The holidays are a time for celebrating and spending time with family and friends. It’s the most festive time of year – we decorate trees, light menorahs, share meals and smiles, and sing songs together.
However, did you know it’s also the time of year when heart attacks are most likely to occur? It’s true. Sadly, between Thanksgiving and New Years, there is a nation-wide increase in cardiac-related deaths.
There are a few reason why researchers propose heart attacks increase during the winter holiday season.
- Weather: breathing cold air can constrict the blood vessels and therefore increase the pressure causing clots to form. However, there are still a number of heart attacks in warmer weather climates.
- Emotional Stress: the holiday season can be a source of stress with family you do or do not want to interact along with or financial pressures with gifts and travel expenses.
- Overindulgence: Poor eating habits, excessive alcohol or abusing drugs can lead to an increased strain on your heart.
Taking a Red Cross CPR class can help you learn how to care for a person having a heart attack and how to perform CPR for a person in cardiac arrest . Often, cardiac emergencies happen at home or the workplace, so the life you may have to save could be that of a friend or loved one.
We know that taking a CPR course during the Holiday Season may seem impossible – but if you have three minutes to spare, we have a “Learn Hands-Only CPR” video that can help…you can always make taking the full CPR course a New Year’s resolution.
Referenced for researching this article:
Reverse Heart Disease – Solution to Holiday Heart Attacks is the Heart Fit Clinic