Why do the risks of heart failure increase during the winter season?

Dr.Amit Pendharkar, 4 mins read

Several studies have found that during the winter, hospitalized and heart failure patients have a greater mortality risk. This is due to the fact that a rapid drop in temperature causes a range of physiological changes, many of which aggravate the condition.

Early treatment, as well as treatment schedules, lifestyle adjustments, and regular check-ups with a cardiologist, can help manage heart failure. Conditions such as chest infections, increased heart rate, and blood pressure rise during the winter season, which increases the workload of the heart and this becomes more important in a diseased heart. The low temperature can cause blood vessels to constrict and restrict blood flow, putting additional strain on the heart. Therefore, if heart patients are treated on time, they can reap significant benefits, particularly during the winter season.

What are the risk factors associated with Heart Failure in winter?

The winter chills can be difficult to deal with during the winter. When the temperature drops, the body has to work twice as hard to regulate heat, which strains the heart's function. For someone who is already a heart patient or has a history of heart attacks, the risk can be quite high. The body's oxygen requirements increase during the winter season. With vasoconstriction already in place, less oxygen reaches the heart, increasing the risk of a heart attack.

Some of the risk factors of heart failure are mentioned below:-

1. High blood pressure: Cold weather can cause fluctuations in blood pressure and an increase in heart rate. As a result, it may necessitate hospitalization in patients with heart failure.
2. Air Pollution: Smog and pollutants tend to accumulate close to the ground during the winter, increasing the risk of chest infections and shortness of breath. Shortness of breath is common in heart failure patients, and pollutants can exacerbate their symptoms, leading to hospitalization in severe cases.
3. Perspiration loss: Lower temperatures cause less sweating. As a result, the body may be unable to eliminate excess water, causing fluid to accumulate in the lungs and worsening heart function in patients with heart failure.
4. Vitamin D deficiency: Vitamin D prevents scar tissue formation in the heart, which prevents a reduction in heart function after Heart-attack. Low vitamin-D levels in the winter increase the risk of heart failure due to a lack of proper sunlight exposure.

How to keep your heart healthy in winter?

The 'winter effect' awareness should encourage patients and their families to pay closer attention to heart failure symptoms and manage the condition with appropriate medication and lifestyle changes. Patients with heart failure and those with pre-existing heart conditions should be especially cautious during the winter season, and should make the following arrangements:

• Visit your cardiologist on a regular basis and monitor your blood pressure.
• Reduce your salt and water intake because we don't sweat much in the winter season
• Heart patients should exercise every day; however, in extreme cold or heat, indoor workouts are recommended.
• Even if you are feeling well, don't forget to take or skip your medications.
• Protect yourself from diseases like cold, cold, and flu in the winter season.
• Patients with diabetes, hypertension, heart ailment, and respiratory ailment should take flu shots.

Some other tips to reduce the risk factors and stay safe:

Heart attacks can be dangerous and necessitate immediate medical attention at any age. With a higher risk during the winters and already high pollution levels, it's even more important to take the right approach, stay on the right track of health, and keep heart diseases at bay. Here are a few expert-recommended ways to keep your heart in good working order:

• Make sure you are properly dressed - A change in the weather may increase your chances of becoming ill quickly. If you are at risk, dress appropriately and cover yourself in layers appropriate for the weather. It's also a good way to deal with the seasonal issues that cause pollution levels to rise.
• Maintain your physical activity level- Find alternative ways to exercise if the cold weather is making you afraid to go outside. Regular physical activity and exercise help to boost your immunity, regulate your body temperature, and keep you fit. Home workouts, heart-healthy aerobic moves, yoga, and meditation can also help.

The Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery department is outfitted with cutting-edge technology and state-of-the-art infrastructure for Interventional Cardiology and Cardiac Surgeries, both adult and paediatric. Our Cardiologists are highly experienced and are trained in performing minimally invasive valve replacement, key-hole surgery, beating heart coronary artery bypass grafting, and awake Cardiac Surgery. Aakash Healthcare, Dwarka is best known for acute heart failure treatment.

If you are looking for the best heart hospital in Delhi or have any query related to right-sided heart failure treatment, diastolic heart failure treatment, or any other cardio vascular disease, book an appointment with us today and get an honest opinion on heart failure treatment. The department has the best cardiologists in Delhi and is trained in doing congestive heart failure surgery, chronic heart failure treatment, and congestive heart failure treatment among many other heart conditions.

Also Read: Heart Bypass Surgery