(INDIANAPOLIS) - With a winter storm on the way, the American Heart Association is urging Hoosiers to think twice before grabbing a shovel. The group says the sudden exertion of clearing snow -- especially in frigid temperatures -- can trigger heart attacks and cardiac arrest, and the risk is even higher in rural areas where EMS response times may be delayed.
Doctors say snow shoveling can be as stressful on the heart as a treadmill stress test. The combination of lifting heavy snow, holding your breath without realizing it, and breathing in cold air creates what experts call a "perfect storm" for heart trouble.
The AHA says people with heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, a sedentary lifestyle, or a history of heart attack or stroke should not shovel snow at all.
If you must shovel, doctors recommend taking it slow, bundling up, pushing snow instead of lifting it, and using a snowblower if you can. And if you start feeling chest pain, lightheadedness, or heart palpitations, stop immediately and call 911 if symptoms don't go away.
For more cold-weather heart health information, visit heart.org.