This may seem like a random question, but I can't really find many answers on Google.
I seem to really struggle with heat. It was 28C Today where I am. I have drank plenty of water yet I have felt horrendous in the heat and like no matter what I can't cool down. To the point I felt really faint and light headed and like I just want to puke. Yet my friends and family seem to cope fine? They are hot but no where near as hot and sweaty as I am.
My question is, does having a heart defect and open heart surgery affect the ability to cope with heat? Everyone seems to think I'm overreacting but I'm constantly soaking in sweat.
Any advice so I know I'm not going crazy would be great!
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XlMardyBumlX
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Hi I was literally just going to ask a similar question I ve struggled today with heat and actually had to use my spray as my chest felt tight very warm n I felt bit breathless too n tired which I ve not felt for few wks as I ve been really well is this the heat do u think ?? So no I don’t think u re over reacting
Hi yes anyone with a heart condition will be finding it more difficult to cope with this heat . I follow bhf on twitter and they have been posting regular reminders on how to cope in the heat. Not sure how to paste the link but if you check the twitter account or bhf site itself all will become clear as to why you are suffering more than usual and useful hints as to what to do. Weather to be cooler tom so hopefully will provide relief for lots of us hearties .
To copy the link hold your finger on it. It will ask you to copy then you can share the link on here. Once you copied it put it in the box hold your finger in box and paste it
I'm honestly so glad its not just me!! I felt like I was going mad 😫 it's a good possibility it may be the cause of your breathlessness but I'd definitely keep an eye on it
Ye I think sometimes u over think things I know I definatly do and more so since my ha I already had one stent in since 2009 and had no trouble to speak of till ha in April so another two stents in but I know I was very lucky and have the amazing staff at Blackpool Victoria to thank but I have an awful worry of having another although like I said I ve been doing great out walking nearly every day gardening etc I keep myself active so hopefully that will continue x
I have done a couple of posts about the weather. If you scroll down to them you will see a lot of hearties are suffering. Today I have only done slightly over 1000 steps as just walking to the air conditioned corner shop (bliss to linger) soaked my shirt.
Responses vary with condition. Before my bypass I got the symptoms you described put down to low blood pressure. Heat dilated blood vessels dropping your BP further. Your heart is also working harder pumping the blood around to keep you cool. Take it easy, keep cool, keep hydrated and stick to small light meals. If you feel really bad call 999 - better safe than sorry...
Thank u for replying yes it s very warm is nt it I ve been doing well since my ha in April two stents fitted so was worrying a bit today as I m doing everything else right But hopefully wen it cools down us hearties ll feel better eh 😆
Good morning Michael.I also suffer from heat intolerance and have done for 18 months yet I`ve had HF and Copd for years.Is it just that I`m getting old and symptoms are worsening?
Do remember I am not medically qualified. People do get more heat intolerant as they age. I saw this in my own mother and others but the age this happens varies considerably and is also affected by medical conditions. Move on and then they feel the cold more. If I visit someone in a care/nursing home I struggle with the heat and stuffiness. All we can do is handle it as best as possible. Obviously see your GP if you are concerned but bring told "you are getting older" doesn't boost one's confidence! ☹️
I would be over 70 when I qualified! A fortune teller did tell my mother I would become a doctor but did not mention becoming a patient! I would like to get on a few panels to try and influence things. My first attempt a few years ago got nowhere but it became apparent the patient representative was known in advance but a fair selection process had to be presented. Reminded me of applying for jobs that were advertised but the person who would get the job already known!
No known heart condition but finding the heat almost unbearable. Generating a lot of heat myself, everything I sit on is hot. Curtains drawn Need a shower every 10 minutes, Wandering in and out of garden. Moderate COPD and cannot breath soupy air. Bring on lower humidity and air con
Par for the course with me as I live in Thailand and had a triple by-pass 4 weeks ago. Without aircon on I sweat more than normal/ feel breathless if I jump up outa the chair and start to do something without doing a bit of callestenics.
Have to do my daily exercise walk before 7am in the morning but I'm still drenched in sweat when I get back home. Doesn't seem to give me problems with heart rate though and I can still feel the walk (up to 3.7 km now) does me a lot of good mentally (greeting all the farmers/talking to all the soi dogs) as well as physically.
Feel sorry for all my fellow Europeans now having to cope with Thai-style tropical temperatures but with no culture of air conditioning and decent fans presumably like gold dust. It's about 35 degrees here between May and September. We get used to only using aircon intermittently during the afternoon and evening and otherwise relying on powerful floor fans (including overnight), but it is comforting to know that temperatures can be brought down quickly if needs be.
Must be a great business being an independent aircon installer in Europe these days!
Wow I cant even imagine how you manage in the heat over there with having your exercises ect!
It is such a downfall being a country with no AC like soooo many others! We just aren't prepared for hot temperatures at all. Many shops I have been to had sold out of fans too, even then the fan I have isnt particularly great haha!
I'm unsure if the heat is effecting my heart rate as I don't have a monitor but I would be quite interested to find out!
I just use the timer on my mobile phone for heart rate.
Let you left arm relax on a chair arm (or the sofa next to where you are sitting with open elbow and palm open and upwards. Place the index and middle finger of your right hand (that's the two fingers nearest to your thumb) across your left wrist so that the pads of those fingers rest on the left side of your wrist. Now concentrate on feeling for a pulse - move your two fingers around a bit until you can feel it.
One you are confident you can feel a pulse quite quickly, set your timer for 45 seconds and immediately feel for a pulse. If you have found it quite quickly then wait for the timer to show 30 secs and start counting the pulses. Stop counting when the timer sounds having reached zero. Double up the number of pulses you counted and hey presto, heart rate.
Ask a friend to help if something I've said is not quite clear (or ask any nurse to show you).
I was told by my cardio rehab doctor that I should target taking exercise such that on concluding my session my heart rate is around 30 beats per minute higher than my resting heart rate. I can't get there with walking, without risking aggravating my osteoarthritic hips (resting rate 60 and usually rate is 77 to 80 after walking 45 mins at about 5.0 kmph). One for me to discuss with her when I see her again in 10 days time. On reflection - maybe she said no more than 30 beats more
Sorry 😂. What I meant to send was - I’ve had no pain since, it was just a blow as I thought I was out of the woods. It’s not good half expecting to kick the bucket at any second all the time 😞.
Spare a thought for we Australian “hearties”! I now have three stents following a ha 3 years ago, with two installed recently after a bout of unstable angina and breathlessness. It is the “dead” of winter here (haha) and we have just established an unenviable record, with 10 days straight with temperatures over 20 degrees each day!
Can’t wait for summer and inevitable return to regular 40 degree days! (Groan). Thank God for air conditioning and will have to factor in another flight to Europe soon! Hang in there Brits!
No it is a fact. I have ways enjoyed the heat but now can't cope at all. I was managing quite well indoors yesterday (38c here in shade) until went outside to get something from the freezer. Came in feeling sick and fainted right out. We need to be very careful. Take care. Xxx
People with illnesses may find it difficult to cope in warm weather. Heard these tips on the radio - rinse your pulse points under cold water, close your windows, believe it or not, draw your curtains, place your sheets in plastic bags and leave in freezer for a short period, don't drink anything hot or exercise before bedtime if you are finding it difficult to sleep at night and keep hydrated.
I sweat loads, before being diagnosed with heart condition I thought it was just normal but initially after taking heart meds my sweating decreased dramatically, now it’s back to heavy & really bad a at the moment now it’s hot, i go out for a walk & im soaked! I’ve mentioned this to my docs but they don’t seam to think it’s heart related & I just have to live with it, Are they wrong?
funny but my hot flushes stopped when I started with all my meds but they changed my BP pills when I had a persistant cough but unfortunately the flushes are returning. I used to take sage tablets to control my overheating. Good luck ...
I woke up several times TUesday night. I was ok in bed but the minute I got out it was like someone turned a tap on and my face and neck just poured sweat until it was dripping off. Had to go tothe GP Wednesday and sat talking to him mopping sweat that was running down my face. I don't understand why it's just my face and neck that sweat though. 2 minutes outdoors is as much as I can take. I'm barely leaving the fan in the living room.
I felt exactly like you yesterday, perspiration was pouring off me yesterday, I did everything I could think of, three cool showers, plenty to drink, even a packet of crisps, plus using a fan most of the day but still I felt distressed.
When we sweat so much I wonder about our balance of potassium, salt etc so I keep in a packet of dioralyte which I take if I think I'm a bit dehydrated; not every day, just now and then.
Yes, I don't use salt at all in cooking; haven't for y ears since hubby's BP went up and he insisted on putting a teaspoon of salt on every meal but I think in this heat our electrolyte balance can get upset and dioralyte does help.
I wonder how you coped with heat before the operation? I spent much time in the Far East and the Persian Gulf and since I am dark haired with a dark skin - just dark almost Mediterranean, was able to deal with it with ease and to tan evenly and easily without any sun cream. That remained so up until I was 68. I then began to feel tired by the sun and activity was difficult. Then open heart surgery last May and now back to normal again, although high temperatures do tire me. I am only guessing but with a snip of logic I think my feelings at 68 were due to blood slowing, volume not the same, not being infused with oxygen - due to blocked arteries and after the operation, my system returned to normal with the plumbing working correctly with super flow through the veins. I was told by a wise man that if you run as cold as possible water onto your wrists, by the place your watch would sit, will cool you down very quickly since there are two arteries in the wrist and the running water will aid the cooling of the blood. I still wear shorts and flip flops in the garden and in this weather sleep on top of the bed with windows (upstairs only at night) wide open. Hot and cold food as hot and cold drinks make little difference, other than hot drinks cook you quicker than cold ones since hot opens the pores that help you perspire. Another tip is about drinking enough water. When dehydrated ones urine becomes very dark and smelly for most of your inner water is being used to perspire. The darker the pee the more dehydrated you are. You should be aiming for at least one pee a day being as light as possible (light straw I believe the medical term is) and if you cannot do that, you need to drink more water, or flavoured sugar free water. Heat fatigue can also be an age thing with tolerance levels lowering as we age. Buy a fan, damp cold flanel on the back of the neck, putting feet in cold water - but must be above the ankles, so the water gets to the arteries. The Spanish have the right idea, have a sleep in the afternoon and work later in the day when it cools down - mad dogs and Englishmen stay out in the mid day sun - I'm Scottish. After all that, the temperatures we are dealing with here these past few days is extreme and we are unused to them (not acclimatised) and unless we spend more time in extreme weather or the temps go down, this level of temperature will cause almost everyone problems - what I have tried to do is to show some coping mechanisms. It does beet the winter though!
Wow thank you so much for all your in depth information, I honestly really appreciate it and will definitely be trying some of those tips out!
Before my surgery, I have never really been able to deal with heat very well, I would always sweat and feel uncomfortable in the heat but since my surgery it has just been a whole other level!
My surgery was last March in Birmingham when they had the worst snow in years. Everyone was freezing and I was that overly hot they had to find me a fan. Now, the heat just makes me feel physically sick, headaches, dizziness and excessive sweating to the point I have to change my clothes!
I do try to drink water, however it just goes straight through me. I could have a glass of water and wont be able to stop peeing all day! So I tend to drink juice throughout the day as much as I can.
I tend to brush it off and say I'm Welsh and just not built for the heat but it concerned me after Yesterday so I definitely feel a bit relieved after all these replies!
This chap has developed Jelly Drops to help people with dementia drink more. They are not just Jellies filled with water, they are solid but allow fluid into the system more slowly so they are better absorbed. Might be helpful for people who find it just goes straight through and would help rehydrate people. facebook.com/watch/?v=26428.... I imagine they'd feel a lot more comfortable than a stomach full of water which makes me feel physically sick.
Oh wow that sounds like its definitely worth a try! I'm the same, I feel so sick after water and I just can't stop going to the toilet even off one glass! I will definitely check them out, thank you!
Afraid they are not yet for sale but hopefully shoudl be soon. I wish we'd had them for my mother in law; in hospital terribly dehydrated yet never put on a drip and her water was at the end of the bed where she couldn't reach.
I felt the same yesterday and reading your post now made me understand why i was like that even went swimming drank like no tomorrow feeling like puking and to use extra dose of water retention med to get the excess water out same have started today again. I guess we just have to figure a way to keep cool try hand towel in cold water place around your neck or forehead good luck.
Hi apparently everybody's heart has to work harder in hot weather to pump blood to the skin to cool it down and if your heart is weak it will make you feel really ill .
When I lived in a hot country we had ac fans but when it went cold we had heaters so I suggest anyone who feels they can’t cope should buy fans or mini ac s
You are not overreacting at all, the heart has to work so much harder in the heat, for us with a heart condition in can feel like doing a marathon; some people actually find the cold worse for their heart wellbeing, although I personally like it cool and hate the heat. Drink lots, remember to take your medication and pace yourself, also washing your wrists and neck in cool water can help to bring your body temp down a bit and make you feel more comfortable.
I struggle with heat full stop. My Thyroid is under-active ( so my body has no thermostat regulator) the slightest increase in weather and I pour sweat. It’s embarrassing, so I just start apologising when in company.
I found since my heart attack... the sweating really drips off me, but I have been induced into early menopause. ( extra hormones HRT)
I do drink plenty of water / cold drinks because I can feel my tongue dry out and that’s uncomfortable.
To stop drinking until I feel like I am going to explode, I am using ice lollies, it quenches my thirst/ heat better.( cools me down)
I wear light clothing, sandals or flip flops and stay close to the shade.
I can see where loving- life ( posted below) has said the BHF has a link to why us people with heart conditions get like this and has some recommendations. I really hope this helps.
If you feel you can’t cope, please run it by your GP.
Hi. I live in Malta and our summer's are HOT - Regular temps. July and August are in low 40°s. It's a nightmare. I had my first stroke here in August 2018, which led to the finding that I had a heart problem, and YES I truly believe the heat has a BIG part to play.
I had 3 stents put in this July, closely followed by having air-conditioning put it !!
It totally changed my world and although I'm still sick, I don't feel like I'm about to die of heatstroke and spend all my time dreading the following summer.
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anyone else feel like they are struggling in the hot weather
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