“My colleagues and I sometimes joke that coastal doctors and cardiologists have a real working year in the summer. A lot of people come to the seaside region, so doctors working in this place have a bigger load compared to other times of the year,” said a doctor working at the Panevėžys Republican Hospital.
Challenges include dehydration and malnutrition
According to K. Bumblauskas, cardiovascular diseases should be divided into several subgroups. The doctor differentiates between people with arterial hypertension, ischemic heart disease, those with heart rhythm disorders and those with heart failure.
“Some patients with arterial hypertension take blood pressure-lowering drugs in the summer in smaller doses or do not take them at all, because when it is hot, the blood pressure can drop by itself when the body cools down, when the small blood vessels expand, more blood flows to the surface of the skin, the face and the whole body become redder.
But there is another part of patients diagnosed with heart failure, rhythm disorders. Due to the exhausting heat and stuffiness, they sweat more, fluid imbalance occurs, their legs swell more, which can be tiring,” said the doctor.
According to him, even more serious patients with higher functional class insufficiency avoid the heat – they are less likely to be outside, especially during the day, when the main symptoms of their disease become apparent: increasing shortness of breath, fatigue, weakness.
“In the summer, patients with acute diseases, such as blood clots, are more likely to encounter health problems. “People sweat a lot, drink little fluids, it’s stuffy, their blood thickens a little, and as a result, there is a slightly higher risk of blood clots, which lead to stroke or heart attack, pulmonary embolism,” continued the interventional cardiologist.
K. Bumblauskas singles out another challenge – nutrition. On the one hand, the consumption of fruits and vegetables increases during the summer period. However, Lithuanians are also fond of fried and smoked food, which increases the level of bad cholesterol, the risk of atherosclerosis (accumulation of fatty deposits in the artery walls), can stimulate inflammation in the body, and become the cause of increased blood pressure.
Lithuanians also like mushrooms, which are hard-to-digest food. Because of this, stress can be caused to the body, which can turn into inflammation, which is considered another risk factor for increased cardiovascular disease.
Also, when digestion slows down, certain nutrients may not be properly absorbed, including B vitamins and minerals important for heart health.
“Inadequate amounts of food can often affect the state of health. It is even worse if a large amount of food is mixed with a large amount of alcohol. We notice that stomach problems often worsen during the summer period, not to mention poisonings,” the doctor added.
First aid
As K. Bumblauskas points out, the first aid to your health in summer is adequate fluid intake. According to him, patients often do not maintain fluid balance, do not assess the peculiarities of movement, profuse sweating.
“When it comes to fluid balance, it is very important to note that coffee, alcoholic, carbonated drinks, which contain a lot of sugar, do not contribute to the maintenance of fluid balance. Pure water helps to maintain fluid balance, he emphasized. – In the summer, people sunbathe and don’t drink enough fluids, they suffer from heatstroke and sunstroke, which worsens the condition of people with chronic diseases.
Especially those whose health is not ideal should avoid sunbathing, do not spend a lot of time in direct sunlight, prefer the shade. People are responsible for their own health.”
People with cardiovascular problems should also regularly take their prescribed cholesterol-lowering drugs – statins. Because the effect of these drugs is only manifested when they are used regularly. “The consumption process must be continuous, the time of year does not really affect their consumption. Such medicines must be taken continuously and regularly,” said the doctor.
For those facing shortness of breath, the specialist recommends taking into account the nature of the symptoms first. If there is an acute, sudden onset of shortness of breath, accompanied by chest pains, anxiety and the process suddenly worsens, you need to respond to it quickly – call an ambulance, go to the reception department immediately.
“However, most people develop chronic breathlessness. A person notices that ordinary physical exertion becomes unbearable.
For example, if earlier a person could easily walk several kilometers from home to the store without stopping, now he has to stop because of lack of air. If this happens repeatedly, you should consult a family doctor and perform basic tests.
There are many causes of shortness of breath. Some of them are caused by cardiological diseases, some by vascular diseases, and some by lung diseases. Shortness of breath can also be caused by other diseases. Everything is assessed by a specialist and the patient is guided in the right direction,” concluded the cardiologist.
2024-08-23 20:47:34