For most of the country, this winter has been brutal – ice, heavy snows, winds, and low temperatures. Extreme activity, like shoveling, in extreme temperatures are one cause of sudden cardiac arrest, a dramatic drop in blood pressure that causes an individual to collapse and lose consciousness. Sudden cardiac arrest is different from a heart attack, but can be every bit as life-threatening. It can be caused by a fast or slow heart rate.
While sudden onset arrest can be caused by extreme activity, it can occur even when we are at rest. The symptoms can include dizziness, light-headedness, chest pains, and shortness of breath.
Risk factors include those normally associated with heart disease: family history, smoking, obesity, physical inactivity, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol.
Immediate treatment by returning the heart rate to normal levels is essential. Normal treatments include CPR, or a shock to the heart by defibrillation.
Make a commitment during February to be kind to your heart. Learn all that you can about preventing and treating heart disease.
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