It's not your imagination.
If you're noticing, as you age, that it's getting harder to breathe outdoors as the temperature drops, you're not alone. Seniors, individuals with heart disease and young children are among those who should use extra caution in cold weather, doctors advise.
"Because elderly people seem to be relatively insensitive to moderately cold conditions, they can suffer hypothermia without knowing they're in danger," says Carolyn Torella, regional communications director for the American Heart Association, Hudson Valley and Fairfield, Conn.
For most people, shoveling snow may not lead to any health problems. However, the risk of a heart attack during snow shoveling may increase for some, especially those in poor physical condition or those with existing heart disease or a personal history of stroke, according to the American Heart Association.
The combination of colder temperatures and physical activity increases the workload on the heart. People outdoors in cold weather should avoid sudden exertion, such as lifting a heavy shovel full of snow. Even walking through heavy, wet snow or snow drifts can strain a person's heart.
To help make snow removal safer, here's a list of practical tips from the American Heart Association.
• Give yourself a break. Take frequent rest breaks during shoveling so you don't overstress your heart. Pay attention to how your body feels during those breaks.
• Eat light. Don't eat a heavy meal prior or soon after shoveling. Eating a large meal can put an extra load on your heart.
• Use a small shovel or consider a snow thrower. The act of lifting heavy snow can raise blood pressure acutely during the lift. It is safer to lift smaller amounts more times, than to lug a few huge shovelfuls of snow. When possible, simply push the snow.
• Use the buddy system. Try not to go outside alone to shovel snow, but if you do, let loved ones know where you are and what time you went.
• Learn heart-attack warning signs. Listen to your body, but remember this: Even if you're not sure it's a heart attack, have it checked out and tell a doctor about your symptoms. Minutes do matter; don't wait more than five minutes to call 911.
• Say not to alcohol. Don't drink alcoholic beverages before or immediately after shoveling. Alcohol may increase a person's sensation of warmth and may cause him to underestimate the extra strain his body is under in the cold.
• Consult a doctor. Before exercising in cold weather, meet with your doctor if you have a medical condition, don't exercise on a regular basis or are middle aged or older.
• Be aware of the dangers of hypothermia. Heart failure causes most deaths in hypothermia. To prevent hypothermia, dress in layers of warm clothing, which traps air between layers, forming a protective insulation. Wear a hat because much of your body's heat can be lost through your head.
• Learn CPR. Effective bystander CPR, provided immediately after sudden cardiac arrest, can double or triple a victim's chance of survival.
Hands-Only CPR, which is CPR without mouth-to-mouth breaths, is recommended for use by people who see an adult suddenly collapse in the "out-of-hospital" setting, such as at home, at work, in a park.
Hands-Only CPR consists of two steps:
1. Call 911 immediately (or tell someone to make the call).
2. Begin chest compressions by pushing hard and fast in the center of the victim's chest with minimal interruptions, until help arrives.
For more information on Hands-OnlyTM CPR and to watch an instructional video, visit handsonlycpr.org
For more information on coping safely with cold weather, visit heart.org.
Source: American Heart Association, heart.org
"As people age, their ability to maintain a normal internal body temperature often decreases."
People with heart disease or who have had a stroke — and those at high risk of these illnesses, plus diabetes — need to take certain measures during wintry conditions and heavy snowfalls, Torella says.
This includes people with a strong family history of heart disease/stroke, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smokers, those who are overweight and the sedentary.
People with coronary heart disease often suffer chest pain or discomfort called angina pectoris when they're in cold weather, Torella says. Besides low temperatures, high winds, snow and rain also can steal body heat.
"Wind is especially dangerous, because it removes the layer of heated air from around your body," says Torella. "Similarly, dampness causes the body to lose heat faster than it would at the same temperature in drier conditions."
As we cope with the season's freezing blasts, the American Heart Association urges at-risk individuals to use caution to avoid sudden cardiac death and hypothermia, says Torella.
Hypothermia occurs when your body can't produce enough energy to keep the internal body temperature high enough, causing it to fall below normal, says Torella. "It can kill you. Heart failure causes most deaths in hypothermia."
Symptoms of hypothermia include lack of coordination, mental confusion, slowed reactions, shivering and sleepiness.
When going outdoors, even for a short time, be sure to dress for the weather. To keep warm, wear layers of clothing. This traps air between layers, forming a protective insulation.
In fact, warming up for 30 minutes indoors before you head out for a walk can be helpful. So can wrapping a fleece or wool scarf loosely around your nose and mouth to keep the air you breathe warm and moist.
Much of your body's heat can be lost through your head, and ears are especially prone to frostbite. So wear a hat and gloves, too.
Alcohol gives an initial feeling of warmth, but this is caused by expanding blood vessels in the skin, says Torella. Heat is then drawn away from the body's vital organs. Alcohol consumption and physical activity in harsh winter weather conditions can increase the likelihood of hypothermia.