Be careful when alternating between hot and cold! Three ways to protect your cardiovascular system

Taiwan has a hot climate, with high temperatures of 35 and 36 degrees Celsius often occurring, and the relative humidity is also quite high. Such an environment will put a considerable load on the body.

What impact does a hot environment have on the heart? Dr. Colin Wei Cheng from the Department of Cardiology at Nguyen General Hospital said that it is easy to sweat in a hot environment. If you sweat a lot without replenishing water, you will become dehydrated and may even suffer from shock. In addition to losing water, excessive sweating also loses electrolytes, leading to electrolyte imbalance.

For patients with existing heart disease, sweating a lot in a hot environment will accelerate the heartbeat and increase the burden on the heart, easily produce arrhythmia, and worsen the original disease; blood vessel obstruction Patients will suffer from angina pectoris and myocardial infarction.

Patients with heart failure have a lot of water in their bodies and are prone to edema. Will sweating more help eliminate edema?

Dr. Lin Weicheng pointed out that exercise is indeed a good thing for patients. Proper exercise can increase cardiopulmonary function, but we do not recommend that patients aim to "sweat a lot" because although sweating a lot is good for The patient's edema problem has been somewhat improved, but it may cause electrolyte imbalance. If the patient is taking cardiac medication, the electrolyte imbalance may interact with the medication and easily lead to arrhythmia. After considering the burden on the heart, electrolytes, etc., it should be noted that drastic water changes such as "profuse sweating" are more detrimental to patients with heart failure.

Can people with heart failure drink sports drinks? What should I pay attention to when replenishing water?

Sports drinks contain water and electrolytes, but you do not need to drink sports drinks to replenish water and electrolytes. A balanced diet is enough to replenish electrolytes. Unless you sweat a lot after strenuous exercise, you should only consider the appropriate amount. Supplement with sports drinks.

Dr. Lin Weicheng reminded that the most taboo is "quick replenishment" such as "drinking 1,000-2,000 ml in one breath". For patients with poor heart function, rapid replenishment will lead to accumulation of water and burden on the heart, which may make the patient more and more breathless. Dr. Lin Weicheng recommends that you must adhere to three principles when replenishing water: "Drink in small amounts, frequently, and slowly." Heart failure patients can try to drink 200-300 ml each time, and slowly replace the lost water 2 to 3 times. When drinking, remember not to drink too fast, so as to achieve the goal of replenishing physical strength without affecting health.

People tend to become thirsty on hot days. How do we evaluate whether we are drinking enough water?

How do you know if your body is hydrated enough? Dr. Lin Weicheng said that it is very important to observe the physical condition. There are several simple methods for everyone to evaluate. If the body is dehydrated, the oral mucosa will appear dry, the skin should sweat in a hot environment, but the sweat will not come out, and the eyes will The phenomenon of dry mouth and tongue is a reminder that everyone should drink more water. Another good way to monitor is to observe the "urine color". Normal urine color is light yellow. If the color of the urine is very dark, it means that the body is not hydrated enough. Drink more water to replenish it; if the color of the urine is very dark, If it is lighter, it means that the body is more hydrated.

Can patients with heart failure eat ice and drink cold drinks?

We know that "cold weather" itself is a burden for patients with heart disease, and drinking large amounts of ice water quickly in a hot environment may also cause vasoconstriction. If you already have heart problems, such temperature changes may worsen the disease.

However, this does not mean that patients with heart failure cannot drink ice water. Dr. Lin Weicheng gave an example. When you travel to Japan, you will find that Japanese restaurants provide ice water. Japanese people drink ice water all year round, even in winter. The way they drink is to drink slowly, allowing the water to enter the body and slowly warm it up, soothing the body without having a negative impact on the organs. Therefore, the focus is not on "ice water", but on the "way of drinking". It is best to drink slowly to allow the body to adapt to these changes, which will have less impact on the heart.

Is there anything that heart failure patients should avoid on hot days?

What patients with heart failure need to worry most about is hydration. Be sure to remember the three principles of replenishing water after exercise: drink in small amounts, frequently, and slowly.

Dr. Lin Weicheng pointed out that some patients are worried that excessive salt intake will cause accumulation in the body, so they use "low sodium salt" instead. However, you should also pay attention at this time. Low-sodium salt uses "potassium ions" to replace the "sodium ions" in the salt. If you eat too much, potassium ions will accumulate and interact with heart failure drugs. Therefore, the focus of the diet is not just to eat low-sodium salt, but to pay attention to the balance of body water and salt intake.

Heart failure patients must make "weighing" a key item in home health care and monitor whether they are taking in too much water. For example, if you weigh 50 kilograms today, and the next day you will weigh 52 kilograms, and the next day you will weigh 54 kilograms, which is an increase of 4 kilograms in just two days, you must have too much water, and generally you will not eat enough food to gain weight. will increase so quickly. Paying attention to your weight is an important means for patients with heart failure to maintain their health.

After turning on the air conditioner, there is a big temperature difference between indoors and outdoors. What effect does the sudden coldness and hotness have on the heart?

If the indoor and outdoor temperatures are hot and cold, it will affect heart disease patients. When we rush into an air-conditioned room from a hot environment outside, it causes blood vessels to constrict, so rapid changes in temperature may lead to a heart attack. To avoid such a situation, Dr. Lin Weicheng recommends that heart disease patients try to maintain a happy mood in hot environments, replenish water appropriately, and avoid making themselves too irritable. Don't adjust the air conditioner to 17-18 degrees just because the weather is very hot. Please set it to the most comfortable temperature for the human body, 26-28 degrees, so as not to cause blood vessels to contract rapidly.

Swimming is very refreshing. Is swimming suitable for patients with heart failure?

"Doctors recommend that all patients with heart disease should maintain the habit of exercise as long as their body allows it." Dr. Lin Weicheng said: "Exercise can improve the body's muscle endurance, cardiopulmonary function, and even achieve weight loss. Or body shaping effect, are beneficial to patients. "Therefore, if you choose to go swimming to cool off in hot weather, it is naturally a good idea. However, it is safer for patients with heart failure to warm up before exercising and eat something to provide the body with sufficient calories.

When entering from hot temperatures to cold water temperatures, remember to move slowly and gradually. After all, rapid changes in temperature will put a strain on the heart, so whether you are entering a sauna, hot spring, cold pool, or When you want to get up and leave, please do it as slowly as possible. It is best to adapt to the temperature change before doing the next movement, so as to avoid dizziness.

What kind of exercises will doctors recommend to patients in hot weather? What should I pay attention to?

It is currently believed that cardiac rehabilitation using exercise therapy can improve heart-related mortality. Dr. Lin Weicheng suggested that patients with heart failure should develop regular exercise habits, such as swimming, jogging, walking, etc. Using these exercises to increase the body's muscle endurance and cardiopulmonary function can help control heart failure.

Understanding your own exercise status is also a good way to evaluate your body. For example, I used to be able to walk 3 kilometers in 30 minutes, but in the last 30 minutes I can't even walk 1 kilometer, and I still feel very uncomfortable. This kind of rapid decline in exercise ability in a short period of time requires special attention to whether there is a problem with the heart or lungs. situation!

During daily exercise, the most important thing is to be moderate and wear breathable clothes. During exercise, you should prepare enough water and replenish it in time. If you feel uncomfortable during exercise, you should stop. However, don’t stop too hastily. Patients with heart failure are very taboo about stopping suddenly during strenuous exercise. For example, if you brake suddenly while running quickly, without the buffer of warming up or walking slowly, it will cause rapid changes in heart blood pressure, leading to dizziness. Discomfort.

Exercise is a good thing, but Dr. Lin Weicheng reminds that patients with heart failure can first discuss with their doctor the appropriate exercise method and intensity before proceeding, and it is safer to exercise when there are people around. If you feel uncomfortable during exercise If you feel unwell, please record your heartbeat and blood pressure. If symptoms occur occasionally, you can wait until your next visit to discuss with your doctor. If you feel unwell every time you exercise and the condition becomes more and more serious, you should return to the doctor early.

Finally, I would like to remind everyone, never stop taking medication just because you feel better through exercise.

This health education information is published with the assistance of Novartis Taiwan