hot weather and its effects for us hearties

[uzininemm]

Thought this article on how the body (heart) reacts to hot weather would be a good reminder for everyone .

bbc.co.uk/news/health-66249805

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

The BHF has a web page about hot weather and your heart:

bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo...

it includes a link to a "Fluid restriction for heart failure (HF) in hot weather"

You can always ring the BHF nurses for advice on 0300 330 3311

I find the main issue, for me, is that the heat dilates the blood vessels and with my combination of Lisinopril and Bicorporal BP can drop enough to cause symptoms of hypotension! ☹️

+1 hour - Edited for failed link...

[jeanjeannie50]

That was interesting to read, especially as it was really hot where I live yesterday. I walked up very steep hills and steps to get home and felt totally drained all afternoon. I usually walk down to the town and catch the bus home, but my watch was 10 minutes slow so I missed it.

I wont be doing that again.

Jean

[Beta70]

That is brilliant information. Thank you.

[MummaSoap]

Hi Uzi

Thank you for sharing this; really interesting!

Definitely worth reading, I especially liked the infographic about differences between heat exhaustion and heatstroke - I even took a screenshot for future reference 😁

I used to love the sun but I just can’t handle it now. I had to abandon weeding my garden yesterday because it got too much for me and I was feeling dizzy!

Best wishes

Soap 🧼

[Instructor57]

Interesting!Thanks for posting

[Yumz199725]

Wow that's such an interesting article thanks for sharing. The heat affected me so bad! Got heat exhausten just from being outside for bout 15mins and it seriously affected my voice could hardly talk!

[devonian186]

Can I add context to that excellent article and especially about the heart needing to pump more blood? Firstly, being overweight has a dramatic effect on us and our ability to cool down as again our heart needs to pump much more blood as the article below shows;

Secondly, Relative Humidity is often very much higher in the UK than that quoted as we are an island. Outside its been raining again and is around 99% ,indoors its 65%. (we live close to the sea)

Lastly, the Temperatures given in the UK are shade temperatures. In direct bright hot sun a shade temperature of 25C will very often be 20C hotter. The biggest difference i Have measured is 25C hotter in the sun than the shade temperature in June. In other words an already warm day at 24C becomes 49C The article:

"Fat is not an inert substance. It is a very active substance that puts out a lot of chemicals that damage our arteries," says Dr. Kopecky. "Fat damages our body tissues. It actually makes our bodies less sensitive to insulin so we're more prone to being a diabetic."

And extra fat makes your circulatory system work overtime.

"Every pound of weight we put on is 5 miles of blood vessels. If your heart beats 100,000 times a day, that's 500,000 miles a day for one pound of fat," says Dr. Kopecky. "So you do the math. If you're 10 pounds overweight, it's a lot and your heart gets tired. The blood pressure goes up. The heart attack rates go up, etc."

[NotAllWhoWonder]

I usually tend to avoid sensationalist articles about the weather. The Italian one was particularly interesting because the news was claiming that the temperature had hit 49C - I asked my friend, who lives in Sicily, what it really was: 38C. Uncomfortable, she she said, because it’s on an island, but manageable. The trick they’re employing is that they’re now giving surface temperature instead of air temperature, clearly in an attempt to scare us.

Here in the UK, heatwaves can be really bad for us hearties because of the humidity - I almost started panicking last year when it supposedly hit 40C because I felt like I couldn’t breathe. The most important thing to remember is that heat makes our blood thicker due to dehydration, and as all hearties know, thick blood is bad, so stay hydrated and stay cool!

Thankfully, that’s not a problem in the UK this year!

[devonian186 in reply to NotAllWhoWonder]

They are also using unofficial sites that meet none of the criteria set by the WMO.

We had the same with our so called UK record last year taken at a working RAf airfield as jets took off with a reading lasting 60 seconds. Similarly high temperatures often set at Heathrow are nonsense.

Which doesn't get away from the fact that a hot day can affect us and being in the sun itself will make it much hotter

[uzininemm in reply to NotAllWhoWonder]

Considering this was done in a scientific way and a controlled environment I don't consider this sensationalist at all and I don't go around posting sensationalist clap trap anyway.

As for your comment in regards to Italy, I don't see the point you are making in regards to the temperature in Sicily, there are regional variations in every country.

All this does is reinforce what BHF says in their articles about hot weather affects people with heart conditions.

Anyhow, it is up to the individual what they choose to do.

[NotAllWhoWonder in reply to uzininemm]

I mentioned Sicily because the article that was doing the rounds was about Italy, and they specifically showed Sicily’s temperatures as some of the highest, which we know not to be true.

It wasn’t a dig at your post, just a warning to hearties to not just believe everything they see on the news. They don’t always have our best interest at heart (excuse the pun).

[Thanksnhs]

Thanks for posting it is a very informative and very true article. I live in Scotland and we are very rarely bothered with the heat, it's mostly rain and wind but we really feel the heat when we go on holiday. Last year we went to Ibiza the heat and humidity were crippling I could hardly breathe and I couldn't do anything it was in the high 30's which was a pity as it's a beautiful island. This year we were more careful we are just back from northern Italy and the weather was perfect what a difference, temp was mostly between 27 and 30 with a few spectacular thunder storms to clear the air it made such a difference to me and my ticker. Char

[Art-99]

a really interesting article. I live in Cyprus so have been experiencing exceptionally high temperatures this summer. I often compare weather forecasts with my daughter who lives in the south of England and it’s surprising that humidity levels are so much higher there than in Cyprus, it certainly doesn’t feel like it. My main struggle with this extreme heat is it’s impossible to be active during the day except by running the AC. It doesn’t bother my husband so much as he will happily spend hours reading a paper or watching tv. He has more problems coping with cold damp weather which makes him breathless. It’s nearly three years since I had OHS to replace a mitral valve and although the op was successful I developed a kidney problem, was put on dialysis and spent two months in ICU and CCU , followed by 5 weeks rehabilitation to rebuild my strength. So this enforced inactivity I now find extremely frustrating, although I do attend a yoga class once a week.

[SuperFluff in reply to Art-99]

Totally agree regarding the enforced inactivity. It is driving me potty! I currently live in southern Turkey and it is too hot to move. Currently sitting in front of a fan! Need to exercise as I have mitral valve regurgitation. Swimming daily but not enough. Moved here from UK not knowing I had a heart problem. Rest of year, weather a bonus for getting out and about though. Looking forward to September!

[Art-99]

thanks for your reply. We moved here 11 years ago , no health issues, my leaky valve picked up by chance 4 years ago, no symptoms! I wish you well, things should start to cool down towards the end of August.