Heart attack is the major cause of death for men and women in the world. The risk of heart attack increases with age increases. But incidents of Heart Attacks in winter increases many folds. One person dies every 35 seconds in the United States from heart disease. Moreover, early morning hours heart attacks are deadlier and associated with a 20% more risk of death.
What is a Heart Attack?
A heart attack occurs when the blood supply to heart muscles is interrupted or blocked. It’s also called a myocardial infarction or MI. The blockage is most often due to the cholesterol deposits, plaques in arteries due to smoking, and narrowing of arteries. The Heart is supplied by 3 arteries called coronary arteries. A blocked coronary artery interrupts the blood supply to the part of the heart resulting in a heart attack.
Why Winter Causes Heart Attacks?
Winter causes narrowing of coronary arteries which is a major cause of heart attacks in winters. However, winter is not the only cause but it aggravates other factors and causes a heart attack.
Actually, peripheral blood vessels get constricted with the effects of winter. It causes a low blood supply to peripheral organs. As a result, the heart works harder to pump the blood to the peripheral vessels and maintain the blood supply.
This phenomenon increases both, heart rate and blood pressure. High blood pressure is one of the risk factors of a heart attack. If other risk factors are also involved like high blood sugar, high cholesterol and Obesity accelerate heart attack.
Why Early Morning Heart Attacks are Deadlier?
The sudden pressure of daily activities puts a strain and pressure on the cardiovascular system in the morning hours. Just after waking up, a few hormones are released like cortisol, which increases blood pressure, heart rate, and blood sugar levels. Moreover, narrowing of coronary increases risks further which causes heart attacks in the early morning and Brain Strokes.
On other hand, heart attacks can happen at any time because of new cultural shifts, work pressure, anxiety, peer pressure, and other stressors.
Other Risk Factors and Causes of Heart Attack in winter
Age and Gender
Women aged 55 years and Man 45 years or older are more prone to have a heart attack than the younger population. The risk of heart attack increases if other risk factors are involved. However, the risk of heart attacks increases in Young Adults too even in their twenties.
Smoking and Tobacco
Smoking either active or passive or any form of tobacco consumption leads to plaque formation in coronary arteries. Tobacco causes injury to the internal wall of the coronary artery and becomes a risk factor for heart attack.
Obesity and High Cholesterol
Obesity is linked with high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol. All these factors are contributing factors to coronary arteries. If you reduce the weight by 10% can reduce the risk of a heart attack.
Diabetes
High blood sugar itself is a leading cause of cardiovascular diseases. The risk of heart attack increases many folds if you are diabetic. A silent heart attack is the main feature of a heart attack in diabetic patients.
Lack of Physical Activity and Lack of Exercise
A sedentary lifestyle, lack of physical activities, and lack of exercise cause fat deposits in the body which leads to deposits of cholesterol in coronary arteries. Lack of physical activities increases heart rate. Narrowing of the arteries, cholesterol deposits, and high heart rate is the main cause of heart attacks.
Stress and Anxiety
Stress, anxiety, and other pressures such as work pressure, financial insecurities, and peer pressure release stress hormone which increases blood pressure.
Bad Dietary Habits increases Blood Pressure
A high salt diet, high-fat diet, processed food, fried food, and junk food are the culprit for high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and kidney diseases. All these factors lead to heart attack and other cardiovascular diseases.
Symptoms of Heart Attack
The symptoms of a heart attack include:
- Sharp Chest pain which may refer to Jaw, Shoulder or Arms
- Pressure and tightness in the chest.
- Squeezing and aching sensation in your chest
- Shortness of Breath
- Cold and profuse sweating
- Dizziness
- Nausea and indigestion
- Heartburn and abdominal pain
Watch this Video – Why Increasing Heart In Young Adults
What to Do if Someone Having a Heart Attack
If you see someone is unconscious and you believe that person is having a heart attack. Firstly, call for emergency medical help and then check if a person is breathing or not. If a person is breathing and has a pulse then make him lie in a lateral position. If no pulse or no breathing then start CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation). Push hard and fast on the person’s chest bone with 100 to 110 compression a minute.
