Alphabetical list:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T U V W X Y Q Z 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
News: December 18, 2009
Should You Be Shoveling Snow?
December 18, 2009
Yes, the weather outside is frightful, and soon you will have to think about shoveling snow. But should you be the one doing the work? Who should and should not shovel snow, and how can you do it safely?
Every winter, approximately 1,200 Americans die from a heart attack or another type of cardiac incident during or after a snowstorm, and shoveling snow is often the triggering event. Sometimes rushing outside to remove the snow so you can get out can result in a trip you had not planned on taking - to the emergency department.
According to the Harvard Heart Letter, several things happen when people shovel snow, and they tend to place a great deal of stress on the body, especially the heart. One is that shoveling involves the arms and shoulders, and upper body exercise places strain on the heart because those muscles typically are not well conditioned. Because shoveling in an upright position causes blood to pool in the legs and feet, the heart must work harder to maintain blood pressure.
Shoveling snow is hard work, but much of it involves isometric exercise until you actually toss a shovelful of snow into a pile or up onto the bank. During isometric exercise, heart rate increases and blood vessels constrict in an attempt to send more blood to your working muscles. This causes blood pressure to rise.
Do you hold your breath while shoveling? Many people do and do not realize it. In fact, shovelers often bear down while they hold their breath, a combination that can lead to rapid changes in blood pressure and heart beat.
The Harvard Heart Letter advises anyone who has a heart condition to avoid shoveling snow under any circumstances. People who are older than 50, who smoke, have high blood pressure, are overweight, or who are on chemotherapy also should not shovel. If you believe you are a candidate for snow shoveling, do not attempt to dig out first thing in the morning. That's when your stress hormone levels are typically higher and platelets in the blood are more likely to clump together, which is a recipe for a heart attack.
Before venturing outside, spend five minutes doing light stretching exercises, dress in layers, wear a hat and gloves, avoid caffeine and nicotine for at least one hour before shoveling snow, and do not drink alcohol for several hours prior to shoveling.
Once outside, shovel in a leisurely fashion, take frequent rest breaks, and drink fluids (water, no caffeine or alcohol) to avoid dehydration. Do not attempt to remove deep snow with one huge shovel full of snow: skim a few inches off the top and work your way down. Avoid throwing snow to either side or over your shoulder. Instead, use a shovel with a small scoop and walk to where you want to put the snow.
If your clothing or feet get wet, go inside and change. If at any time you experience chest pain, palpitations, unusual shortness of breath, fatigue, lightheadedness, or nausea, stop shoveling and go inside. When you have finished shoveling, do some light stretching to cool down. Avoid drinking caffeine or smoking tobacco for at least an hour after shoveling, as they can elevate your blood pressure and heart rate, increasing your risk for a heart attack. Smoking also raises carbon monoxide levels, which hinders the delivery of oxygen to the heart muscle.
Should you be shoveling snow? It's a question that everyone should ask themselves when the white stuff begins to accumulate on their driveway and sidewalks. The better questions might be, Will you risk your health if you do shovel snow? Would you be better off letting someone else do the shoveling for you?
SOURCES:
American Heart Association
Harvard Heart Letter
Archive issues: (46)
Archive list: 1 2 3 [4] 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
December 5, 2009 | Half of teen girls have STIs by 2 years of first sexWithin 2 years of having sex for the first time, half of teenage girls may be at least one of three common sexually transmitted infections (STIs), according to results of a study published today. Often, those girls are infected by the age of 15. Researchers followed 386 urban adolescent girls aged 14 to 17 for up to 8 years. Within 2 years of becoming sexually active, half of the girls were ...
December 4, 2009 | Antidepressants May Change Your PersonalityTaking antidepressants may not only help alleviate depression, but could make you more extraverted and less neurotic, new research suggests. Extraversion, which is associated with positive emotions, is believed to help protect from depression, while neuroticism, the tendency to experience negative emotions and emotional instability, is thought to contribute to depression. Becoming more extraverted and less neurotic may help ...
December 3, 2009 | Smoking Exposure Now Linked to Colon, Breast CancersAdd colorectal cancer to the list of malignancies caused by smoking, with a new study strengthening the link between the two. And other studies are providing more bad news for people who haven't managed ...
Related articles:
Treatment - bladder distension
Bladder distension (a procedure which stretches the bladder capacity, done under general anaesthesia) has shown some success in reducing urinary frequency and giving pain relief to patients. However, many experts still cannot understand precisely how this can cause pain relief. Recent studies showing ...Section: Interstitial cystitis
Risk-taking
Men, significantly more so than women, tend to drink and drive, not to wear a seat belt, to be aggressive and fight, to drive fast and dangerously. Men are also more likely to be involved in a homicide, to be involved in a motor vehicle accident and other accidents. Men are in fact three times more likely to die of accidents than females. Men make up 93% of workplace deaths. While many argue that this is ...Section: Mens health risks
Chronic bacterial prostatitis - treatment
Treatment requires prolonged courses (4-8 weeks) of antibiotics that penetrate the prostate well (?-lactams and nitrofurantoin are ineffective). These include quinolones (ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin), sulfas (Bactrim, Septra) and macrolides (erythromycin, clarithromycin). Persistent infections may be helped in 80% of patients by the use of alpha blockers (tamsulosin (Flomax), alfuzosin), or long term low dose antibiotic therapy. Recurrent infections may be caused by inefficient urination (benign prostatic hypertrophy, neurogenic bladder), prostatic stones or a structural ...Section: Prostatitis