At Southlake Health in Newmarket, the hospital said medical staff treated 34 patients who had heart disease while shoveling snow in last week’s blizzard.
According to Southlake Health, staff treated patients between February 12 and 20, showing symptoms of a heart attack after the driveway was erased outdoors.
“I don’t remember having that book soon. It’s unprecedented, it’s non-stop.
Overgaard said patients vary in age range, some of them in their 40s and 60s, all from the York area.
“They play their role very strongly and they’re really not used to it; like when you’re not doing it at all, it’s kind of like running on the mountain, so the pressure inside you is extreme. This can cause your blood pressure to really be Rapidly and it can cause your body to need a lot of oxygen in a desperate need, which can cause your heart to rise rapidly.” Overgaard added.
February is Canada’s Heart Month, a time to raise awareness of the importance of cardiovascular health, during which time, the Heart and Stroke Foundation says cardiac arrest cases increased by 10% in the winter.
They say knowing that symptoms may be lifesaving, including chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting and pain that can be spread across the arms, chin or on the woman’s back and shoulders.
“The heart is a very delicate pump, it is a muscle, and when the heart struggles, time is the muscle. It is very important to pay attention to maintaining the integrity of the myocardium and the way climate change develops. There are no two winters in Canada. Equal, for people, it is important to remember this, especially when we see unrepresented snow quantity, we need to think about our heart health.
Van Heugte said that when shoveling snow, people have to listen to their bodies and call 911 if they feel the symptoms of a heart attack.
