It is not just the winters when one runs the risk of encountering a heart-related condition, but the soaring temperatures during the summer can also stress your cardiovascular activity. According to Harvard Health, for people with cardiovascular trouble, hazy, hot, humid days can be “downright dangerous.”
A human body should not get too hot or too cold because both conditions can affect the heart. Harvard Health reports that when the human body’s temperature rises too far, the proteins that build the body and run all of its chemical processes can stop working. The human body sheds extra heat in two ways-radiation and evaporation. Both these processes stress the heart.
In radiation, the human heart reroutes blood flow so more of it goes to the skin. This makes the heart beat faster and pump harder. During a relatively hot day, a human heart may circulate two to four times as much blood each minute as it does on a cool day, reports Harvard Health.
During evaporation, aka sweating, the human body pulls more than just heat from the body. To keep the body cool on hot days, the human body resorts to evaporation. However, it also pulls out sodium, potassium, and other minerals needed for muscle contractions, nerve transmissions, and water balance. To make up for the loss of these minerals, the body starts to make hormones that help it hold onto water and keep mineral loss to a minimum.
In order to prevent the overstressing of your heart during hot days, you can follow some simple tricks.
Seek cool air: Remain indoors under the cool air from your coolers or air conditioners to avoid the heatwave. Harvard Health recommends a cool shower or putting a cold, wet cloth or ice pack under your arm or in your groin to beat the heat.
Eat light: During hot days, it is recommended that you eat food that does not overstress your heart further. Avoid eating fried foods, and switch to cold salads and fruits. Have more fluids like juice and water at this time of the year.
Avoid gym: If the heat is already leaving you sweating, it is recommended that you do not overstress your heart by hitting the gym and practising some hard exercises.
Drink water but not caffeinated drinks: Water will keep you cool in the scorching heat and provide much-needed relief to your heart. Harvard Health recommends downing a glass of water every hour on dangerously hot and humid days. However, this does not mean you should also drink sugary soda since it slows the passage of water from the digestive system to the bloodstream. Also, do not rely on caffeinated beverages or alcohol for fluids because they can cause or increase dehydration.
