Come proteggere il tuo cuore durante l'inverno

Perché l'inverno può influenzare il tuo cuore?

According to the British Heart Foundation (BHF) your chance of having a heart attack or stroke increases during the winter months.

If you've previously had a attacco di cuore, you're also more susceptible if you contract influenza - the likelihood of which increases in inverno.

La Dott.ssa Helen Flaherty, nutrizionista registrata ed ex Responsabile della Promozione della Salute e dell'Educazione, Heart Research UK, afferma: "Oltre ai tassi più elevati di influenza nei mesi più freddi, ci sono altri fattori che contribuiscono all'aumento degli attacchi di cuore invernali.

"As temperatures drop, your blood vessels contract and your heart needs to work harder to keep you warm, leading to increased heart rate and la pressione sanguigna. Cold temperatures can cause changes in the formation of blood, making your chance of blood clots more likely, which can trigger a attacco di cuore oppure ictus."

She adds that the inverno months can also induce lifestyle changes, such as a decrease in physical activity, a less healthy diet, increased alcohol intake and fumare - particularly around the festive period. Increased emotional lo stress during this time is also believed to impact the rise in heart attack rates.

Riscalda la tua casa in modo appropriato

You can reduce the effect of cold weather by keeping your home heated to 18°C or higher, and by wrapping up well when you head all'aperto.

"Quando fa molto freddo, nevica o c'è ghiaccio, potrebbe essere meglio restare al chiuso il più possibile," dice Flaherty.

Ruth Goss, Infermiera Cardiaca Senior, The British Heart Foundation aggiunge: "Quando sei in casa, indossa calze calde e pantofole per tenere i piedi al caldo. Potresti anche avvolgerti in una coperta, usare una borsa dell'acqua calda o una coperta elettrica."

Copriti quando sei fuori

È importante vestirsi a strati caldi quando si esce al freddo.

Goss dice: "Indossare alcuni strati sottili può tenerti più caldo di uno strato spesso. Mettere un cappello, una sciarpa e guanti aiuterà a mantenere il calore del tuo corpo.

"If you have angina, you could wear a scarf wrapped loosely around your mouth and nose, or wear a face mask, so you breathe in warmer air. This may help to improve any symptoms you might get in colder climi freddi. Tuttavia, se persistono o peggiorano, contatta il tuo medico o chiama il 999."

Rimani attivo

Exercising can help prevent l'aumento di peso, which can put strain on your body, heart and immune system, and may make it less effective at fighting infections. It also increases your odds of complications if you catch the influenza oppure COVID-19.

Flaherty says: "Feeling motivated to stay active during the cold, dark inverno months can be challenging, particularly if you tend to exercise outdoors. You might want to look at indoor activities, such as badminton, dancing, yoga, gym classes, or online opzioni di esercizio classes at home."

Regular exercise - whether that's indoors or outdoors - is important for keeping your heart healthy.

Goss explains: "This can help to reduce ipertensione, and lower your chance of having a heart attack or ictus. However, if you have a heart condition or are elderly, you might want to stay active indoors during the colder months. There are plenty of attività che puoi fare al chiuso, dall'allenamento a circuito agli esercizi di forza su sedia - punta a lavorare i muscoli di tutto il corpo."

Fai il vaccino antinfluenzale

Getting your vaccino antinfluenzale is vital if you are older, or have a heart and circulatory condition.

Goss says: "It will help to reduce your likelihood of catching flu, which can exacerbate conditions such as coronary heart disease and insufficienza cardiaca."

If you're not eligible for a free vaccine, you can choose to pay for the vaccino, o verifica se il tuo datore di lavoro potrebbe offrirlo.

Mangia bene

It's important to have regular hot caldi and drinks to give your body the energy it needs to keep you warm. During winter, it can be tempting to binge on less healthy cibi di conforto, ma anche i pasti sostanziosi possono essere buoni per te.

Flaherty says: "Plan your meals in advance and try to includi molta frutta e verdura, avena e alimenti integrali, pesce azzurro, noci non salate e semi. Anche i legumi sono buoni per la tua salute, così come i latticini a basso contenuto di grassi e le carni magre o le alternative vegetariane e vegane."

Fai attenzione con l'alcol

It can be easy to overindulge in alcol during the periodo festivo. Tuttavia, bere troppo può aumentare il rischio di sviluppare ipertensione e malattie coronariche.

"Keep an eye on your alcol intake and try to stick to the guidelines of no more than 14 units, spread over three or more days each week," says Flaherty. "Look for drinks with a lower alcohol content, or alcohol-free alternatives - such as reduced-calorie soft drinks or mocktails and herbal teas."

If you are a smoker - or occasional smoker - you may find that you fumi more during the festive period.

Flaherty warns: "Smoking can damage your cardiache and blood vessels, which increases your likelihood of having a attacco di cuore. Quitting smoking can be difficult, but it is an important step for reducing your chance of developing heart disease.

"Quitting fumare requires a huge amount of willpower, and getting support from your doctor, friends, family or local support group can really help."

Riposa se ti senti male

If you feel like you're developing a tosse oppure raffreddore, try to rest and drink plenty of fluids.

Goss says: "If you already have a heart condition, it's important you get advice from your farmacista before taking over-the-counter remedies, as some may not be safe to take with your regular medicine."

If you are 65 or over - or in one of the other at-risk groups - seek medical help from your doctor, pharmacy or NHS 111 as soon as you feel unwell.