Cardiovascular Doctor Gives Warning Amid Dangerous Cold Snap

Doctors want to make sure people are staying healthy in these below freezing temperatures.  

A cardiologist told News 9 people with pre-existing conditions are at greater risk during these cold spells.  

Lance Garner, M.D. said it’s extreme temperatures like these that have our hearts working harder to keep our organs warm.  

“People start having events, so we absolutely see an uptick in emergency rooms, people having major cardiac events, an uptick in our clinic activity as well,” Dr. Garner with the Cardiovascular Health Clinic said.  

He said the change in temperature seems to be the biggest trigger.  

“It may not necessarily be an absolute number as far as temperature goes but it’s the change. Often, it’s a change for several days in a row,” Dr. Garner said. 

According to experts, extra work on the heart causes arteries and veins to clamp down.  

“It is having to pump blood to those vessels. Those vessels are now constricted, and the heart is having to do more work. If your heart is already unhealthy or you are vulnerable already it just the extra workload on the heart can be enough of a trigger to cause a heart event,” Garner said. 

The best thing for people to do is find out if they’re at risk, and keep an eye on if they experience any symptoms.   

“Deep, heavy pressure, the classic description is ‘someone is sitting on my chest.’ It can but doesn’t always have to radiate into the arm,” he said.  

Things like smoking and drinking can also put an additional strain on your heart during these temperatures.  

“The other is unexplained windedness, we all get winded for lots of different reasons but unexplained windedness, ‘I shouldn’t be this winded if I am doing this activity,’” Garner said.