Hong Kong's summer is hot and humid, and prolonged exposure to high temperatures can lead to heat-related illnesses as the body struggles to regulate its temperature. The most common heat-related illness is heatstroke. However, we must not overlook the fact that excessively high body temperature can increase the burden on the heart, significantly raising the risk of heart disease among individuals with the three highs and obesity, and outdoor workers.

5 major risk factors for heart diseases caused by hot weather

When the body is unable to dissipate heat, heatstroke or heat exhaustion may occur, causing multiple organ failure.

Excessive sweating without timely replenishment of fluids can result in increased blood viscosity. Blood clots may form and block narrow blood vessels, leading to heart disease.

Drastic temperature differences between indoor air conditioning and outdoor environments make atherosclerotic plaques in blood vessels unstable, leading to plaque rupture and acute thrombosis.

Hot weather reduces blood oxygen saturation and causes peripheral vasodilation, resulting in cardiac hypoxia.

Hot weather overstimulates the sympathetic nervous system, causing rapid heartbeats and potentially triggering cardiac hypoxia or arrhythmia.

If you experience symptoms such as chest tightness, chest pain, rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, or weakness during the summer, you should stay away from high-temperature environments and quickly cool down your body by hydrating yourself, loosening clothing, using a towel to wipe the body, and fanning yourself. If the above symptoms persist, you should consult a cardiologist immediately.

How to protect heart health in the summer?

Avoid outdoor activities during the peak sun hours (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.).

Schedule 10 to 15 minutes of rest in a shaded area every hour when working outdoors.

Outdoor workers should wear loose, breathable clothing in lighter colours.

Regularly replenish fluids and develop a habit of drinking at least 2,000cc of water per day. Remember to drink slowly since rapidly increasing fluid intake can burden the heart.

When moving from outdoors to air-conditioned environments, consider wearing a thin jacket to reduce the burden on the heart and blood vessels caused by significant temperature differences.

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