Can "staying in bed" for 5 minutes protect blood vessels? There's a new reason not to get up in winter...

Recently, a piece of news that "staying in bed for 5 minutes" in the winter morning can protect blood vessels and is more beneficial to health has become a hot topic, sparking heated discussions among netizens.

Can staying in bed longer really protect blood vessels? How should we protect blood vessels and stay away from vascular diseases? Let’s discuss them one by one today.

Can staying in bed for 5 minutes in winter protect your blood vessels?

In winter, when the alarm goes off in the morning, do you feel reluctant to get out of your warm bed? Yes. We all want to "stay in bed for a while". But do you know? "Sleeping in bed" may have benefits.

Winter is the peak season for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, especially in the early morning. When the human body is sleeping, the heartbeat and blood flow will slow down, and the blood pressure will rise in the early morning. If you get up too violently, the blood supply of the human body cannot keep up with your rhythm of getting up, which may cause postural hypotension, syncope, palpitations and other discomforts. In severe cases, it may cause aortic dissection or pulmonary embolism. Those who have no experience in this can try to feel the feeling of standing up suddenly after squatting for a long time, which is a bit similar.

Therefore, in the winter mornings, before we get up, we can move slowly in bed for 5 minutes, move our wrists, flex and stretch our ankles, contract our calf muscles, stretch in bed, stretch our body, and then slowly sit up to prepare for a new day.

What is vascular disease? What are its types?

There are two main types of serious diseases that are prone to occur in the mornings in winter: brain diseases and chest diseases.

Brain disease, generally known as stroke, is divided into cerebral infarction and cerebral hemorrhage, both of which are relatively serious conditions. If you find it difficult to speak in the morning, have difficulty in limb movement, drooling, etc., or have a severe headache, then you may have a stroke. At this time, it is recommended to contact 120 for transfer to the nearest hospital to diagnose the condition and give appropriate treatment.

Chest disease may be heart or lung disease. The common symptom is chest pain. The three most serious life-threatening diseases are myocardial infarction, aortic dissection and pulmonary embolism. If you have severe chest pain in the morning, it is also recommended to contact 120 and transfer to the nearest hospital. Most hospitals now have emergency chest pain centers that can provide green channel diagnosis and treatment. If there is nitroglycerin at the bedside, you can take one tablet at home as a temporary emergency treatment.

These two categories of diseases are serious diseases that can cause death or disability. Time is life. If they occur, it is recommended to go to the nearest hospital for treatment as soon as possible. At this time, work and school matters will take a back seat.

What are the signs of vascular disease?

Common vascular diseases are generally divided into two categories: occlusive diseases and dilatative diseases.

1. Occlusive disease:

Wherever the blood vessels are blocked, there will be corresponding symptoms. We have a lot of blood vessels all over our body. If you feel uncomfortable anywhere, you can go to the hospital for a color ultrasound examination.

2. Expansive disease:

Normally, you won't feel anything, but dilatation disease is like a "time bomb" that can break out in an instant, with very serious consequences. It is a common fatal disease. The most famous celebrity is Einstein, who died of a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm. This type of disease can only be discovered through hospital examinations, and regular annual physical examinations generally do not include corresponding examinations.

How to protect blood vessels?

Quit smoking! Quit smoking! Quit smoking! It’s important to say it a hundred times.

A small part of vascular disease is determined by genes, but a large part is caused by bad living habits as we age. We cannot control aging or turn back the clock on our youth, but we can only develop good living habits to protect our blood vessels.

Quit smoking and limit alcohol consumption, control blood pressure, control blood sugar, control blood lipids, do not stay up late, maintain a regular work and rest schedule, eat more fruits and vegetables, do more aerobic exercises such as running and swimming, and protecting our blood vessels is to protect our lives.

Expert of this article: Fang Jie, Associate Chief Physician, Vascular Surgery Center, Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences

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