Cold snap kills 50 people in 2 days! Taiwan Health Promotion Administration teaches "8 tips to protect yourself from the cold" to prevent stroke and acute heart attack
Cold wave “takes away 50 lives in one wave” Taiwan Health Promotion Administration reminds “8 measures” to be taken to keep out the cold
The cold wave continues to take hold. Recently, more than 300 cases have been sent to hospitals in Taiwan due to the cold weather, and more than 50 people have died. The Taiwan Ministry of Health and Welfare, Health Promotion Administration reminds that those who need to leave early and return home late due to work, or those with chronic diseases or cardiovascular disease at home, should pay special attention to keeping warm.
The Taiwan Health Promotion Administration pointed out that when people are exposed to low temperatures or large temperature differences, elderly people over 65 years old or patients with chronic diseases or high blood pressure should pay attention to the following “8 major points” to prevent acute cardiovascular disease or stroke:
Wear warm items. Cold wind contacting the head and neck can easily cause physical discomfort, so scarves, woolen hats, thick socks and covering shoes are must-have items. The above accessories are indispensable for seniors who go out early to exercise and for office workers who return late.
Drink warm water to warm up. When you get up in the morning, your body is easily dehydrated and your blood is relatively sticky. Elderly people or office workers who have the habit of getting up early should drink 300 cc of warm water after getting out of bed to reduce blood thickness and warm the body.
Avoid heavy eating and drinking. In winter, meeting up with friends for all-you-can-eat meals, and consuming high-fat and high-sugar foods paired with alcohol and high-sodium soup bases are all risk factors for cardiovascular events. People in hot pot or all-you-can-eat restaurants should eat more high-fiber foods such as fruits and vegetables, and drink enough water to maintain body balance.
Avoid taking a bath after eating or drinking. After eating or drinking, the human body’s blood circulation accelerates and the body temperature rises. If the body is immersed in hot water immediately, the blood vessels may contract violently in a short period of time, leading to acute diseases such as syncope and heart palpitations. The Taiwan Health Promotion Administration recommends that it is most appropriate to take a bath 2 hours after a meal, and the bath temperature should not exceed 40 degrees Celsius.
Avoid exercising during high-risk periods. Symptoms such as myocardial infarction tend to occur in the early morning hours . It is recommended that elderly people over 65 years old go out for exercise between 9 and 10 a.m. when the temperature is relatively stable. Be sure to take measures to keep warm when exercising and replenish water at all times.
Control the condition and take medication stably. The Taiwan Health Promotion Administration calls on patients with cardiovascular disease to regularly measure and record their blood sugar, blood pressure, and blood fat data; and to follow doctor’s instructions to take medications on time to control symptoms.
Carry cases and emergency medicine when going out. Elderly people or patients with chronic diseases should record their usual hospital visits, diagnosis, and drug allergy history when going out. If the doctor has prescribed emergency medicines, they should carry them with them.
If you have symptoms, seek medical attention immediately. If typical signs of heart disease occur, such as chest tightness, chest pain, difficulty breathing, nausea, dizziness or fainting, it is recommended to seek medical treatment as soon as possible.
Remember to maintain indoor ventilation in winter. Critical care doctors advise you to “open windows twice an hour”
In addition to the above-mentioned tips for keeping warm, Dr. Huang Xuan, an expert in critical care medicine, said that people like to keep doors and windows closed during the cold winter to prevent cold. In fact, not only can this move easily cause the indoor oxygen concentration to be too low, but it is also a relatively unsafe behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Huang Xuan said that according to Japanese research recommendations, there are “three key points” for effective indoor ventilation in winter:
Turn on the heater to warm the room and open the windows.
Open windows within a fixed period of time and reduce the window width as a principle to avoid a large amount of cold wind from penetrating into the room.
Shorten the ventilation time, such as opening windows for 5 minutes every 30 minutes and twice an hour to reduce temperature changes.
Maintaining good ventilation in winter not only effectively reduces the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning and hypoxia, but opening windows is also an important task for home epidemic prevention. Dr. Huang Xuan pointed out that staying at home during the epidemic does not mean it is absolutely safe. Only by increasing the indoor air exchange rate can the risk of virus droplet accumulation be effectively reduced.
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“Good ventilation in winter is an important task for family epidemic prevention” - Dr. Huang Xuan
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