Elderly woman at home with heart pain holding her chest
It’s not just spending that goes up around the holidays, so does your risk of a heart attack.
More heart attacks occur during the last week of December, between Christmas and New Year’s Day, than any other time of year, according to research published in the American Heart Association journal, Circulation.
Cardiologist Dr. Bryan Smith sees it firsthand.
“We see a significant increase in the amount of people coming to the ER with chest pain and with actual heart attacks,” Smith, who works at the University of Chicago Medical Center, said.
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Smith said there isn’t one definitive reason why, but a multitude of factors, including changes in diet and exercise.
“We're eating unhealthy food. We're drinking more than usual and we're not paying attention to our bodies as much, so this creates this perfect storm where we see this increased risk of having a cardiovascular event,” he said.
With all the holiday hustle, people who aren’t feeling well may dismiss it or delay care. That’s why the American Heart Associations said it’s important to know the signs of a heart attack.
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Symptoms include:
-chest pain or discomfort
-shortness of breath
-lightheadedness, nausea or vomiting
-jaw, neck or back pain
-discomfort or pain in arm or shoulder
“Women tend to have more subtle symptoms. So women may say that they don't feel right, they may feel a little nauseous, that may feel a little bit of fatigue,” Smith said.
To avoid the emergency room, Smith said you should stick to your routines, including exercise.
“Grab your family and friends and say, 'Let's do this activity together.' I think it's really important to do that. But at the same time, as we're having your holiday dinners and holiday cookies, just make sure to enjoy in moderation,” Smith said.
With snow in the forecast, know that shoveling can be the equivalent of giving your heart a stress test.
“If you're someone who sits on the couch for much of the year, and you go out and try to shovel snow, you're putting a lot of strain on your heart. And we do see a number of patients who have heart attacks every year as a result of just shoveling snow in the driveway,” Dr. Smith said.
If you are inactive or have had heart issues before, doctors say you should ask for help clearing the snow away to avoid the hospital this holiday season.
