In winter, the heart has to go through five obstacles. How to win this battle?

For people with weak hearts, winter is a hurdle, because heart disease is prone to occur in winter, and the treatment effect after the disease is poor, and it may even be fatal. So how can we win the battle to protect our heart in winter?

The heart has to go through five difficulties in winter

Chen Xiu, chief physician of cardiothoracic surgery at the Rocket Force General Hospital: In winter, to prevent cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, our heart must overcome "five hurdles" in the cold winter.

Temperature

Studies have shown that in the cold winter season, the incidence of sudden heart attacks is two to three times higher than in other seasons. Due to the large temperature difference between indoors and outdoors and the dry climate, people's physiological functions react slowly and are often in a state of stress, which increases the load on the heart. For people with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, it can cause spasm of the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart, making the blood vessels that were originally narrowed due to atherosclerosis narrower, or even occlusion and plaque rupture, resulting in angina pectoris or myocardial infarction. Therefore, people with cardiovascular diseases must pay attention to keeping warm, especially protecting the head, hands, and feet. Wear gloves, hats, scarves, and coats when going out, scald your feet with hot water before going to bed, put on clothes when going to the bathroom at night, put hot water in the bath first, and take off clothes when the water temperature is suitable. Don't walk against the wind when the wind is strong and the temperature is dropping.

Sleep

High-quality sleep is equivalent to giving the heart enough electricity, and ensuring 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night is most beneficial to health. A survey in the United States shows that sleeping too long or too short will increase the risk of cardiovascular disease: for people who sleep less than 6.5 hours a day, the incidence of cardiovascular disease increases by 15%, and the incidence of coronary heart disease increases by 23%; for people who sleep more than 9 hours a day and have poor sleep quality, the incidence of cardiovascular disease increases by 63%.

Breathing

Respiratory tract infections are more prevalent in winter, which leads to a decrease in the oxygen exchange capacity of the lung tissue and easily induces acute myocardial infarction, sudden death, etc.

Adjusting medicine

Blood vessels follow the principle of "heat expansion and cold contraction". When the weather gets colder, blood vessels will contract more significantly, which will lead to increased blood pressure and significant fluctuations. The original drug dosage may not be able to control and manage blood pressure well. Therefore, when the weather changes drastically, people with cardiovascular diseases must not only take medication on time and in a standardized manner, but also adjust medications under the guidance of doctors according to climate changes. Do not adjust the dosage and type of medications at home at will to avoid accidents.

Sports

Persistent exercise can improve heart function. Don't lie still for a long time because of the cold weather. People with poor heart function should exercise after the sun comes out. The intensity of exercise should be appropriate and the time should be controlled within 1 hour. It is best to choose walking, jogging, Tai Chi and other exercises. In case of strong wind and cold weather, it is best not to go out for exercise. You can do some appropriate activities indoors.

How to win the winter heart protection battle?

Sun Hongtao, chief physician of the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery at the National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases and Fuwai Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences: The human cardiovascular system is very sensitive to changes in external temperature, so coronary heart disease is more common in winter. Coldness can stimulate the coronary arteries, causing them to spasm and contract easily. If the coronary arteries are already severely narrowed, the possibility of myocardial infarction increases. In addition, coldness can cause the body's peripheral blood vessels to contract, thereby increasing blood pressure, increasing the heart load, and increasing the incidence of myocardial ischemia and myocardial infarction.

It is worth noting that in winter, the temperature difference between day and night and between indoor and outdoor in northern China is large, and many elderly people in northern China have the habit of migrating to the south to avoid the cold. Since the human body's temperature regulation system has limited ability to handle emergencies, sudden temperature changes will bring about corresponding changes in the human body, such as increases in blood cholesterol, heart rate and platelet viscosity, which will reduce the body's immune ability. Therefore, large temperature changes within a day can cause heart attacks.

Hypertensive patients should pay special attention to taking antihypertensive drugs regularly in winter to avoid blood pressure fluctuations, increase myocardial oxygen consumption, and cause angina pectoris. It is recommended that when the temperature drops sharply and the seasons change, hypertensive patients must strengthen self-monitoring of blood pressure, pay close attention to blood pressure values, and be alert to sudden changes in blood pressure caused by changes in external temperature. If blood pressure values ​​rise sharply, seek medical attention in time and adjust the medication plan under the guidance of a doctor to avoid taking medication at will and causing danger.

For middle-aged and elderly people who plan to move from cold areas to warm areas for residence or leisure travel in winter, it is recommended that they undergo a comprehensive physical examination before departure. Those with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular occlusion or severe stenosis should follow the doctor's instructions.

Warm up your Tanzhong area every noon to prevent heart attacks in winter

Lv Peiwan, vice president of the Health Care Branch of the Henan Provincial Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine, recommends a small method to prevent heart attacks in winter. You may want to try it: after the beginning of winter (November 7), use an electric warmer to warm the Tanzhong acupoint for 15 to 30 minutes every day at noon, until the spring equinox of the following year. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the Tanzhong acupoint has the effects of regulating qi and activating blood circulation, widening the chest and benefiting the diaphragm, unblocking the heart meridian, and calming the mind.

The electric heater is usually charged for 5 minutes at a time. It can be placed in the quilt for continuous heat dissipation. When it is hot at the beginning, it should be wrapped with a towel. When the temperature drops slightly, it can be directly placed on the corresponding acupuncture points outside the pajamas. Generally, it is charged once a day and used up. The diameters of the electric heaters sold on the market are 9 cm, 12 cm, and 15 cm. It is recommended that you use the 12 cm one, which is more convenient to use and store.

It should be noted that if you feel uncomfortable in your heart when using the electric heating treasure, you must stop immediately. But if you feel uncomfortable as soon as you remove the electric heating treasure, you can continue to warm the acupoints. In short, when warming the acupoints, you should make sure that you feel comfortable and be careful to prevent burns.

In addition, people with poor heart conditions should also pay attention in winter. It is best to exercise after the sun comes out, preferably between 9 and 10 in the morning, to avoid the time period with the highest incidence from early morning to morning. Do not wash your face with cold water to avoid the sudden stimulation of cold water and induce angina pectoris. When washing clothes and vegetables, do not soak your hands in cold water for a long time. It is best to use warm water.

If you have a bad heart, start exercising from your lower limbs

Yuan Hua, attending physician of the Department of Cardiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine: Patients with heart disease should exercise from the bottom up, that is, start with lower limb exercise and then transition to upper limb exercise. Because when exercising the upper limbs, it is easier for blood to return to the heart, and only the heart beats and the chest inhalation movement are needed to generate negative pressure attraction. Therefore, once the upper limbs are over-exercised, it is easy to cause a large amount of blood to flow back to the heart, increasing the heart's oxygen consumption, and thus increasing the chance of cardiovascular events. This is not the case with lower limb exercise. On the one hand, due to the effect of gravity, and on the other hand, because the blood from the feet has a longer distance to return to the heart, and there is resistance from abdominal pressure during the return process, the blood in the feet needs to have enough pressure to return smoothly. Compared with upper limb exercise, less blood will flow back to the heart in a single action. Therefore, the chance of lower limb exercise inducing cardiovascular events is lower and relatively safer.

For heart patients with weak physical strength and in the recovery period, it is recommended to focus on endurance aerobic exercise, and walking is a good choice. Patients can walk freely or on a moving plank, with a speed of 80-100 meters per minute, and the target distance can be gradually increased to 2000-3000 meters. You can also do alternating walking and running exercises, walking for 1 minute and jogging for half a minute 20 times, for a total of 30 minutes, with a walking speed of 50 meters per minute, and a running speed of less than 100 meters per minute. After discharge or with good physical fitness, heart patients can also do the following in addition to the above exercises: 1. Squat and stand up. Squat with the help of a wall (or other objects), then stand up, 10 times per set, for a total of 3 sets. 2. Lie on your back and draw your legs. Lie on your back, place your hands on your sides, bend your knees, draw your legs toward your chest and abdomen, and stretch your legs, 10 times per set, for a total of 3 sets.

When doing the above lower limb exercises, the heart rate should be controlled within 180-age (years). For those over 60 years old or middle-aged and elderly people with weak constitution, it should be kept within 170-age (years). Each exercise should last 30-60 minutes, including 10-15 minutes of warm-up activities and 5-10 minutes of finishing activities (mainly slow walking). The actual exercise time is 20-30 minutes, at least 15 minutes, and exercise 3-4 times a week. After half a month to one month, you can gradually increase the coordination of upper and lower limb exercises, such as Tai Chi, health exercises, etc.

Moreover, exercise should be carried out under the guidance of a doctor, especially for those in the acute stage of severe illness, to avoid accidents; if you feel uncomfortable during exercise, stop immediately and seek medical attention if necessary; the amount of exercise should be gradual, starting with low intensity. The effect generally takes at least 6 weeks to appear. Once stopped, the effect will gradually disappear; after 1 to 2 months, go to the hospital for a follow-up examination and re-evaluate the exercise effect so that the doctor can improve the exercise prescription in time.