Snow, glorious snow!
It looks pretty when tree branches are covered with it and fields are pristine white, with perhaps a trail of delicate deer footprints along a fence.
It is not so pretty when a mess of snow, sand and frozen chunks of ice sits at the end of the driveway, courtesy of the plow.
Although annoying, few people look at that pile at the end of the driveway as a life-threatening hazard, which it is to those of us who are of a certain age.
Shoveling snow puts a huge strain on the heart. Heavy, wet snow is often called “heart attack snow” because moving it can be more strenuous than running. Those ergonomic snow shovels can be kinder to your back, but they do nothing to protect the heart.
There are too many stories about someone who tackled the driveway, and spent half the afternoon on the couch with a pulled shoulder muscle – and the other half at the hospital, with a cardiac emergency.
A study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, described on the CBC program White Coat Black Art a few years ago revealed a third of heart attacks in men occurred the day after a snowfall. If the snow fell for two or three days, the association was even stronger. The study did not take into consideration a person’s age or medical condition.
February is Heart and Stroke Month – no coincidence, since this is the time of year when people spend a lot of time indoors, except for brief bursts of extreme physical exertion involving a snow shovel.
The best advice regarding that snow-covered driveway is to get someone else to clear it – there are still kids who enjoy the opportunity to make some money shoveling snow, and companies that promise to have the end of your driveway cleared long before you leave for work.
If you must tackle the job, the advice is to take it slow. There is no rule that says the work has to be done in a single, marathon bout. Take frequent rests.
And heaven forbid, if you suffer from a pulled shoulder muscle – i.e., pain in either arm, back or chest, or up into the jaw, or any of a number of other symptoms, call 911.
Those other symptoms include shortness of breath, nausea or indigestion, profuse sweating, pale or greyish skin, a sensation of tightness or heaviness in the chest, dizziness, feeling faint, or a general feeling something is wrong.
Let the experts determine whether it is indeed a pulled muscle or something a lot more serious – a heart attack.
The best thing you can do for your Valentine this Feb. 14 is to take a CPR course. Not only will you learn what to watch out for, should your Valentine decide to go shovel snow, you will be taught what to do until the ambulance arrives. Investing a morning is all it takes to learn or update CPR skills and how to use a defibrillator (AED – automated external defibrillator) – a Valentine’s Day gift that trumps the loveliest card or box of chocolates.
Another thing that will make a difference is donate to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.
There was a time when a heart attack was a death sentence. Even if a person survived the initial damage, the chance of making a good recovery was limited.
Today, thanks to leading-edge research, the chances of not only surviving a heart attack but going on to live a full and active life have never been better.
Despite all wishes to the contrary, we remain in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, CPR courses are still being taught – perhaps using different techniques and technology, but still effective. It must not be forgotten that heart attacks have not ceased just because there is a coronavirus pandemic.
Neither has snow. If you feel sick when shoveling snow, whatever your age, stop and call 911.
