17 Surprising Things That Could Affect Your Heart Health

The Holiday Season

For most people, the holiday season is a time for joy and happiness. For others, it could lead to incredibly devastating health complications. You may think the culprit is the sharp rise in colds and cases of flu, but that’s not the case!

In New Zealand, for example, the holiday season is warm, but the country still sees a 4% increase in the rate of heart-related fatalities.

Consuming too many sweets, alcohol, dealing with stressful family members or situations could all be contributing factors behind this increase in heart conditions. Some people may even postpone medical care in favor of spending time with their families.

Binge Watching

You might think you’re doing yourself a favor by finally unwinding in front of the TV, but binge-watching could do more harm than good if you’re not careful. People who spend a lot of time watching movies and TV shows may develop a sedentary lifestyle which leads to risk factors.

That’s because blood clots may form as a result of inactivity. If you also snack on junk food or drink alcohol, you’re just adding to the risk.

If you already have genetic factors to worry about you might want to shorten your binge-watching in order to protect your heart.

Snowstorms

Bizarrely, experts have found that on the day of snowstorms, hospital admissions for chest pain, stroke, or heart attacks fell. After two days, they spiked. Why? Scientists are still scratching their heads.

While we don’t know the exact cause, it is believed that the physical exertion from snow-cleaning might be the culprit. The world isn’t going to end if you don’t rush to clear out the snow, so take it slow and make sure your heart is healthy!