Heat and cold no longer have a specific time to arrive. With climate change in the world, the population is surprised by the large variation in temperature throughout the year – sometimes even throughout the day. The sudden contrast between the highs and lows of thermometers causes various damages to the body, ranging from thermal shock to cardiovascular diseases.
The unexpected variation in temperature means that the body needs to keep vital organs functioning, requiring very high energy expenditure and leaving it more vulnerable to the entry of viruses and bacteria. People who have chronic diseases or a genetic predisposition to some pathology have their immunity more easily overturned, which can lead to the appearance of various respiratory symptoms.
In addition to damage to the airways, cold is responsible for increasing cardiovascular diseases by 30%. According to Dr. Cristina Milagre, cardiologist and sports doctor at Hcor, at lower temperatures, vasoconstriction occurs (narrowing the diameter of the arteries), which can impair the adequate flow of oxygen to the heart. “With the imbalance, a process of death of the heart muscle (necrosis) begins, which can result in acute myocardial infarction,” she says.
This happens because the heart needs to work harder to keep the body’s internal temperature in balance, which ends up overloading and causing narrowing. According to the American Heart Association, arrhythmias, heart attacks and strokes are the most common in the cold.
“Blood pressure tends to be higher in the cold because of vasoconstriction and this already turns on the warning light. People who have hypertension or other cardiovascular diseases should be even more attentive and monitor them regularly. Furthermore, any symptoms such as chest pain, palpitations and sweating should be taken directly to the emergency room”, warns the specialist.
Researchers at the London School discovered that, on harsh winter days, each degree less is directly related to 200 more cases of heart attack. “All this movement of the body happens so that the body does not lose heat. In some cases, this compensation makes blood circulation difficult and can cause some damage to the cardiovascular system as a whole”, adds Dr. Cristina.
So that the body does not suffer so much from the changes, it is necessary to adopt some protective measures, such as wearing onion-style clothing, which can be removed and put on depending on the weather during the day. Furthermore, it is always important to maintain a healthy routine and maintain routine exams, as well as regular consultations with the responsible cardiologist.