Heart doctors are warning people especially those with heart conditions to be mindful of the risks of heart failure, especially during the dry season.
Seventy-one year old Aaron Reyes has survived multiple challenges concerning his cardiovascular health since he was 38 years old.
He has survived having six heart attacks, one stroke, and a bypass surgery.
He has since recovered and made him all the more vigilant about his health.
“I am thankful that I have very good doctors… But I still believe that by divine intervention I am kept alive,” Reyes said.
To maintain his health, he maintains a good diet, keeps his weight steady, and makes sure that he takes his medication on time.
He also avoids the heat especially during summer time.
“Di pwedeng sa labas ng bahay, palagi akong naka air conditioned/ kasi nahihirapan ka minsan huminga eh…sa labas tataas ang heart rate mo, you are prone to heart attacks,” he added.
According to the Philippine Heart Association, heat can be dangerous for those who are already suffering from heart failure, since heat tends to make the heart work harder.
“Ang nangyayari kasi kapag umiinit ang panahon, yung natural compensatory response ng katawan natin para i-cool down ang katawan natin ay pabilisin ang tibok ng puso para mas maraming dugo ang napupunta sa bandang surface ng skin at nailalabas ang init,” explains adult cardiologist Dr. Jeannica Lerios- Dela Peña.
She added heart rate rises even by as much as 4 times during the summer.
“Yung bilis ng tibok na iyon ang magiging problematic sa mga taong may heart failure kasi mahina na nga yung puso nila, parang additional na stress sa puso nila kapag mainit. bibilis ang tibok ng puso, lalong mahihirapan,” Lerios- Dela Peña said.
The hot weather can also cause dehydration and will prompt people to drink lots of water— something that patients with heart failure cannot do.
“Hindi po nila kayang uminom ng maraming, maraming amounts ng tubig kasi pwede silang magkaroon ng pakiramdam na parang nalulunod kapag hindi nailalabas agad ng puso yung excess water,” she added.
But what is heart failure?
According to doctors, it means the heart is having a hard time doing its job.
“Kapag may heart failure, yung puso natin ay hindi makapag-bomba o makatibok ng sapat na dugo na may oxygen para suplayan ang iba’t ibang parte ng katawan o organs natin,” cardiologist Dr. Rucci Cruz said.
Symptoms of heart failure include shortness of breath, fatigue, and feeling of drowning.
Those who suffer from uncontrollable spikes in blood pressure, diabetes, and family history of cardiovascular disease are more at risk of experiencing heart failure.
According to the World Health Organization, “cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) – or diseases of the heart and blood vessels – are responsible for a third of death in the Philippines. According to the Philippine Statistics Office (PSA), CVDs are part of the larger group of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), which account for 72 percent of deaths in the country in 2021.”
To prevent heart failure, Lerios- Dela Peña advise the following:
“Wag masyadong magbibilad sa araw, magsusuot ng damit na di dark, na 'di makapal, manipis lang. 'Pag feeling dehydrated, dahan-dahan po ang pag-inom kasi baka masobrahan. As much as possible, kung sobrag init kung kayang iwasan, iwasan. Piliin ang inyong oras, wag tanghaling tapat. At pag nakakaranas na ng early signs ng heat- related illnesses katulad ng heat cramps, sumasakit ang mga kalamnan, pagka hilo, kumakabog ang dibdib and then later on lalabas ang himatay. Pulang- pula ang mukha,” advised Lerios- Dela Peña.
Reyes, who has survived multiple heart attacks, has some advise to those who are also suffering from heart failure:
“Make sure that you take the advise of your doctor when they give you medicine.. di yung parang pag akala mo magaling ka na ititigil mo na. Hindi. Don’t stress. It is not worth it kasi at the end of the day, useless din yun. Di ka dapat masyadong nagmamatamis. At di ka masyadong dapat nagpupuyat,” he said.
heart failure, cardiovascular disease, summer, Philippine Heart Association, ANC promo