Winter Alert for Hypertension Patients

"During cold weather, the body restricts blood flow in an effort to maintain temperature and retain heat," said Dr Manpreet Singh Bindra, Chief Cardiologist at Cardio Life Care, Ludhiana.

"In return, the survival mechanism restricts blood movement and causes blood pressure to rise." Dr. Bindra suggests the following winter weather tips:-

•Minimize outdoor activity. 
•Dress in several layers of loose-fitting wool, silk, or polypropylene clothing.
•Always get your head covered with turban/scalf/hat or mufler. 
•Wear mittens instead of gloves.
•Eat well-balanced meals.
•Avoid alcohol and caffeine because they cause the body to lose heat more rapidly.

Dr. Bindra notes that about five percent of patients in Punjab suffer from a vascular condition known as Raynaud's Phenomenon, in which cold temperatures or strong emotions cause blood vessel spasms that block blood flow to the fingers, toes, ears, and nose. People who have this heightened sensitivity to cold experience numbing of the fingers, toes, lips, nose, and ears, their body parts become red, white, or blue due to a shrinking of blood vessels and limited blood flow.

Raynaud's Phenomenon usually affects household working women. Smoking, some heart and blood medications and migraine medications can cause primary Raynaud's Phenomenon.

As the temperature is falling rapidly, we are getting hypertension patients with aggravation of symptoms in routine, said Dr. Bindra.

So patients are being advised to follow diet and regimen instruction to avoid any complications in coming winter days.

He further noted that Homoeopathy is best and safe of all in Hypertension as most of the patients suffering from High Blood Pressure are in high risk of side effects and withdrawl effects of Hypertension Allopathy Medicines. Once a patient starts allopathic medicine for Hypertension, he has to take it for whole life and it becomes addiction for the patient. Other side Homoeopathy Medicine has to be given for short duration of time and once patient recovers well, all medications are stopped with immediate effect and patients can live for so many years without any re-currence of symptoms and without any side effects or withdrawl effects, patient lives stress free and healthy life ahead.

Source: http://drbindras.wix.com/clc3795#!newswinter-alert/clwm

Preventing Winter Heart Attacks

Winter is high time for heart attacks. Before you go out to shovel snow or start your new exercise routine, learn about your personal heart attack risk.

Exactly why winter is prime time for heart attack is still an evolving story, but many theories exist and possibly overlap. During the winter months, "there is a change in the ratio of daylight hours to dark hours, which changes the hormonal balance, and the hormones involved, such as cortisol, can lower the threshold for a cardiovascular event".

But that's not all that's going on. Cold temperatures cause arteries to tighten, restricting blood flow and reducing the oxygen supply to the heart, all of which can set the stage for a heart attack.

"In cold weather, there is more oxygen demand by the heart because it is working harder to do the work and maintain body heat,".

studies have shown that heart attacks and complications related to heart disease occur more frequently in the morning hours.

Research suggests that the early-morning rise in blood pressure, or "a.m. surge," that occurs in most people may dramatically increase the risk of having a heart attack or stroke.

This shift of activities to morning hours adds to the normal circadian variation in mornings --further increasing heart rate, blood pressure, and the hormones that lower the threshold for a cardiovascular event,".