Not to dampen your holiday spirit but did you know that the rate of heart attacks nationwide goes up by 5% during the holidays?
According to the American Heart Association it’s a collection of factors that lead to the increase.
Not only do we all eat, drink and smoke more during the holidays, we exercise less and we stress a lot more. That stress comes in all forms from finances, to family and from shopping to traveling. Plus, the cold temperatures of winter push high blood pressure up even more.
“There are a lot of contributing factors for cardiac issues in the winter. But it’s always worse during the holiday weekends,” said Keven Romero, Vice President of Operations for REMSA. “On an average night we have about 200 calls. Over the holiday weekend we are expecting about 350 a night.”
He adds that they will have 80% of their staff working during the weekend and he offered some advice.
“There are some simple solutions like consuming in moderation, and trying to remember to get a little exercise in. But too much really stressful exercise like shoveling snow can be harmful,” he said.
And the experts say pay close attention to how you’re feeling. Because if you have any symptoms, they say you are always better off calling for help. This is one of those cases where you seriously are better safe than sorry.
“Some people confuse heart attacks with heart burn. If you even feel a little off you should always call the paramedics. We carry all the drugs that are used initially in an emergency room and we can be the difference in you being here for the holidays next year.”
