Climate
In low temperatures our blood vessels constrict to conserve heat
and maintain body temperature. This reduces the amount of room our blood has to move thereby increasing
our blood pressure and heart rate, and thickening the blood. For those who have narrowed arteries,
this may cause chest pains (angina) and increase the chances of blood clots forming in the arteries.
Blood clots can lead to a heart attack or stroke. Those with high blood pressure are at higher risk
of these complications.
If you do have to venture out be sure to wrap up warm with several layers of clothing.
Layers will help to trap heat and keep your body temperature stable, reducing strain on the heart. Our
extremities lose heat faster than the main part of our body and heat is lost the fastest through our head,
so keep your hands and feet warm and wear a hat. Do not drink alcohol in the cold weather.
View clothing
for extreme cold here
Exertion is obviously a potential threat fort hose with heart conditions and the cold
weather can cause you to overlook possible sources of exertion. Make sure to identify potential threats
such as shovelling snow or pushing a car. Simply walking in the snow can cause potentially dangerous
levels of exertion.
Very hot weather conditions can cause dehydration and heat exhaustion. If you have a
heart condition extreme heat may put an extra burden on your heart and circulation as heat and humidity
can upset the body’s natural cooling process.
Excessive perspiration results in a loss of bodily fluid which in turn reduces our total
blood volume. This means your heart has to pump even harder to get the smaller volume of blood to your
working muscles, skin and the other body parts. If too much fluid is lost, our internal body
temperature will rise and if left untreated this can be life threatening. It is therefore essential
that in hot and humid weather, to reduce the strain on your heart, you drink plenty of water, avoid
caffeine based and alcoholic beverages and wear light comfortable clothing.
Keep safe in the sun with all the essentials in our
Sun Shop
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water bottles in our Travel Superstore
Make sure you take out adequate travel insurance to cover your condition. Please visit
www.allcleartravel.co.uk