The Free Press, Mankato, MN

Health & Fitness

December 8, 2012

Medical Edge: Self-care steps keep hearts healthy during holidays

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Is it true that heart attacks are more common around the holidays? If so, why is that? What can people do to lower their risk?

ANSWER: Heart attacks, along with heart problems in general, are more common around the holidays. Various factors can play into this, including stress, travel, changes in diet and disrupted schedules. Fortunately, many self-care steps can help keep your heart healthy.

One of the biggest challenges this time of year is healthy eating. For people with heart problems, choosing a heart-healthy diet amid an abundance of holiday foods can be daunting. But not straying too far from your normal diet is important.

Keep portion sizes reasonable and limit fatty foods. Eating too much can lead to chest pain or shortness of breath in some people with heart problems. Drink small amounts of alcohol, if any, as alcohol can raise your risk for heart rhythm problems and heart attack. Men should not drink more than two alcoholic beverages a day. Women should not have more than one.

Watch the amount of salt, or sodium, you consume. If your heart pumping function is reduced or if you have heart failure, your ability to manage fluid and to process salt is diminished. To limit fluid retention in such cases, a low-salt diet is often recommended. Controlling salt can be hard, however, when you eat out or dine at someone else’s home. Ask the cook if he or she might limit the amount of salt added. Find out which foods are lower in salt. Limit gravies and sauces.

Travel and schedule changes also can be barriers to heart health during the holidays. Staying on schedule with your medications can be hard when you switch time zones or when you are away from your daily routines. But taking your medication as prescribed is critical. Set up reminders to yourself or ask someone to help keep you on track. If you are planning to travel to another time zone, ask your pharmacist if medication schedule changes are necessary.

As much as possible, continue the self-care you do at home. For example, if you weigh yourself every day to help maintain your fluid balance, find a scale where you can do that. If a walk is part of your routine, invite your family to go with you and enjoy some company along with the exercise.

Finally, it’s important to keep stress in check. Increased stress can raise a person’s risk for a heart attack. We think of the holiday season as a happy time, but that isn’t always reality. For some people, the holidays can be sad and stressful. If that is your situation, try to give yourself a break. Plan and do what is reasonable. If you have feelings of sadness or depression that last more than two weeks, see your doctor.

If you start to feel sick, seek help. Don’t ignore symptoms because you feel badly about disrupting a holiday gathering. Tell someone right away if you notice new or changing chest discomfort, especially if it radiates to your back or to your arm, neck or jaw. Other symptoms of heart problems include shortness of breath, feeling clammy or light-headed, an irregular heartbeat, and swelling in your legs. Getting medical help is particularly critical if these symptoms last or if they don’t improve after taking your usual medications.

The holidays are a high-risk time for heart problems, especially in people who have existing heart conditions. Pay attention to your body. As much as possible, stick to a heart-healthy lifestyle. And, above all, if you have symptoms of heart problems, ask for help right away. — Sharonne N. Hayes, M.D., Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

 

Medical Edge from Mayo Clinic is an educational resource and doesn’t replace regular medical care. Email a question to medicaledge@mayo.edu. For more information, visit www.mayoclinic.org.

Text Only | Photo Reprints
Health & Fitness
  • mfp Speaking of Health mug Fun in the sun reminds of skin cancer and sun protection Summer will soon be here which means it’s time for some fun in the sun. While enjoying those summer activities under the sun’s warmth, it’s important to protect your skin from damaging ultraviolet (UV) rays. The sun’s UV rays cause damage to the skin

    May 19, 2013 1 Photo

  • Why posture is important in your growing children Whenever I do an annual physical, I always spend some time looking at the child's back. Why? It's important to examine a child's spine to check for any irregularities or disease, such as scoliosis (curvature). I also check the skin around the child's

    May 19, 2013

  • Kids burned by instant soup cups

    On a typical June day last year, 3-year-old Jolan Jackson was sitting at the dining room table in his booster chair waiting for his meal.

    May 19, 2013

  • Many uses for epsom salt Epsom salt can be used to remove splinters. Soak the affected area in warm water and Epsom salt. The salt will help draw out the splinter so it's easier to remove. This is especially helpful for kids who get small splinters at the playground from mul

    May 19, 2013

  • Fjeldberg_Grace_A.jpg Speaking of Health: Digesting the details of celiac disease

    Health & Fitness coverage is supported by Mayo Clinic Health System, preserving the health and well-being of southern Minnesota communities.

    May 15, 2013 1 Photo

  • mfp-H&F NELSEN pic Inspiring story? There's an app for that MANKATO – Scott Nelsen recalls those days like a bad memory. Those days when he was gathered with his friends at the pub and the digital camera or smart phone comes out and someone wants to post a quick pic to Facebook. So people lean in to each othe

    May 12, 2013 1 Photo

  • Local cases part of hip device recall MANKATO — A local attorney says his firm has about 30 cases in the nationwide recall of the popular Stryker Rejuvenate hip replacement device. Jerry Maschka of the Maschka Riedy and Ries firm said they've been handling cases of people who have had pr

    May 12, 2013

  • Medical Edge: Regular exercise has powerful effect on brain health

    DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I’m 68 and understand that exercise is good for my health, but I recently read that exercise can also reduce the risk of developing dementia. Is that true, and if so, do researchers know why?

    May 11, 2013

  • Medical Edge: Forgetfulness not necessarily a sign of dementia

    DEAR MAYO CLINIC: As his caregiver, how can I tell if my father’s memory loss is just a natural part of aging, or if it’s the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease? At what point should I take him to be seen by a physician?

    April 27, 2013

  • file-school lunch 2.jpg Mankato school lunches a healthful work in progress

    At Mankato Area Public Schools, the idea of what lunch is remains a concept that is in flux.

    April 20, 2013 2 Photos