Doctors with the Cleveland Clinic are warning folks about the health hazards due to the frigid weather. Currently, a winter storm is pummeling the East Coast and Northeast Ohio is dealing with freezing temperatures.
Experts did not just talk about frostbite and hypothermia, but the importance of protecting your lungs and heart from the arctic air.
News 5 talked to a respiratory doctor with the Cleveland Clinic, who said the cold air actually causes your heart to work harder.
“The heart beats faster. That can cause your blood pressure to rise,” said Dr. Rachel Taliercio. “Particularly in people that have heart disease, it can cause additional strain on the heart.”
She said people with heart or lung conditions like asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease should avoid doing anything too strenuous, even shoveling snow.
“There is an association with shoveling snow and even having heart attacks,” said Dr. Taliercio.
The cold air is also drying and can irritate the lungs. At the same time, Dr. Taliercio admitted you can't hibernate all winter.
“You're going to have to leave your house at some point,” she said.
Taliercio suggested people with chronic heart or lung conditions always take their rescue medicine, bring their quick-relief inhalers just in case and cover their nose and mouth with a scarf.
“So that the air that enters your lungs is warmed, instead of being so cold,” she said.
Dr. Taliercio added that she has seen many runners out exercising in the cold weather.
If you're a conditioned athlete, she said you're probably fine but if not, you may want to take it easy.
“Even if you're healthy, even if you don't have any chronic medical conditions, you want to be careful about exercising or overexerting, overdoing it in the really cold air,” she said.
