat.
If you experience this phenomenon, it would be wise to make an appointment with our board-certified cardiologists for an evaluation. Don’t wait until January to be checked out.
Holiday Excesses
Many of us throw “caution to the wind” and binge on unhealthy substances at the end of the year.
We stress our heart with the following:
- Excess salt from holiday dinners and fatty meals
- Excess caffeine from holiday coffee drinks causing the heart to race
- Excess alcohol consumption or binge drinking with caffeine contributing to dehydration
These particular holiday excesses are hard on our heart, and they can have significant negative consequences. Enlargement and weakness of the heart muscle, known as cardiomyopathy, is one result.
Symptoms of Holiday Heart Syndrome
Don’t wait to actually have a heart attack or stroke before doing something productive like visiting your primary care doctor, a cardiologist, or calling 911.
Note symptoms like:
- heart palpitations
- a slow or irregular heart beat
- a pause between beats
More serious signs include:
- weakness
- fainting
- sweating or breaking into a cold sweat
- shortness of breath
- lightheadedness
- nausea
- vomiting
- chest pain
New Jersey Cardiology Associates Can Assess Your Risk Factors
The following risk factors can all combine to make you more at risk for a heart attack or stroke at the holidays:
- smoking
- drinking alcohol to excess
- high blood pressure
- high cholesterol
- your age
- family history
- being overweight
- having diabetes
- lack of physical activity
Preventing the Holiday Heart Attack
Simplifying is the best medicine. Prevent the holiday heart attack by taking the following steps:
- Let others shovel snow.
- Get out in the sun when possible.
- Limit alcohol consumption.
- Try to maintain your weight by not overindulging.
- Limit your salt and caffeine intake.
- Drink lots of water.
- Get in some light exercise (indoors if possible).
- Avoid all the excesses that can come with the holiday seasons.
Schedule a Heart Attack Consultation in West Orange, NJ
Contact New Jersey Cardiology Associates at (973) 731-9442 if you have any of the risk factors for Holiday Heart Syndrome for a plan to make changes in the new year.
Sources: How to Prevent Holiday Heart Syndrome | Baystate Health
Mayo Clinic Minute: Recognizing ‘holiday heart’ – Mayo Clinic News Network