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HowToPreventHeartDisease.com |
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Why Is The Heart Stressed During December Festive Holiday? When one has heart attack, it is crucial for him or her to receive timely medical treatment in order to stay alive. This is because there is a relatively short window of opportunity for doctors to save the heart muscle. Yet too often, people even those who had already been diagnosed with heart disease might initially take chest pain as indigestion or heartburn. As suggested by research, heart attack victims would even more reluctant to rush to a hospital emergency room as they afraid of disrupting a holiday gathering. In United States, December and January have been identified as the deadliest months for heart attack. Rich meals, more alcohol and the extra stress during festive season are cited as culprits. Nevertheless, it varies widely across the country each year. For example, some hospitals noticed an upswing in heart attack begins on Thanksgiving weekend, which falls on the last Thursday in November while others saw a surprise spike on the weekend before Thanksgiving. In fact, a study conducted in 2004 confirmed that there are peaks in death coinciding around the Christmas and New Year's holidays in United States. Naturally, there are many factors that could make someone risking of a heart attack during this busy time of year.
It is not uncommon for busy revelers to skip or forget their medications when they travel to their relatives’ or friends’ house. Or they simply cannot get refills far from home. During festive season, people tend to take heavy meals especially those in high fat. During digestion, their hearts will certainly be stressed and their blood pressure and heart rate increase simultaneously. Evidence also showed that the lining of arteries become temporarily more clot-prone. Meals eaten during festive holidays are usually rich in salt. This has an even more immediate effect of causing fluid retention that in turn makes the heart to pump harder. Alcohol, something that can never be missed in the parties, is considered heart-healthy when consumed in moderation. However, excessive consumption of it will make the heart pump harder in order to get blood to peripheral arteries. The worst is the occurrence of what is known as ‘holiday heart syndrome’ where alcohol irritates the heart muscle to trigger an irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation. Such event might cause a stroke if it goes unchecked for too long. The year-end holiday season is usually cold and darkness falls earlier. This would give people good excuse to skip their regular exercise. Upon interruption, it will take months to build up to pre-holiday exercise habits. Cold weather can constrict blood vessels, and the extra exertion of snow shoveling can actually cause heart attack. Meanwhile, winter will usually cause a rise in respiratory diseases putting further burden on a stressed heart. Last but not least, delay in treatment does play a role too. During holidays, medical staffs also have to celebrate with their families or friends. As such, hospitals may be short-handed thus increasing the time required to diagnose a heart attack and start clearing the blocked artery.
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