The cardiac surgeon warned about the danger of sudden entry into cold water

Sudden entry into cold water in hot weather can cause dangerous cardiac arrhythmias, especially in people with cardiovascular diseases. Dmitry Ognerubov, a cardiac surgeon, candidate of medical sciences, and expert of the presidential platform "Russia is a Land of Opportunities", told Izvestia on July 10.

According to the expert, a temperature difference of even 10 degrees can trigger an arrhythmia. For example, if, at an air temperature of about 35 degrees, a person abruptly plunges into water with a temperature of +20... +25 degrees, vascular spasm occurs, blood pressure rises and the heart rhythm is disrupted.

"When a person abruptly plunges into the water, there are two multidirectional signals to the heart. One accelerates, and the other slows down. And in this case, malignant arrhythmia may occur," Ognerubov explained.

According to the doctor, it is better to enter the water gradually, without sudden immersion: first wet your feet, then your knees, and only after that slowly immerse your whole body.

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According to the specialist, swimming and swimming are contraindicated in people who have had a heart attack or heart surgery less than six months ago, as well as in patients with unstable angina, uncompensated heart failure, untreated arrhythmias, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, severe aortic stenosis and other severe lesions of the heart valves. You should also give up swimming with a blood pressure of 180/110 mmHg or higher.

According to Ognerubov, with heat stroke, the skin becomes hot and dry, a person loses orientation, whereas with a hypertensive crisis, severe headache, redness of the face, sweating and "flies" appear in front of the eyes. In such a situation, it is necessary to provide a person with peace, put him in the shade and call an ambulance if the symptoms do not go away within 10-15 minutes.

The specialist also warned that swimming is not recommended for acute respiratory viral infections due to the risk of developing myocarditis. After the symptoms of the disease disappeared, he advised waiting at least a week before returning to physical activity.

Separately, the expert warned against bathing after drinking alcohol. According to him, alcohol disrupts coordination, slows down the reaction and, together with a sudden cooling, can cause a pressure surge and a deterioration in well-being. After a small dose of alcohol, he recommends abstaining from swimming for at least three to four hours, and after a significant amount, completely stop swimming that day.

If dizziness or arrhythmia appear during swimming, Ognerubov advises not to try to swim to shore quickly. According to him, it is better to turn over on your back, if possible, call for help and move to the shore without intense physical exertion, so as not to worsen the heart rhythm disorder.

Evgeny Kokin, a cardiologist at JSC "Medicine" (Academician Roitberg Clinic), Candidate of Medical Sciences, warned on June 11 that the heat is especially dangerous for people with cardiovascular diseases. According to the doctor, people with these diseases should be careful in the heat, because because of it, the heart works under additional stress. At high air temperatures, the vessels expand, the pressure may fluctuate, and due to fluid loss, the blood becomes thicker. This increases the risk of tachycardia, exacerbation of ischemia, thrombosis and decompensation of chronic heart disease, he warned.