寒冷的冬季悄然來臨，它帶來的不僅僅只是飄落的雪花，同時(shí)也伴隨著一些潛在的健康隱患。因此，對于老年人來說，了解這些隱患并加以預(yù)防是十分必要的。
心臟病和中風(fēng)的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)
據(jù)統(tǒng)計(jì)數(shù)據(jù)表明，心臟病的在冬天的發(fā)病率要比在夏天要高得多。一些生活在幾乎從未下過雪的區(qū)域的老人同樣承受著這種風(fēng)險(xiǎn)，事實(shí)上，下雪不是關(guān)鍵，關(guān)鍵在于氣溫的高低。氣溫一旦驟降，人們的動脈血管就會收縮，對于年輕人來說這點(diǎn)兒影響倒不足為意，但對于老年人來說，一旦血管收縮過度，就有可能導(dǎo)致血液循環(huán)不暢，從而引發(fā)心臟缺血，導(dǎo)致心臟病和中風(fēng)。人一旦上了年紀(jì)，就對溫度有著極高的敏感度，一點(diǎn)小小的降溫都會對他們造成很大的影響。年齡越大，身體對于溫度變化的適應(yīng)性就越差，因此在冬季，老年人首要考慮的就是保暖。
高血壓的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)
即便不考慮氣溫因素，高血壓也常常困擾著老年群體。隨著年齡的增長，人的血管壁開始變得越來越薄，承受血液壓強(qiáng)的能力變得越來越薄，一旦血壓過高就有可能導(dǎo)致血管破裂，從而引發(fā)腦溢血、中風(fēng)等癥狀。可以說，高血壓對于老年人是非常危險(xiǎn)的疾病。尤其在冬季，氣溫突然降低會使血管收縮擠壓，進(jìn)而血管內(nèi)可供血液流動的空間縮小，血管壁承受了超出以往強(qiáng)度的壓強(qiáng)，高血壓的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)就變得越來越大，這是每一位老年人都不容忽視的問題。
維生素D匱乏
陽光是為人體提供維生素D的重要來源，人體內(nèi)的膽固醇在經(jīng)過陽光照射之后會轉(zhuǎn)化為維生素D，因此缺乏曬太陽就意味著你將缺少維生素D，這是非常危險(xiǎn)的。醫(yī)學(xué)實(shí)驗(yàn)證明，人體內(nèi)維生素D的含量過低會導(dǎo)致患心臟病、帕金森病、骨質(zhì)疏松癥等疾病的幾率增加。與經(jīng)常曬太陽的人群相比，不常曬太陽的人群患心臟病和中風(fēng)的概率要高出兩倍之多。每天曬15分鐘太陽足以滿足體內(nèi)對維生素D的需要，不過糟糕的是，一些城市由于地理位置、氣候等各種原因常年見不到太陽，曬太陽便成為了一種奢望。鑒于此種情況，這些地區(qū)的老年人就應(yīng)當(dāng)適量服用一些富含維生素D的補(bǔ)品。
冬季易生憂郁情緒
人的情緒在一定程度上會受到季節(jié)因素的影響，春季的和煦春風(fēng)和夏季的燦爛陽光令人心情舒暢，秋季的蕭索和冬季的灰白令人心情沉悶。在冬季，天短夜長也會帶來情緒上的紊亂，這些癥狀包括焦慮、無精打采、不合群等。為了治療這種情緒上的紊亂，醫(yī)院大多采用人造光對人體進(jìn)行照射。然而，僅僅依靠醫(yī)學(xué)治療是完全不夠的，老年群體應(yīng)當(dāng)對這種癥狀的出現(xiàn)保持警惕，經(jīng)常與子女溝通，多進(jìn)行戶外運(yùn)動，在冬季也能保持一顆樂觀開朗的心態(tài)。
肺部的健康
醫(yī)學(xué)專家菲柯特說：“寒冷的天氣可能會誘發(fā)一些呼吸疾病，例如哮喘、急性肺炎等。”冬季的空氣寒冷干燥，并且流動性較弱，一些肺氣腫患者的病情在這種情況下或許會更加糟糕。冬季的到來會改變老年人以往的作息習(xí)慣，因此向往常一樣繼續(xù)保持心臟鍛煉顯得比較困難。老年人在冬季非常需要進(jìn)行有規(guī)律的鍛煉來強(qiáng)壯身體，但是許多人并沒有這樣去做。因?yàn)樘炖涞木壒?，也許人們并不太想出門，但是也應(yīng)該在家中做一些鍛煉，跑步機(jī)在這時(shí)就是個(gè)不錯(cuò)的選擇。
Winter weather is here, and with it comes a whole new set of health hazards we need to know about and protect against. Some threats are obvious — the heart attacks triggered by shoveling snow — while others are just as dangerous, but more subtle.
And the threats are from not just falling snow, but also falling temperatures.
Here are five hidden dangers you should know about:
1. Heart attack and stroke
Many winter heart attacks aren't from the sudden exertion of shoveling snow.
While the number of heart attacks does spike in the winter — by some estimates there are 53 percent more now than in the summer — that's true all across the country, including in some Sunbelt states that never see a snowflake. It's winter's cold, not just snow, that poses the threat. Our arteries respond to cold by constricting, and that makes us more prone to heart attacks. Why? Narrow arteries can cut down the flow of blood through the body, "making your heart work harder, " says Roger Blumenthal, M.D., director of the Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Preventive Cardiology Center.
And even small temperature drops can cause big problems.
British researchers found that falling temperatures of less than 2 degrees Fahrenheit in a single day resulted in a 2 percent rise in the number of heart attacks that occurred during the next two weeks. That meant about 200 more heart attacks throughout England and Wales per "colder" day, according to a three-year study of temperature records and 84, 000 hospital admissions.
Moreover, as we age, the cold hits us harder — especially when the thermometer drops to 32 degrees or below. "The older you get, the harder it is to regulate body temperature, " says Ronan Factora, M.D., of the Cleveland Clinic's Center for Geriatric Medicine. "There's less fat and muscle, less ability to generate heat." So compared with those in their 50s, men and women in their 70s or 80s feel the cold more severely.
Constricting arteries, Blumenthal says, also can trigger tears or splits in the plaque that lines the walls of the arteries. When that happens, blood clots can form, triggering a heart attack or stroke, both of which also occur more frequently during winter.
2. High blood pressure
This cold-weather constriction of the arteries increases blood pressure. "Because there's less space for blood to flow, there's more resistance inside blood vessels, " explains Factora.
3. Vitamin D deficiency
Getting too little vitamin D — the sunshine vitamin — during winter's gray days can be dangerous. Less sunlight means you tend to get less vitamin D because it's primarily absorbed through the skin. Low levels of D have been linked to an increased risk of osteoporosis, heart attacks, dementia, heart disease and Parkinson's disease. Several studies also have shown that people with low vitamin D levels were twice as likely to have a heart attack or stroke, compared with those with higher levels.
About 15 minutes of sun on arms each day is often enough to maintain the levels you need. Unfortunately, in some parts of the country, the sun virtually disappears for months. Some older people may need to take vitamin D supplements. Check vitamin D recommendations and talk to your doctor about taking a supplement.
4. Winter blues
Shorter days with less sunlight bring a greater risk of seasonal affective disorder, a type of depression that occurs in the fall and winter. Symptoms include loss of energy, anxiety, oversleeping, social withdrawal and weight gain. The disorder is usually treated by exposing the patient to increased doses of artificial light.
5. Lung problems
"Cold weather tends to bring out more respiratory problems, such as asthma and a greater risk of pneumonia, " says Factora. Emphysema may also worsen in the winter, as cold and dry air narrows airways, restricting airflow into and out of the lungs to make breathing more difficult.
It doesn't help that winter makes it tougher to keep up our heart-healthy habits. "You really need to engage in regular exercise during cold weather, but many people don't, " says Blumenthal. "Maybe you can't walk outside when it's too cold, but you should do home exercises — perhaps get a treadmill." Using an exercise video is another option.
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