Severe heat conditions and higher temperatures have been consistently noticeable globally since the beginning of summer. This unusually high temperature may possess many harmful effects on physical health, cognitive ability, and mental wellness.
Although long vacations in summer are the best time for spending time outdoors with friends and family. But too much sun exposure causes many adverse effects on our health, such as:
Summer effect on our heart
When the temperature rises in our surroundings, our body gets rid of extra heat through sweating and circulating more blood to our skin to normalize body temperature. The circulation of more blood in our body puts extra work on our heart to pump more blood. Our heart circulates two to four times more blood per minute in hot weather than in the winter season. Higher body temperature compels our hearts to pump harder and beat faster to recirculate more blood to our skin and dissipate heat.
Summer effect on a person with heart conditions
A healthy human can reverse the heart’s extra pressure in summer by increasing water intake. But for people with cardiovascular conditions, hot and humid days can be grievously dangerous. A person suffering from a heart condition, especially one who previously had a heart attack, cannot pump enough blood to dissipate heat, increasing the risk of further heart issues and increasing heat effects on our body.
How can we lower the risk of heart issues and stay safe in summer?
Healthy people can tolerate this hot and humid environment with slight modifications in their lifestyle. But people with a heart problem or older persons face a hard time coping with unnecessary stress and may suffer from fatal conditions, such as heart attack or stroke. We can lower the risk of heart problems with the following modification in our lifestyle:
Try to restrict your intake of beverages that contain high sodium, sugar, or salty, as they are dangerous for your heart health.
You should not drink alcohol and caffeinated beverages, as they increase dehydration and put extra pressure on the heart to pump blood to neutralize dehydration and waste disposition.
With these simple modifications in our lifestyle, we can prevent many evitable heart problems. But, if you experience any symptoms, such as dizziness, muscle cramps, headache, nausea, or chest discomfort, immediately seek medical attention.
If you have any queries about your medication or what to do or can’t do, ask your healthcare provider, and enjoy the summer.
Dr. Anand Pandey, Director & Senior – Cardiology, Dharamshila Narayana Superspeciality Hospital, Delhi
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