‘You have to be careful’: Maritimers reminded to be cautious of heart health when shovelling

Health experts remind Maritimers to be safe and smart while shovelling snow.

Another winter storm in the region has left many Maritimers digging out. However, health experts want people to be safe and smart when shovelling, to avoid major blows to the body and the heart.

“As we know, there’s a rise in cardiovascular disease in the province. And when we embark on a strenuous activity like this, we run the risk of putting too much of a demand on our heart that can lead to cardiovascular impacts and incidents,” says Dr. Whitney Lum, a Nova Scotia Health family physician.

Halifax neighbours David LeBlanc and Domenico Giansante offer one another a helping hand, knowing the risks associated with taking on a strenuous shovelling load alone.

“I often give him a hand with his driveway and mine across the street, he gives me a hand with mine,” says LeBlanc. “(So) if something happens, somebody’s around.”

It’s one of many tips Lum says can mitigate risks.

“Wear appropriate gear, make sure you’re wearing warm clothing, appropriate shoes… have good shovels and things like that,” she says.

“Make sure that we’re staying hydrated, taking breaks… typically it’s every 15 minutes or so. Just make sure you’re taking a break. And, of course, not to ignore any symptoms. It’s easy to think, ‘Oh, a little bit of shortness of breath that that could be normal (or) ‘Oh, a little bit of chest pain maybe that could be normal.’ Sometimes heart attacks can fool you and present in funny ways.”

This month, the Heart and Stroke Foundation is educating Canadians on risk factors.

“We know at least nine in 10 Canadians have at least one key risk factor for heart disease and stroke. But the great news is 80 per cent of heart disease, premature heart disease and stroke can be prevented through modifiable risk factors,” says Kathryn Rand, the foundation’s health policy and systems Atlantic director.

She says that includes adequate exercise, sleep, diet, and controlling medical conditions like hypertension and high cholesterol.

“We know that only 16.7 per cent of Nova Scotians have at least five fruits and vegetables a day, which is the recommendation that we would have for a healthy diet. We also know that 29.4 per cent of Nova Scotians are living with hypertension. And so that is a medical risk factor for our conditions as well,” she says.

Meanwhile, LeBlanc says he and his neighbour will continue to exercise caution when shovelling.

“You have to be careful about how big the shovel is and how much snow you’re picking up, because it’s just too heavy. It’s hard on the back, (and) hard on the heart. You have to be careful nowadays,” he says.