Warning risk of stroke, heart attack in cold weather

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was expertly consulted by MSc Pham Thanh Van - Head of Cardiac Interventional Unit, Vinmec Times City International Hospital.
Cold weather, low temperature, is when our cardiovascular system works harder, especially for the elderly and those who are already at risk of cardiovascular disease. How to keep a healthy heart, avoid the risk of stroke these days? Doctor of Vinmec Hospital shared.

1. Why does cold weather increase the risk of stroke and heart attack?

When it's cold, indoor and outdoor temperatures, sudden temperature changes (from a warm room to a cold one,...) should lead to blood vessels constricting blood vessels, causing the body to retain water. From there, it can cause blood pressure to rise suddenly, so it can easily lead to complications such as stroke, heart attack.

2. Who is at risk of stroke in cold weather?

People with cardiovascular risk are those who are at risk of stroke, myocardial infarction:
There are angina attacks of unknown cause. Or palpitations, palpitations, or a feeling of missing a heartbeat. Always feel tired, shortness of breath, wheezing, muscle aches, cramps. The pulse beats too quickly or too slowly when the body is at rest. Obesity, overweight, sedentary. Smoke often or drink a lot of alcohol. Having a family member with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia. Having diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia. Women over 45 years old, men over 40 years old. For people who have had a heart attack, stroke, cold weather will increase the risk of severe/recurrence of the diseases mentioned above.

3. Warning symptoms of stroke, heart attack

If you suddenly have symptoms of headache, chest pain, you need to think about the risk of stroke and heart attack.
When you have the above symptoms, you need to go to the hospital immediately. Should not take any medicine, massage, acupressure to take advantage of the golden time 6 hours after the stroke.

4. What should be done to avoid hazards?

A healthy heart, a scientific diet and appropriate exercise are measures to prevent cardiovascular disease and stroke:
Need to increase the intake of high-fiber vegetables and fruits (avocados, oranges, apples, dates, bananas,...), use foods rich in unsaturated fats such as omega 3, omega 6 at least 2 days a week (salmon, herring, mackerel,...). Experts say that the Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer, best in 2019. Avoid fried foods, grilled foods, red meat and all foods containing substances. saturated fat. If you eat meat, you should only eat white meat, poultry without the skin. At the same time, should eat less salt and limit sugar. Carbonated drinks or canned foods are the things you need to give up to protect a healthy heart, instead, you can replace it with low-fat milk. Avoid stimulants such as strong tea, alcohol, coffee, tobacco or drugs not prescribed by your doctor. In addition, you can prioritize the use of nutritional foods fortified with Plant Sterols - fats extracted from plants that help reduce cholesterol entering the blood from daily food, MUFA unsaturated fatty acids, PUFAs help improve coronary structure, reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Just 30 minutes of walking a day can help prevent cardiovascular disease effectively. So take every opportunity to walk when you can, for example take the stairs (≤ 2 floors, remember not to exert yourself) instead of the elevator, walk to the market or park far away. office,... If you can arrange time, you can practice walking briskly for about 30 minutes to 1 hour a day and maintain it at least 5 days a week. Instead of walking, you can also practice tai chi, play badminton or ride a bike as you like.

Whether it's hot or cold weather, stroke screening is extremely important for early detection and prompt treatment. Currently, Magnetic Resonance Imaging - MRI/MRA is considered a "golden" tool to screen for brain stroke. MRI is used to check the condition of most organs in the body, especially valuable in detailed imaging of the brain or spinal nerves. Due to the good contrast and resolution, MRI images allow to detect abnormalities hidden behind bone layers that are difficult to recognize with other imaging methods. MRI can give more accurate results than X-ray techniques (except for DSA angiography) in diagnosing brain diseases, cardiovascular diseases, strokes,... Moreover, the process MRI scans do not cause side effects like X-rays or computed tomography (CT) scans.\
Vinmec International General Hospital currently owns a 3.0 Tesla MRI system equipped with state-of-the-art equipment by GE. Healthcare (USA) with high image quality, allows comprehensive assessment, does not miss the injury but reduces the time taken to take pictures. Silent technology helps to reduce noise, create comfort and reduce stress for the client during the shooting process, resulting in better image quality and shorter imaging time. With the state-of-the-art MRI system With the application of modern methods of cerebral vascular intervention, a team of experienced and well-trained neurologists and radiologists, Vinmec is a prestigious address for stroke risk screening and screening. reliable goods.
In the past time; Vinmec has successfully treated many cases of stroke in a timely manner, leaving no sequelae: saving the life of a patient suffering from 2 consecutive strokes; Responding to foreign female tourists to escape the "death door" of a stroke;...

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