Every year holidays are ruined by a true tragedy.  Deaths due to heart attacks seem to increase during the holiday season.  A 2004 study published in the journal Circulation examined 53 million death certificates from a nationwide sample, spanning the years 1973-2001.  That study showed a 5% increase in heart-related deaths during the holiday season.  Most of those happened on Christmas and New Year’s Day, but Thanksgiving also offers a lot of the same stresses.

Before we can decide how to stop this problem, we need to know why the increase in these deaths occurs.  Unfortunately there is a lot of debate as to the root of this problem.  Researchers have proposed many different theories, but in all likelihood, it is probably a combination of everything that occurs during this period.  Stress, diet, exercise and stubbornness are likely the key ingredients though.

As I’m sure most of you know, there is a lot of stress involved with the holidays.  Between the rushing around, traveling, shopping and all of the financial stress associated, the holidays are sometimes more hassle than they are worth.  If you missed my blog on how stress affects your system check out this re-post:  Minimize Stress, Maximize Health.  The body is an amazing system, but in today’s environment, it is hard to find the appropriate balance.

Obviously diet plays a HUGE role in our overall health, and especially the health of our hearts.  This is a topic that gets continual coverage in every news medium.  Of course the reason that it gets press is because it is true.  No time is it more true than during the holidays.  Not only is there an unlimited supply of food and alcohol, but most of the food is not good for you.  By supplying your body with sugar and fats, and chasing it down with alcohol, you are putting yourself into a dangerous situation.  The changes in blood pressure and cholesterol alone are scary.  When you consider that average weight gain through the holidays can be as high as 7 pounds (not a good average, I know, but it depends on which study you read), your heart, along with the rest of your body, is traumatized.  Over time this can be a recipe for a true disaster.

Of course I can’t talk about anything without bringing up exercise.  The holidays are infamous for causing a time crunch.  What is the first thing that most people cut out when they are more pressed for time?  Exercise and sleep are the two that come to my mind first, and unfortunately neither of them is a good choice to eliminate, especially with the increased stress involved with the holidays.  This is likely a key contributor to the holiday weight gain.

To throw you a curve-ball, lack of exercise isn’t the only problem during the holidays though.  How many of you go out and play a little football on Thanksgiving, or get stuck scooping the driveway during the months of December and  January?  These are some of the most deadly activities, as people who aren’t in shape for them think they will join in on the fun.  In the situations that you’re put in through the holiday season, this is not a good idea.

Finally, stubbornness is something that most researchers agree plays a role in the upswing of heart-related deaths during the holidays.  It is theorized that people are less likely to seek medical attention during the holiday season in fear of “ruining the holiday for everyone else.”  Don’t think that all of this is machismo though, as heart burn is a common occurrence with big meals and alcohol.  Some people don’t recognize that they are having a heart attack, and therefore, don’t take the appropriate actions.

Reading this may put a little damper on your holiday season, as it seems that everything involved is bad for your health.  I will never tell you not to enjoy the holidays.  They are a celebration, and should be treated as such.  By following a couple of guidelines, you may be able to maintain the celebration instead of ruining the mood with tragedy.

1.        When you start feeling the associated holiday stress, don’t cut back on exercise or sleep.  Exercise and sleep are two of the most important things you can do to decrease your stress level and the effects that it has on your body.  Eliminating television, some of the excess cooking, or other “time sucks” from your day will provide you with some of the extra time you need in your schedule, while keeping your stress levels (and the resultant problems) as low as possible.

2.       Improve your diet.  In last week’s blog I talked about how you can avoid the holiday weight gain.  A lot of that revolves around using self-discipline and planning to improve your diet.  You DO need to enjoy the holidays, and some over-eating is expected, but limiting that to one or two occasions can pay dividends.  Here’s last week’s blog on this topic:  Avoiding Holiday Weight Gain.

3.       Don’t get involved in activities that you aren’t physically prepared for.  This should go without saying.  If you can’t handle scooping the driveway, have someone how is capable of it do it.  Pay someone if you have to.  It is a small price to pay to avoid the potential issues.  Machismo has led to the end of many great people.

4.       Recognize the signs, and urgency, of heart problems.  The following links are what to watch for.  Know them well, as it may not be you, but rather a relative that is being stubborn.  This could easily save a life.  Female Heart Attack Symptoms  and  Male Heart Attack Symptoms.  The sexes do not experience the same symptoms, so it would be wise to know both of them.

 I know that this isn’t the most appealing holiday topic, but it is something that you should be aware of.  I hope y’all have a happy, safe holiday season and don’t have to deal with these issues.  Please celebrate safely.

 

If you have questions, or would like to discuss this further, please contact me at:

Jeffrey L. Cumro, Doctor of Chiropractic, Certified Personal Trainer
Better Life Chiropractic and Wellness, LLC
          Better Care > Better Health > Better Life
402-210-1472
BetterLifeNE@gmail.com
www.BetterLifeNE.com