look news india
In many parts of North India, the sun has become harsh and the temperature is continuously increasing. The scorching sun and scorching heat not only affect our skin or comfort, but it is also posing a big threat to the most important organ of our body i.e. our heart. According to medical experts, there is a sudden increase in the cases of heart attack and heart stroke during the summer season.
Let us understand in very simple and practical language from the country’s well-known cardiologist Dr. Manoj Kumar, how rising temperature proves dangerous for our heart and how to keep ourselves safe in this season.
How does heat increase your heart rate and pressure?
According to Dr. Manoj Kumar, when the outside temperature increases too much, our cardiovascular system is directly affected. In fact, when it is extremely hot outside, our body tries to keep itself cool from inside. In this natural process of controlling temperature, the pressure on our heart increases more than normal, which creates the risk of heart-related diseases.
What changes inside the body? (The Main Reasons)
There are mainly two main reasons behind this extra pressure on the heart in summer:
1. Viscous Blood
Due to extreme heat and sweating, there is a lack of water in the body, due to which the blood flowing in the veins gradually starts becoming thick and sticky. Due to blood being sticky, its flow in the arteries slows down. Now the heart has to work twice as hard to properly pump this thick and slow flowing blood throughout the body. This extra hard work sometimes becomes the cause of heart attack or stroke.
2. Deficiency of essential minerals like sodium and potassium
To maintain normal body temperature in the hot sun, we sweat a lot. Not only water comes out through sweat, but minerals which are very important for our body like sodium and potassium also go out of the body. Deficiency of both these minerals can directly lead to uncontrolled heart rhythm, which increases the risk of cardiac arrest.
How to take care of heart in summer: dos and don’ts
To keep yourself completely fit in this season, the doctor has given some very important and practical suggestions, which you can easily understand from the table given below:
| lifestyle aspect | What is the right thing to do? (Do’s) | What things should you avoid completely? (Don’ts) |
| hydration and water | Keep drinking adequate amount of water throughout the day. Include buttermilk, lemon water or coconut water in your diet. | Do not consume tea, coffee or energy drinks with excessive caffeine, these further dry out the body. |
| eating habits | Eat fresh fruits and vegetables. Consume plenty of water-rich foods like cucumber and watermelon. | Avoid eating too much fried, spicy or heavy food, as it puts a strain on the heart to digest it. |
| exit time | If it is necessary to go out in the afternoon, then go out only by covering your head with a cloth or umbrella and covering yourself well. | Between 12 noon and 4 pm Avoid going out in direct sunlight. During this time, heat and UV rays are the strongest. |
⚠️ Doctor’s most important warning for heart patients
Everyone is often advised to drink as much water as possible in summer, but Dr. Manoj Kumar has issued a very important warning for old heart patients. People who are already suffering from any heart disease, or who are on heart medicines, should not drink too much water without thinking like normal people. Drinking too much water can increase the pressure on their heart and lungs. Such patients should first contact their doctor and consume water only as per the limited quantity prescribed by them (like 1.5 or 2 litres).
