Why You Need to Stay Heart
Smart During the Holidays
Michelle Underwood, MBA, BSN, RN, CEN
Division Vice President
Emergency | Trauma | Surgical Services
Medical City Healthcare
“I only eat like this around the holidays.”
“I don’t drink very often, but there are so many social func-
tions this time of year.”
“I thought it was just heartburn. I didn’t want to make a fuss
and ruin everyone’s good time.”
Any of these sound familiar? They do to virtually every
ER doctor in the United States, some of whom coined the
term “Christmas coronary” to describe the more than 30%
increase in heart attacks and heart-related problems that
occur in the winter — specifically on Christmas, the day
after Christmas and on New Year’s Day. Another name
doctors use for this trend is holiday heart.
That’s because many Americans celebrate the holidays with
sudden binges of alcohol and food that puts added stress
on weakened hearts. To make matters worse, they’re more
inclined at this time of year to ignore or mistake the warning
signs of heart attack.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both
men and women in the United States. Someone has a
heart attack every 43 seconds. And holiday heart doesn’t
discriminate — the increase in heart incidents holds true
across all ages and genders and can manifest in young
people as dangerous heart rhythms. Left untreated, it can
lead to more serious conditions, including atrial fibrillation
(AFIB), stroke and diabetes.
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To reduce the risk of holiday heart attacks:
• Keep calm. Manage emotional stress and avoid
anger.
• Stay well. Get a flu shot and wash hands
frequently to prevent cold and flu.
• Eat right. Avoid food and alcohol binges, and
select healthier food choices to reduce sodium.
Drink plenty of water.
• Keep moving. Continue normal exercise routines
to maintain cardiovascular health and ward off
weight gain. When engaging in outdoor activities,
dress warmly, go slowly, rest often and listen to
any warning signs your body is providing.
• Mind the time. Stay on schedule with prescription
medications, and if traveling, be sure to carry
enough for the trip (in original prescription
bottles) plus a few extra in case of delays.
• Stay warm. Dress in layers for the weather and
avoid heavy physical exertion in the cold.
The best thing about the holidays is being healthy to enjoy
them. So have fun, enjoy time with friends and family and
stay heart smart.
Know the symptoms of a heart attack and call 911
immediately if you experience:
• Pain or discomfort in the chest, arms or shoulders.
• Shortness of breath.
• Feeling lightheaded, weak or faint.
• Heartburn, nausea or vomiting.
• Unusual fatigue.
6 stressors associated with holiday heart attacks:
• Overindulging in alcoholic beverages, rich foods
and higher salt consumption increases blood
pressure and water retention, putting additional
strain on the heart. So does the 1- 2 pounds (on
average) Americans gain during the holidays.
• Cold weather strains the heart by constricting
blood vessels and increasing blood pressure and
making blood clot more easily.
• Sudden strenuous outdoor activity in extremely
cold weather, such as shoveling ice and snow,
trudging through snow drifts or sledding with the
kids, causes a spike in demand on the heart.
• Skipping or not taking medications on time
•
can have dire consequences for people taking
insulin or other medications for chronic conditions.
Entertaining, social functions and travel can disrupt
regular exercise and medication routines.
Greater emotional stress and disrupted sleep
during the holidays can weaken the immune
system, making you more susceptible to colds and
flu. Serious infections and fever can damage the
heart muscle.
Delaying treatment for symptoms of a heart
attack so as not to disrupt holiday activities is
never a good idea. Every second counts to save a
life and prevent damage to heart tissue.
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