Christmas is notoriously a time for overindulgence, more so at a time when the world came to a halt and the fragility of our existence became more evident. Now, all celebrations are back to full gear, returned with a bang, even larger than before! Not being a grinch with your joy this season, but Health Plus wanted to ensure, you revel in all the festivities without too much impact on your health and waistline.
Christmas Calories
It is our working assumption that when the Christmas Ham, Pastelles and Ponche de Crème appears, calories stop counting! It might be surprising to find out, we amass around 7,000 calories on Christmas day alone, that is more than double the recommended daily amount for men and more than three times that for women, according to a study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
But who really stops to count during the season? Your waistline and your heart certainly does!
The Christmas Coronary
The American Heart Association (AHA) reports that “during December and January, when we indulge the most and our stress levels are at an all-time high, 33% more deaths are due to heart attacks”. While the development of heart disease doesn’t happen in a matter of weeks, the rise in cardiac-related deaths during the holiday season may be due to a culmination of risk factors (stress, extra traffic, excess food and alcohol, and less exercise) crammed into a short period.
What causes the Christmas Coronary?
1. Stress.
When you get stressed, your body produces more cortisol and other hormones that can damage the heart and people with high levels of cortisol are five times more likely to die of a heart attack or stroke.
2. Depression.
There’s an added risk of depression when Christmas isn’t going as you hoped and people with symptoms of depression have their chances of heart disease increase by about 20 per cent, according to one 2020 study. Grieving loved ones or overwhelmed with financial burdens are all precipitating factors.
3. Skimping on health.
You may find yourself so busy you forget to take your medications or have trouble going to the pharmacy to refill them. When people are busy they are also more likely to put off getting help for their symptoms.
4. Too much food and drink.
An obvious one is the large amount of fatty food people eat at Christmas which can boost blood pressure and the heart rate. Even just one alcoholic drink has been found to interfere with a regular heartbeat in some people.
Stress amplified during the holidays
Holiday stress as well as the disruption of our regular eating, sleeping and exercising routines may contribute to an increased risk, Dr. Mitchell S.V. Elkind, chief clinical science officer, American Heart Association(AHA)
Research confirms that heart attack deaths spike during the last week of December. The AHA pointed to one study, even before COVID-19, published in 2004 in Circulation, which found the highest number of deadly heart attacks typically occurred right around Christmas and New Year’s during the two decades prior to the study. These results are amplified post COVID-19 as chronic exhaustion and burnout are at all time peak.
“We also may not be listening to our bodies or paying attention to warning signs, thinking a trip to the doctor can wait until after the new year,” Elkind said.
Don’t ignore the Warning Signs
Even if it seems inconvenient to get medical attention, there are certain warning signs you should never ignore, the AHA says. Those symptoms include:
• Chest pain or discomfort.
• ↓Vomiting, nausea or lightheadedness.
• Neck, jaw or back pain.
• ↓Discomfort or pain in one arm or shoulder.
• Shortness of breath.
It is also important to know, heart attacks can be “silent” with no warning signs at all. Knowing the triggers to avoid becomes crucial.
Why don’t people act fast enough?
Many people having a heart attack wait more than two hours before getting help. Some people feel it would be embarrassing to have a “false alarm.” Others are so afraid of having a heart attack that they tell themselves they aren’t having one. These feelings are easy to understand, but they’re also very dangerous.
Please Don’t Delay, Get HELP
If you feel chest pain or other symptoms, call for emergency help, call a loved one, GET HELP. The stakes are high. So give yourself and your family a gift this season. Don’t postpone treatment because you don’t want to spoil the holiday merrymaking.
Information Source:
https://www.webmd.com/heart/features/the-truth-behind-more-holiday-heart-attacks
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/01.CIR.0000151786.03797.18