Hot weather means your body has to work harder to keep its core temperature to normal levels, and this puts extra strain on your heart, lungs and kidneys. This means that you can be at greater risk if you have a heart condition. So it's particularly important to stay cool and hydrated.
For every 1,000 cardiovascular deaths, the researchers found that: Extreme hot days (above 86° F in Baltimore) accounted for 2.2 additional deaths. Extreme cold days (below 20° F in Baltimore) accounted for 9.1 additional deaths.
Precautions are especially important for older adults and people with high blood pressure, obesity or a history of heart disease and stroke. Temperatures exceeding 100°F or even temperatures in the 80s with high humidity can cause a dangerous heat index that can be hard on the heart.
Radiation requires rerouting blood flow so more of it goes to the skin. This makes the heart beat faster and pump harder. On a hot day, it may circulate two to four times as much blood each minute as it does on a cool day.
Hot temperatures cause increased blood flow to the skin and dehydration, which can lower blood pressure significantly and lead to dizziness, fainting and falls, all of which are more dangerous in older adults.
The researchers found a link between rising temperatures and the risk of cardiovascular deaths, with most occurring between temperatures of 95° F to 109° F.
Still, you can make lifestyle changes to bring your blood pressure down. Something as simple as keeping yourself hydrated by drinking six to eight glasses of water every day improves blood pressure. Water makes up 73% of the human heart,¹ so no other liquid is better at controlling blood pressure.
Hot weather means your body has to work harder to keep its core temperature to normal levels, and this puts extra strain on your heart, lungs and kidneys. This means that you can be at greater risk if you have a heart condition.
Radiation of heat causes re-routing of blood flow to the surface of the skin, which in turn makes your heart work harder by beating faster and pumping harder. On a very hot day your heart rate can quadruple compared to its rate on a normal day.
Hot weather can trigger Afib.
Hot temperatures require your heart to work harder because of the heat stress, potentially triggering an episode of atrial fibrillation.
Certain conditions, such as heart disease or immune disorders, can be exacerbated by the heat. Air conditioning is the best way to prevent and reduce heat-related symptoms.
“Hot air may also irritate your airway and lead to a bronchospasm, one of the hallmark symptoms of asthma,” said Geisinger allergist and immunologist Yoon Kim, D.O. “This will cause you to feel short of breath and tightness in your chest, and may make you cough or wheeze.”
Warning signs and symptoms of heart failure include shortness of breath, chronic coughing or wheezing, swelling, fatigue, loss of appetite, and others. Heart failure means the heart has failed to pump the way it should in order to circulate oxygen-rich blood throughout the body.
If unnoticed and untreated, this can sometimes be fatal. Conditions when the heartbeat goes beyond 120-140 beats per minute or falls below 60 beats per minute, can be considered dangerous, and immediate doctor's intervention is a must.
Consult your doctor if your resting heart rate is consistently above 100 beats a minute (tachycardia) or if you're not a trained athlete and your resting heart rate is below 60 beats a minute (bradycardia) — especially if you have other signs or symptoms, such as fainting, dizziness or shortness of breath.
During sleep, it is normal for a person's heart rate to slow down below the range for a typical resting heart rate. Between 40 to 50 beats per minute (bpm) is considered an average sleeping heart rate for adults, though this can vary depending on multiple factors.
Effects of Temperature On Heart Rate
If a 100-degree day coincides with an extremely humid day, such as when the humidity is above 75%, the body's evaporation process is largely in dysfunction. This means even slowly walking around in 100-degree heat can cause dizziness and heart palpitations.
“Consuming diets with adequate magnesium may reduce the risk of high blood pressure (hypertension).
Bananas. These are rich in potassium, a nutrient shown to help lower blood pressure, says Laffin. One medium banana provides about 375 milligrams of potassium, about 11 percent of the recommended daily intake for a man, and 16 percent for a woman.
Walking lowers systolic blood pressure by 4.11 mm Hg (95% CI, 3.01 to 5.22 mm Hg). It lowers diastolic blood pressure by 1.79 mm Hg (95% CI, 1.07 to 2.51 mm Hg) and resting heart rate by 2.76 beats per minute (bpm; 95% CI, 0.95 to 4.57 bpm).