▲ Arrhythmia is the most common cause of sudden death due to acute heart disease. Among them, special attention should be paid to those who suffer from atrial fibrillation, one of the types of arrhythmia.
[메디컬투데이=김준수 기자] It’s a time when we need to be careful about our health as the Arctic cold wave sweeps the country and harsh winter weather continues. This is because blood vessels suddenly contract and blood pressure rises in winter, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease compared to other seasons.
When the temperature suddenly drops, the sympathetic nervous system, one of the body’s autonomic nervous systems, may become overly active, causing an arrhythmia, the symptom of which is an irregular heartbeat. This symptom is a heartbeat that deviates from the normal range of 60 to 100 beats per minute.
Arrhythmia is the most common cause of sudden death due to acute heart disease. Among them, special attention should be paid to those who suffer from atrial fibrillation, one of the types of arrhythmia. This is because the risk of heart failure and stroke is three and five times higher than that of the general population, respectively.
Atrial fibrillation is characterized by abnormal electrical signals generated in the atria, which interrupt the heart rhythm and cause a rapid, irregular heartbeat. As a result, blood flow within the atrium becomes irregular, causing blood to pool within the atrium, increasing the likelihood of metastasis. If this blood clot blocks a blood vessel in the brain, it can cause complications such as brain heart attack or, in severe cases, death.
Cardiovascular diseases are strongly influenced by age. In Korea, as we have entered an aging society, the number of patients with atrial fibrillation is increasing every year: the number of patients increased by 35.3% in 2020, from 180,954 in 2016 to 244,896.
Anyone who has been diagnosed with arrhythmia or atrial fibrillation should be especially careful during these winter months. If there is a large temperature difference between inside and outside, blood vessels can contract quickly, so you should always dress warmly.
In particular, this disease is strongly influenced by hypertension, obesity, alcohol and smoking, so you need to pay attention to excessive alcohol consumption or smoking. Manage an obese body by controlling your weight through regular exercise, but caution is needed as excessive outdoor exercise can affect blood vessels or blood pressure.
If undergoing treatment, it may be helpful to try a combination of Western and Eastern medicine. In atrial fibrillation the priority is pharmacological treatment: it is possible to take drugs constantly and, if necessary, undergo ablation treatment with high frequency electrodes. However, due to the nature of atrial fibrillation, there are cases where it occurs suddenly and then improves, so high-frequency treatment is not necessarily necessary.
In Eastern medicine, heart disease is believed to be caused by weak heart energy. Therefore, treatment is necessary to recharge the deficient heart energy or to control the overall heart energy by reducing the heat of the overheated heart.
In addition to providing Western and Eastern integrated medicine treatments and care, you also need to take care of your lifestyle and eating habits to prevent symptoms from recurring or worsening.
Director Na Do-gyun of the Oriental Medicine Clinic said: “Since the possibility of sudden death due to atrial fibrillation increases in winter, it is possible to avoid drinking and smoking, which have a negative impact on the cardiovascular system, and receive help through regular walking exercise.” , etc. “”We should be able to prevent emergencies through consistent prevention and follow-up,” he explained.
Kim Jun-su, Medical Today reporter ([email protected])
[저작권자ⓒ 메디컬투데이. 무단전재-재배포 금지]
2023-12-28 06:57:29
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