The doctor named the main threats to the heart in the cold

Frost and sudden temperature changes create additional stress on blood vessels and the heart. Rimma Muradyan, a family doctor, internist, and gastroenterologist at the GMS clinic, told Izvestia about this on February 20.

The expert explained that frost poses a threat not only to patients with identified pathologies, but also to outwardly healthy people. When the temperature drops, the vessels constrict to retain heat, which leads to an increase in blood pressure and an increased pulse rate.

According to the therapist, in the cold, the heart has to work harder to push blood through the narrowed vessels. If there are hidden disorders in the body, such a load can provoke serious complications. Sudden temperature changes during constant transitions from a warm room to the street are particularly dangerous, as the cardiovascular system is forced to repeatedly adapt to new conditions, the doctor added.

"You should be especially attentive in the morning. In the morning, any person's blood pressure naturally rises slightly — this is how the body works. If you jump out into the cold immediately after waking up, and you're late, nervous, and walking fast, the strain on your heart is very serious. It is no coincidence that doctors fix the most problems in the morning hours," Muradyan noted.

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Everyday tasks, such as snow removal or a quick step in heavy winter clothes, create additional pressure on the heart. In addition, the doctor warned against using alcohol to warm up and stressed the danger of independently changing drug dosages.

"Alcohol dilates blood vessels, creating a feeling of warmth, but the heat leaves the body faster. As a result, you don't get warm, but on the contrary, you freeze more, plus your heart gets an extra load," Muradyan warned.

To maintain heart health in winter, Muradian recommended regular blood pressure monitoring and strict adherence to prescribed therapy. It is important to maintain moderate physical activity, while avoiding sudden overloads in the frosty air. It is also necessary to limit salt intake and completely abandon alcoholic beverages as a means of warming up, she concluded.

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And in Chukotka and Yakutia, the temperature will be 25 degrees above normal.

Mikhail Krynin, a surgeon and orthopedic traumatologist at the St. Andrew's Hospitals NEBOLIT clinic network, said on February 9 that with the onset of cold weather, the risk of frostbite on the hands and feet increases, in order to minimize the consequences, it is important to know several key rules of first aid. He noted that with mild frostbite, you should enter a warm room as soon as possible, and your hands or feet should be immersed in lukewarm water, gradually increasing its temperature.

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