Hi everyone..Needing some help with this topic..I have an Aortic Root dilation and ascending, been diagnosed since March 2023..I know one have explain to me how cold weather and windy conditions have an impact on the heart..This morning I was out clearing the snow from my roof garden and after about 15 minutes being out side I started to get a tight chest and started to get extremely anxious so I came indoors to warm up, that was 730am this morning. I started to feel heart fluttering but my heart rate was only 78bpm..Iam still feeling lightheaded and strange, to be honest iam not feeling very well at all, when i try to explain to family members, but they just tell me not to be silly, I don't really get any comfort. I still have an ear infection of the ear canal in both ears which has been going on since the 12th of September. I have to wait until the 11th December to see a doctor about my ears again. Iam not having agood day to be honest, iam also started to feel Anxious again about going to Benidorm in January 12th 2025. Iam really scared about flying and the impact it might have on my body because the Arotic Root Dilation and ascending, I have found out some information on line about cabin pressure and it states that the pressure inside the cabin like being at 6000 to 8000 above sea level. Knowing my cardiology consultant appointment is now in February I can't ask any questions about flying. I had my echo done it the beginning of October and I was supposed to get my results in November but clinic I go to has been cancelled for that day. I haven't been sleeping while and started to get Anxiety issues when sleeping now. Iam really sorry I have gone of the subject about cold weather and feeling anxious. I just needed to get this feeling out in the open, I having a really bad day today and iam hopefully someone out there can help with my situation. I hate feeling like this. Please help 🙏
Feeling uneasy because of cold weather - British Heart Fou...
Feeling uneasy because of cold weather
Hi jay I am sorry that you are feeling the stress of it all. I don't have your condition myself but I know about the anxiety around these issues. I normally try to be positive about these things but I can't help asking, do you really want to go on this holiday, is it worth it? If it were me, I would seek the GPs opinion on going, on three counts - the stress, your heart and your ear infection.
Anyway, that's just me (born worrying) - perhaps others with actual knowledge will be more reassuring!
The truth is, I don't want to let the family down by not going on this holiday. We went to Benidorm January this year, I experience overwhelmed experience and anxiety through out the flight because I kept on getting fluttering in the chest. We We landed my heart rate kept on going up and down, it took a few days and try and relax. I know deep down having too many health problems is stopping me from going.
Hi JayJay
I really felt for you reading your message. I too have a dilated aortic root and have done for years but consultant not concerned as hasn’t moved. I have travelled to Australia 4 times with this and all fine. I also had an echo in October at the beginning and after chasing have only just heard all ok and I’m planning to book Australia for March and will be 77 when I eventually go. Try not to stress that’s the worst and easier said than done. If I were you I’d pay and go and see a cardiologist privately. You can spend time and get answers to your worries hopefully. I have Afib as well as the aneurism and have done this over the years costs approximately £250. Worth every penny! Don’t worry! x
Im new to this site but in answer to jayjay Ive found you have to be very careful with the cold weather I always wear a mask and a scarf covering my mouth so your breathing in warm air My doctor told me this a couple of years ago
I have Heart Failure and had a Pacemaker fitted last year but to be honest Ive been soo breathless since my Pacemaker was fitted has anyone else experienced this ? Ive just recently had a heart scan and tests done as Im always telling my doctor Im soo breathless ( worse in the cold weather ) Im awaiting results I was never breathless before until I got my pacemaker fitted . Ive been ambulanced to Hospital a few times because Ive been soo breathless hence why tests are being done .
Yes the cold affects us differently now then when fully fit. As for flying. I flew to Pakistan the day after my Diagnoses against medical advice. I went with the attitude how time on earth was written at birth. Whether I am here or there. It would not matter. If our time on earth is up it will be up. If not I will return to the UK and continue treatment. Over 1 year later I am still here. I didn’t have any major issues with air pressure.
You may not mind having a major cardiac incident in the air but it will be a major inconvenience for everyone else as the captain would have to land the plane
That's not going to stop me living my life. I am at a place in my life I am not worrying about inconveniencing others. And the fact you are trying to guilt trip people makes you rediculous. You live in a box if you wish but life is for the living
I'm sorry, I was not attempting to "guilt trip" you or anyone else - but it is important to take responsibility for our actions, particularly when they affect others
But if we lived life worrying how our actions will impact others. We will not be able to live we will only exist. If we collapse on the street or a bus or supermarket or even at home we will inconvenience others. At this point we need to live our lives to the fullest. Tomorrow is not Garenteed. So I am not going to inconvenience myself to please others
It is possible to live a full life while behaving considerately and responsibly - but since you seem determined to have a good time in spite of how it affects others I hope that you never encounter medical staff who feel the same way when you need their care
Cold does affect the heart esp.with Hypertension. You are anxious because you are waiting,which is hard for us all.It's natural. Please ring 111 if you need help and trust your body.
Going to Benidorm would send me over the edge and I'm pretty stress free usually.
Do you not have contact email for cardiologist secretary? If not then try see gp
I have already spoken with the cardiology secretary, they can only pass on your message but they never get back to you. Which is very disappointing. My mental health is not in a very good place at the moment. I don't know what else I can do for support
I was lucky the secretary always gets back to me
I am not medically qualified, but I would say waiting until Dec 11th in connection with an ear infection isn’t a good idea unless you’ve been told that the condition is stable and it’s safe to wait that long. Go to A and E if you have to, frustrating as that may be.
I went to see the nurse last Friday and they said they can not give me anything else medication wise because I have tryed everything for my ear canal infection. I have an ENT referral but the appointment date has not been confirmed yet, but this is the follow up appointment as I had my polyps removed from my nose on August 13th..I can not going much longer with all these health issues going on, I don't know what else I can do
Think of yourself as Goldilocks. The weather needs to be JUST right! Neither too hot, nor too cold, nor too windy, nor too wet.
The heart works harder to get the body to equilibrium when there are extremes. In cold weather it is useful to wear a snood or scarf to cover at least your mouth and ideally your nose. As you adjust to the outside temperature, if the cold is not too severe you should be able to remove them. Wind will undoubtedly have an impact and again a face covering can mitigate this.
My consultant told me I was Ok to fly. I don't know your condition but you certainly need to get reassurance from someone who knows your case.
I was anxious about taking my first flight after a quad bypass. Not only the flight but the sheer hassle of getting to an airport and transiting through it. So I went to my local airport Exeter-where the hassle is minimal-and flew 25 minutes to Guernsey. That encouraged me to subsequently take the flight to Salzburg from Bristol. I was fine but we are all different so you need medical reassurance.
Incidentally, I assume Benidorm will not be that hot in January but direct sun on the body raises the temperature dramatically. For example Bright sun in the UK may give a shade temperature of 25C but an actual temperature in the direct sun of 45C or more. So be a bit cautious about lying out in it.
I'm pretty settled ( I think?) even then shovelling some snow started my angina! So I sat down a bit then carried on. I think it's pointless complaining to others all the time, sometimes you just have to bite your lip, bare it and get on with it.
I was diagnosed with a dilated ascending arota and root in August 2017. Although the size has increased slightly it is still within guidelines for not needing surgery yet. I am also in permeant AF and have been for over 8 years. I live a normal life,have travelled the world, was lucky enough to do two road trips across the USA. I stayed in Death Valley in California when the temperatures were 53 degrees C. I decided early in my diagnosis that I wouldn't let any of my health issues define me.
I am now 77 and still enjoying life. I am being monitored on a yearly basis for the Ascending Dilated Aorta so I let the medical team worry about it, while I get on with living. We can worry our life away and that is a personal choice, for me I refuse to waste what life I have left worrying. We are all different and I wish you all the best on your journey. Roy
Others have already responded to your health queries, so I will address a different aspect: do you have insurance cover for this trip? If you have ongoing travel insurance have you informed them about your ear infection and other conditions which are under investigation? These might affect your cover or premium
I also suspect that you would prefer to stay at home and I feel that you need to be honest with your family about your concerns - going on a trip you are not going to enjoy is not likely to lead to a happy experience for anyone
you get to Benidorm those blue skies warm sunshine and cheap Spanish plonk..that’ll reduce anxiety end help with health tremendously
We all cope with our medical conditions in different ways. You can live in fear of what could happen, you can pretend everything is fine or do a mix. I use the ' feel the fear but do it anyway ' approach.
You do what gives you the best life.
Good luck
I was diagnosed with dilated aortic root in 2015 and spent the next two years being really anxious. My condition was found “accidentally” when the doctor found a heart murmur and is stable. I no longer worry but am careful. Cold weather does give me a tight chest so I am careful to avoid being out in the cold too long or doing anything strenuous outside in cold weather. I have flown to Australia 3 times since diagnosis with no problems. Hopefully your condition will be settle and you will be able to relax and enjoy life again. Good luck.
Feeling overwhelmed
Cold Weather Blues
Valium for the flight
In need of ascending aorta advice.
