Cold weather and heart failure question

Idaho cold weather even makes the news here in the UK!

by LondonAndy - 2024-01-15 18:36:35

Your weather is famously cold! Because of the Primaries there, the fact the temperature is about -20C (to us who went metric - or about -4F I think) is in our news! For that reason I don't think I can give any useful advice: I thought it was bloody cold today at +1C (34F) here, and stayed out as little time as possible!

Wow, really LondonAndy?

by R2D2 - 2024-01-15 18:42:50

Our weather really made your news? That's impressive! Luckily for us, the super cold snaps don't last for any longer than a few days or a couple of weeks at best. I wish we would get more snow like we did when I was a kid living in Idaho. But I'm afraid climate change has other ideas. Or it's just the nature of things, either way, I miss being snowed in for days on end. 

Extremes of temperature with a heart condition or any health condition for that matter

by Gemita - 2024-01-16 04:49:15

Janene,  I know you love the snow, so do I, so how can we enjoy it "safely" with a heart condition or any other health condition without making ourselves ill?  Your chest pain probably has something to do with the fact that your heart has to work harder during cold weather to keep your body temperature up and all other areas properly functioning.  

It is not surprising that when it gets cold our bodies adjust to hold onto our core heat and stay warm. This adjustment can be harder for those of us with a heart condition. As the cold weather takes away our body heat, our hearts need to work harder to keep us warm.  Blood vessels will narrow so the heart can focus on pumping blood to our brain and other major organs. 

Cold temperatures can cause our heart rate/blood pressure to increase, our heart to work harder than usual, our blood to thicken, which in worst cases can lead to blood clotting. This can increase our risk of heart attacks and strokes. 

So is it any surprise that you are noticing worsening symptoms like chest pain during cold weather with heart failure, I don’t think so. 

I feel so cold in winter that I go out with five layers (top half:  thermal vest, warm blouse, two jumpers and a thick duffle coat, scarves and hat and on the bottom half, a pair of thermal leggings together with my thick Corduroy trousers, thick socks and boots.  I get a bit over warm on London transport though and I don't look particularly attractive but who cares.  What is important is to feel comfortable and warm and to stay well and pneumonia free!

Any extreme temperature changes can be dangerous for a heart condition, for example during hot weather our body has to work harder to keep its core temperature to normal levels, and this puts extra strain on the heart, lungs and kidneys. This means that you can be at greater risk if you have a heart condition. So it's particularly important to stay cool and hydrated since we will be losing fluids which could cause a major drop in blood pressure. 

So yes it does have something to do with the low EF, the cardiomyopathy, the congestive heart failure or any other health condition, but we can do something to help manage our symptoms during extreme weather conditions 

MASK UP

by docklock - 2024-01-16 11:03:05

If you have to be out in extreme cold, consider wearing a mask and a scrarf over it. It will pre-warm the air your lungs take in.  Extreme low cost and it works.

Gemita gives great advice about extreme temps both low and high. Me -- I just try and avoid exteme cold and look at it from the inside.