{"id":136231,"date":"2010-01-04T12:53:00","date_gmt":"2010-01-04T16:53:00","guid":{"rendered":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913207274262384848.post-7030716260459628189"},"modified":"2010-01-04T12:53:00","modified_gmt":"2010-01-04T16:53:00","slug":"shoveling-snow-in-the-winter-strains-the-back-and-the-heart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/136231","title":{"rendered":"Shoveling Snow in the Winter strains the back and the heart"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/_lDQMo4yEgBE\/S0IcUwWqaoI\/AAAAAAAAAjk\/3ruS5_IqxE4\/s1600-h\/DSCN0999.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" ps=\"true\" src=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/_lDQMo4yEgBE\/S0IcUwWqaoI\/AAAAAAAAAjk\/3ruS5_IqxE4\/s320\/DSCN0999.JPG\" \/><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<p>Well we are in the full swing of winter here in CT. I look outside my window and know that in a few hours I will have to go out and shovel my driveway\u2026again. <a href=\"http:\/\/arc4life.blogspot.com\/2008\/12\/winter-weather-is-here-are-you.html\">Shoveling snow<\/a> is an activity that needs to be done properly so as not to injure your back. Turns out it can also injure your heart: it can strain the heart, particularly since the cold weather narrows blood vessels.<\/p>\n<p>\nWe have all heard the signs and symptoms of a heart attack. According the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.americanheart.org\/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1200000\">American Heart Association<\/a> they are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #274e13;\">Chest Discomfort<\/span> \u2013 Imagine an like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. \n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #274e13;\">Pain and Discomfort in other parts of the parts of the body<\/span> such as: arm pain (in one or both arms, back pain, neck pain jaw pain, or even stomach pain \n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #274e13;\">Shortness of Breath<br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #274e13;\">Breaking into a Cold Sweat<\/span>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #274e13;\">Nausea<\/span>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #274e13;\">Lightheadness<\/span>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>According to Dr. Holly Anderson, director of education and outreach at the Ronald O. Perelman Heart Institute of <a href=\"http:\/\/nyp.org\/\">New York-Presbyterian Hospita<\/a>l \u201cFrigid air causes blood vessels to constrict as the body tries to prevent heat loss\u201d. <\/p>\n<p>This is a natural response that can also put people with heart conditions and those involved in strenuous exercise at greater risk of having a heart attack ,&#8221; Andersen said. <\/p>\n<p><strong>The narrowing raises blood pressure and can reduce oxygen flow to the heart.<\/strong> Combined with a strenuous activity, such as shoveling snow, this can strain the heart, triggering a heart attack in those at risk. <\/p>\n<p>Though women may also experience pain, they are more likely than men to experience shortness of breath, nausea or vomiting and back or jaw pain<\/p>\n<p>Precautions should be taken if you have a weak or compromised heart. A heart attack can be easily mistaken for a pulled muscle. This is why it is important to be on the lookout for certain symptoms after you finish shoveling snow. <\/p>\n<p>Dr. Anderson suggests that certain <strong>precautions<\/strong> be taken during the winter season to prevent a heart attack: <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>As with any activity, don\u2019t forget to stretch. Jumping out of bed without warming up to shovel snow is not a good idea. Limber up by stretching or walking before you start. \n<\/li>\n<li>Dress appropriately. Wear windproof and waterproof outer garments, place a scarf over your mouth and nose to warm up the air before you breathe it in and wear layers. Bundling up will help maintain your body heat. Ski socks are a good idea. \n<\/li>\n<li>To avoid overexertion, try the less strenuous technique of pushing the snow with the shovel rather than lifting it. Also, take frequent breaks &#8212; shovel for 15 minutes, then rest for 15. \n<\/li>\n<li>If you&#8217;re over 50, overweight, not active, are a smoker or have suffered a previous heart attack, consult a doctor before shoveling snow. Your risk is higher for a heart attack than the average joe. You may want to hire a local landscaping company to handle your driveway for the season. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><u>Source<\/u>: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/news\/health\/2010-01-01-heart-attacks_N.htm\">Heart attacks more common in winter; tips to lower your risk<\/a> <\/p>\n<p><strong>Additional Reading Resources<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/arc4life.blogspot.com\/2008\/12\/winter-weather-is-here-are-you.html\">The Winter Weather is Here. Are you Shoveling Snow properly?<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/arc4life.blogspot.com\/2009\/12\/recent-study-shows-that-biofreeze.html\">Recent Study Shows that Biofreeze Reduces Pain and Blood Flow &amp; Increases Muscle Function<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.neckpainsupport.com\/2009\/07\/my-trapezius-really-hurtshow-do-i-find-relief.html\">My Trapezius Hurts, How Do I Find Relief?<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.neckpainsupport.com\/2009\/03\/sleep-at-age-40-is-important-for-your-heart-health.html\">Sleep At Age 40 Is Important For Your Heart Health<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/adcd08vqyg-j0bxft-vnlln8xp.hop.clickbank.net\/\">Losing the Back Pain from your Life<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Visit <a href=\"http:\/\/www.arc4life.com\/\" title=\"Neck Pillows for Neck Pain Relief I Travel Neck Pillows I Neck Traction at Home\">Arc4life.com<\/a> for your online selection of cervical support neck pillows, orthopedic pain relief products and Home traction units. Products for pain relief. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/technorati.com\/faves?sub=addfavbtn&amp;add=http:\/\/www.neckpainsupport.com\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Add to Technorati Favorites\" src=\"http:\/\/static.technorati.com\/pix\/fave\/btn-fave2.png\" \/><\/a> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Delicious\" height=\"10\" src=\"http:\/\/static.delicious.com\/img\/delicious.small.gif\" width=\"10\" \/> <a href=\"http:\/\/delicious.com\/save\" onclick=\"window.open('http:\/\/delicious.com\/save?v=5&amp;noui&amp;jump=close&amp;url='+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+'&amp;title='+encodeURIComponent(document.title), 'delicious','toolbar=no,width=550,height=550'); return false;\">Bookmark this on Delicious<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.stumbleupon.com\/submit?url=http:\/\/www.neckpainsupport.com%26title%3DThe%2BArticle%2BTitle\">Stumble It!<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"blogger-post-footer\"><center>Visit us on the Web at <a href=http:\/\/www.arc4life.com>Arc4life.com<\/a><\/center><img width='1' height='1' src='https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/tracker\/7913207274262384848-7030716260459628189?l=arc4life.blogspot.com' alt='' \/><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/feedads.g.doubleclick.net\/~a\/f8KWuKXjmDxTMDKzrZmQrSDmMC4\/0\/da\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/feedads.g.doubleclick.net\/~a\/f8KWuKXjmDxTMDKzrZmQrSDmMC4\/0\/di\" border=\"0\" ismap=\"true\"><\/img><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/feedads.g.doubleclick.net\/~a\/f8KWuKXjmDxTMDKzrZmQrSDmMC4\/1\/da\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/feedads.g.doubleclick.net\/~a\/f8KWuKXjmDxTMDKzrZmQrSDmMC4\/1\/di\" border=\"0\" ismap=\"true\"><\/img><\/a><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~r\/ImproveYourHealthImproveYourLife\/~4\/VnMyocno4_c\" height=\"1\" width=\"1\"\/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Well we are in the full swing of winter here in CT. I look outside my window and know that in a few hours I will have to go out and shovel my driveway\u2026again. Shoveling snow is an activity that needs to be done properly so as not to injure your back. Turns out it [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1670,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-136231","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136231","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1670"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=136231"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136231\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=136231"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=136231"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=136231"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}