Protect your heart in hot weather

Summer heatwaves are unpleasant for all of us. When the outside temperature is high, your body has to work harder to cool you down. This puts extra pressure on your heart, lungs, and kidneys. 

If you have a heart condition, high temperatures put you at greater risk. That makes staying cool in hot weather extra important. 

Your body has 2 ways to cool you down. 

When your core temperature goes up, your heart pumps more blood to your skin so that heat can transfer out of your body and into the air around you. This cooling process is called radiation. On a hot day, your heart may pump 2 to 4 times as much blood per minute as it does on a cool day. 1

Sweat evaporation also helps heat escape your body and cools you down. When it’s hot and humid outside, high levels of water vapor in the air make it harder for sweat to evaporate. Sweating also causes your body to shed water and minerals important to normal bodily function. This puts stress on your cardiovascular system. 

If you have heart failure or your heart has damage from a previous heart attack, your heart might struggle to pump blood around your body as well as it should. That means your body might struggle to regulate your temperature and cool you down. 

When your body is trying to cool you down, blood vessels close to your skin get wider to allow heat to transfer more effectively into the air around you. This increased blood flow adds extra demand on your heart which may struggle to cope. 

GTN (glyceryl trinitrate) spray is a common medication prescribed to people who have angina. If you take this medication, take extra care during hot weather as GTN spray can dilate your blood vessels quickly and cause a sudden drop in blood pressure. This might make you feel lightheaded or faint. 2

Heart issues can raise the risk of heat stroke which can be life-threatening if left untreated. If you feel unwell during hot weather, seek medical attention immediately. Symptoms of heat stroke include:

• Heavy sweating
• Clammy skin
• Dizziness
• Fainting
• Muscle cramps
• Heat rash
• Ankle swelling (edema)
• Shallow or fast breathing
• Disorientation or confusion
• Nausea and vomiting 3

If you have a heart condition and begin to feel unwell during hot weather, here are a few things you can do while you wait for medical attention. 

• Move to the coolest, shadiest place you can find 
• Lie down and raise your feet
• Drink plenty of water
• Cool your body down with a fan or by sponging water onto your skin

Staying cool in hot weather is a great way to take care of your heart. Here are a few simple ways to lower your risk during a heatwave. 4

Take hot weather as license to be lazy. Avoid strenuous exercise and do any necessary activities or errands in the cooler morning or evening hours. If you absolutely have to exercise, make sure to stay adequately hydrated.

Keep your home as dark and cool as possible and stick to shaded areas if you have to go outside. If your home or workplace is too warm and you don’t have air conditioning or another adequate means of cooling it down, consider going to air-conditioned places like shopping malls, hotel lobbies, or cinemas.

Drink plenty of water and minimize your intake of caffeinated or alcoholic drinks. If you don’t like water, consider drinking fruit squash, sports drinks, or decaffeinated teas. Cool drinks are best, but the most important thing is that you drink enough fluids. 

There’s a reason eating heavy meals is often unappealing during hot weather. Your body is already working hard and doesn’t need the extra stress of digesting a huge dinner. But nourishing yourself is very important. Choose light, nutritious foods like fruit and salads that contain a lot of water as well as vitamins and minerals. 

Wear light, loose clothing made of natural fibers that allow your skin to breathe. This will make it easier for sweat to evaporate and prevent your body from having to work too hard to cool you down. 

The best way to take care of your heart is to avoid putting it under undue stress. So keep your heart happy and stay cool. 

Take care of yourself,

Ada