Heart Health Heart Disease Living With 5 Cold Weather Precautions for People With Heart Disease By Richard N. Fogoros, MD facebook linkedin Richard N. Fogoros, MD, is a retired professor of medicine and board-certified internal medicine physician and cardiologist. Learn about our editorial process Richard N. Fogoros, MD Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Yasmine S. Ali, MD, MSCI on February 12, 2020 facebook twitter linkedin Yasmine S. Ali, MD, MSCI, is a board-certified preventive cardiologist and lipidologist. Dr. Ali is also an award-winning writer. Learn about our Medical Review Board Yasmine S. Ali, MD, MSCI on February 12, 2020 Print Verywell / Brianna Gilmartin If you have heart disease, staying healthy during cold weather presents special challenges. For those with coronary artery disease (CAD), cold temperatures can trigger episodes of cardiac ischemia (oxygen starvation of the heart muscle), causing episodes of angina or even heart attacks. For people who have heart failure, a rapid drop in environmental temperature can lead to a sudden worsening of symptoms, an increased risk of hospitalization, and even an increased risk of death. So, for anyone with heart disease, the onset of cold temperatures requires special precautions. Fortunately, these precautions generally fall into the category of common sense. Why Cold Temperatures Are Tough on the Heart Being in a cold environment causes our bodies to make certain physiological adjustments in order to preserve our core body temperatures. These normal adjustments can present a challenge to people with heart disease. Among other things, cold temperatures cause: Your heart rate to increase.Your blood pressure to increase.Your heart to work substantially harder.An increase in the propensity for blood clotting. Cold Weather Precautions for People With Heart Disease All of the above factors can lead to acute cardiac problems in somebody with heart disease. While everyone needs to take precautions when they are in a cold environment, precautions are especially important if you have a heart problem. So, follow these five tips: Limit your cold exposure. Limit the time you spend out in the cold weather, and if you go out, dress warmly, in several layers, cover your head and hands, and wear warm socks and shoes.Don’t exert yourself too much. As any EMT knows, shoveling snow is an excellent way for a person with heart disease to trigger a cardiac emergency, including angina, heart attacks, heart failure, and sudden death. Ambulance crews always make sure their vehicles’ gas tanks are full (and their defibrillators operative) if a snow storm is on the way. If you are going to shovel snow, do it when there’s an inch or less on the ground, use a smaller shovel, and push (rather than lift) the snow. Never shovel wet, heavy, or deep snow. Many cardiologists insist that their patients never shovel snow at all. Snow shoveling, of course, is not the only way to overexert yourself during the cold weather. Walking more rapidly than usual is common when the wind is blowing in your face. Just being out in the cold pushes us to exert ourselves.Don’t let yourself become overheated. Dressing warmly then engaging in physical activity can lead to overheating. Overheating, in turn, causes blood vessels to suddenly dilate—which can lead to hypotension (low blood pressure) in a person with heart disease. If you are out in the cold and you find yourself sweating, you are overheated. If you have heart disease, consider this sweating to be a danger sign. Stop what you are doing and get indoors.Get a flu shot. Winter also raises your chances of getting the flu due to low humidity brought on by cold weather and indoor heating. The flu is potentially dangerous in anyone with heart disease. Get a flu shot. And if you feel yourself developing symptoms of the flu, talk to your doctor before medicating yourself.Don't drink alcohol. Avoid alcohol before going outdoors. It expands blood vessels in the skin, making you feel warmer while actually drawing heat away from your vital organs. A Word From Verywell Cold temperatures cause physiological stress on anyone. If you have heart disease, cold temperatures can be dangerous or even life-threatening. Make sure you take the common-sense precautions that can reduce your risk if you are in a cold environment. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Did you know the most common forms of heart disease are largely preventable? Our guide will show you what puts you at risk, and how to take control of your heart health. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Meyer P, Guiraud T, Curnier D, et al. Exposure to extreme cold lowers the ischemic threshold in coronary artery disease patients. Can J Cardiol. 2010;26(2):e50–e53. doi:10.1016/s0828-282x(10)70007-6 Vanasse A, Talbot D, Chebana F, et al. Effects of climate and fine particulate matter on hospitalizations and deaths for heart failure in elderly: A population-based cohort study. Environ Int. 2017;106:257–266. doi:10.1016/j.envint.2017.06.001 Cardio Partners. Are you and your heart ready for the frigid depths of winter? Published January 30, 2019. Nichols RB, McIntyre WF, Chan S, et al. Snow-shoveling and the risk of acute coronary syndrome. Clinical Research in Cardiology. 2012;101:11-15. 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