For those who have coronary artery disease, or at risk for developing the disease, those hazy, hot and humid days can be potentially life-threatening. With approximately 9 million patients in the U.S. having symptoms, angina is a serious condition occurring when there is reduced blood flow to the heart and can serve as a precursor to a future heart attack.

Sweating is one of the ways your body rids itself of excess heat. But as temperatures climb into the 80s and beyond and the humidity into the 70s, there’s so much water vapor in the air that sweating (evaporation) becomes increasingly difficult and your heart, in trying to cool your body down, winds up working overtime.

Further attempting to shed heat, your body re-routes blood flow from the warmer environment of your internal organs to the cooler surface of your skin (radiation), causing your heart to beat faster and pump harder and putting significantly more strain on not just your heart but on your lungs, kidneys and cardiovascular system. And the higher the uptick in heat and humidity, the greater the burden on your heart and the greater the risk.In fact, on a hot day your heart may have to pump two to four times as much blood each minute as it does on a cool day.

Some easy but effective strategies for staying heart-safe this summer:

Keep cool. Stay indoors or in the shade as much as possible during peak sun hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Chilled air is the best way to cope with the heat. If you don't have access to air conditioning, spending an hour or two in a movie theater or indoor mall can help. Cold compresses (an ice-pack or ice-water filled bottle) applied to your ‘pulse points’—the areas where your veins are closest to your skin’s surface, including wrists, neck, temples and armpits — can assist in cooling down.

Extreme exertion, whether in hot weather or not, can bring on angina.

Stay hydrated. Hydration helps the heart to more easily pump blood. Drink water before, during and after going outside in hot weather. Don’t wait until you feel thirsty. Avoid caffeine and alcohol as both of these may increase dehydration. And, be mindful of sports drinks that may contain high amounts of caffeine and/or salt as they have the potential to place stress on the heart. Speak with your doctor about the amount of water you should be drinking. A general recommendation is to drink one glass of water per hour.

Eat water-rich foods. You get about 20 percent 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 90 percent or more water.

Protect your skin. Sunburn affects your body’s ability to cool down and increases dehydration. Wear a wide-brimmed hat, wraparound sunglasses, and lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing. Apply plenty of broad-spectrum or UVA/UVB protection sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher to all exposed skin 30 minutes before going out. Reapply every couple of hours.

While anyone’s health can be at risk in extreme heat, soaring temperatures and humidity are particularly stressful for those who already have a weakened heart. In addition to individuals with heart disease, hot weather precautions are especially important if you’re an older adult, are overweight, have a history of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, lung or kidney disease or stroke.

Medications such as diuretics (water pills), beta blockers, anti-depressants, antihistamines and decongestants may also make you more vulnerable to the heat.

Apart from the summer sun, however, anything that causes an individual with coronary artery disease to need more blood or oxygen, can result in chest pain. Risk factors include physical exertion, emotional stress, extreme cold, heavy meals, excessive alcohol and smoking. It is important to talk with your doctor to fully understand your individual risk factors.

Losing too much fluid can increase your internal body temperature, which, if left untreated, can be life-threatening. While under certain conditions, anyone may be vulnerable to heatstroke (also called sunstroke), those with heart disease and other cardiovascular diseases don’t adapt as readily and are at greater risk.

Red flags indicating your body isn't keeping up with the heat include a high fever; rapid heart-rate and pulse, dry, flushed skin with no sweating; dizziness; throbbing headache; nausea and/or vomiting; confusion and loss of consciousness.

Heatstroke is a serious medical emergency. Call 911 immediately. Quickly move to a cooler place, use cold compresses, do not drink anything.

 

Making Every Minute Count

The key to avoiding damage to your heart, is getting treated as quickly as possible. Angina is often the first symptom of heart disease, but in addition to chest pain, discomfort can also occur in such easy-to-ignore places as your shoulders, arms, neck, jaw, abdomen or back. Angina may even appear to be indigestion.

Although for some people their chest pain symptoms might be ongoing but stable for years, for others, there are no red flags at all — allowing blood flow to eventually become completely blocked and a heart attack to occur out of seemingly nowhere.

“If you’re experiencing chest pain symptoms, the Stony Brook Chest Pain Center is where you want to be,” says Dr. Pyo. “Our dedicated heart care specialists and state-of-the-art advances in critical protocols are a powerful combination that can save critical treatment time when it matters most.”

Don’t take chances with chest pain. If you or a loved one experience any red flag symptoms, don’t wait; call 9-1-1 and get help.

To see a Stony Brook chest pain specialist, call the Chest Pain Center at Stony Brook Heart Institute at (631) 44-HEART (444-3278).

Highest-level accreditation. Recognized by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) for its demonstrated expertise in evaluating, diagnosing and treating patients with heart attack symptoms, Stony Brook is Long Island’s only Chest Pain Center to be designated a Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI (angioplasty) and Resuscitation Accreditation—the ACC’s highest level of chest pain accreditation.

Outstanding outcomes. Healthgrades has named Stony Brook University Hospital as one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Surgery™, now for two years in a row, and one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Care™ for nine consecutive years. 

Round-the-clock availability. As the region’s only tertiary care center—one that offers highly specialized services to treat complex medical problems—the Stony Brook Chest Pain Center provides 24/7/365 in-house access to a collaborative network of top-notch specialists.

A teaching hospital—close to home. Testing and treatments are delivered by our nationally recognized, board-certified medical faculty physicians and surgeons, making Stony Brook the only academic-based facility of its kind in Suffolk County.