{"id":2600392,"date":"2021-07-21T14:35:54","date_gmt":"2021-07-21T18:35:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.futurity.org\/?p=2600392"},"modified":"2021-07-21T14:35:54","modified_gmt":"2021-07-21T18:35:54","slug":"heart-health-summer-heat-2600392","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.futurity.org\/heart-health-summer-heat-2600392\/","title":{"rendered":"10 ways to keep your heart healthy in summer heat"},"content":{"rendered":"

With high temperatures and humidity, it’s important to protect your heart from the hazards of the summer heat.<\/p>\n

On Chen<\/a>, interventional cardiologist and director of the CCU and Telemetry Units, Outpatient Cardiology Services, and the Lipid Program at Stony Brook Medicine, has some suggestions to help you stay heart-safe all summer long.<\/p>\n

People with an existing heart condition need to be careful with warmer<\/a> temperatures, but even a healthy heart can be put under stress when temperatures climb.<\/p>\n

Here are some tips for helping to make your summer heart-safe:<\/p>\n

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  1. Hydrate.<\/strong> Drinking plenty of water helps regulate your temperature, helps your heart pump more easily, and keeps all your organs functioning properly. Remember to drink before you are thirsty, and avoid alcohol and caffeinated beverages, which can dehydrate the body. Some common heart medications can make you more vulnerable to high heat and increase your hydration needs. Talk to your doctor about your specific hydration needs.<\/li>\n
  2. Staying cool.<\/strong> If you don’t have access to air conditioning, cold compresses (an ice-pack or ice-water filled bottle) applied to your pulse points\u2014the areas where your veins are closest to your skin’s surface, including wrists, neck, temples, and armpits\u2014can help you cool down.<\/li>\n
  3. Eat water-rich foods.<\/strong> You get about 20% of your water from the foods you eat. A hot-weather diet that emphasizes cold soups, salads, and fruits can both satisfy hunger and provide extra fluid. Strawberries, watermelon, peaches, cucumbers, celery, tomatoes, peppers, and spinach are all fruits and veggies that are 90% or more water.<\/li>\n
  4. Know heat illness warning signs.<\/strong> Spending too much time in extreme heat may lead to heat exhaustion and, in turn, heatstroke, two serious heat-related illnesses in which your body can’t control its temperature.\n