Heart patients need extra care after rain, snowfall

Rawalpindi : After the recent spell of rainfall in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi and snowfall on the mountainous region around, the mercury has registered a significant fall in the northern part of the country and according to health experts, it may cause serious complications among the patients suffering from cardiac problems, high blood pressure or coronary heart disease and diabetes.

Experts say that the chronic patients including heart patients must avoid exposure to extreme cold particularly from evening till morning because the severe cold affects blood pressure of both the healthy and the hypertensive people while disturbs functioning of a number of other body organs badly.

Majority of chronic patients particularly diabetics and heart patients are at risk of facing problems due to a sharp fall in temperature as it affects their diet and physical activities making them vulnerable to serious complications. When the temperature starts getting near to zero degrees Celsius, the inhalation of extreme cold air causes vasoconstriction of peripheral blood vessels posing serious threats to patients suffering from heart disease.

It is observed that every year after the setting in of extreme cold weather, the three allied hospitals in town along with Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology receive greater number of chronic patients suffering from heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes with complications. According to health experts, it is so because most of the patients are either unaware of the bad effects of cold weather on their health or they do not follow proper precautionary measures to avoid complications.

According to top cardiologists in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, the chances of heart attack increase especially in late hours of night in winter while the chances of complications also get higher among patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases. The most critical time for heart patients is night and in winter, the night gets longer and colder making it more serious for heart patients till 10 O’clock in the morning. Most of the deaths related to heart disease are reported from late night till morning in the colder months.

Experts say the patients suffering from CVDs must avoid exposure to extreme cold in winter as it affects the pumping power of the heart muscle in patients with symptomatic congestive heart failure.

Experts believe that it is a must for chronic patients to follow a proper routine after fall in mercury. Vasoconstriction, the narrowing of blood vessels as a result of contraction of the muscular wall of the vessels, has extreme bad effects on the health of patients with heart problems and hypertension as it may result in a significant rise in blood pressure.

Experts say that the patients who are suffering from heart disease or hypertension should stay at home at the time of extreme cold, early in the morning and at night particularly when they are in the northern part of the country. In case, a chronic patient has to stay outdoors in extreme cold, he must cover his nose properly with a warm cloth to avoid inhalation of extreme cold air.

Studies reveal that the main problem with cardiac patients and patients with high blood pressure in winter is that their bodies do not lose salts as happened in summer and it is so because most of these patients get physically inactive due to extreme cold weather. Majority of chronic patients do not go for a walk or follow any regular physical activity in extreme cold weather and it affects their health badly.

Experts say that patients suffering from heart disease, hypertension or diabetes should regularly go for a walk under sunshine, if possible at noon in winter. Being active is beneficial for the blood pressure, blood lipid levels, blood glucose levels, blood clotting factors, the health of blood vessels and inflammation. It is worth mentioning here that Pakistani population has one of the highest risks of coronary heart disease in the world. In Pakistan, 30 to 40 per cent of all deaths are due to cardiovascular diseases (CVD).

Experts suggest that chronic patients must visit their physicians after extreme fall in temperature to get proper advice particularly on preventive measures needed to avoid bad effects of cold weather conditions.