• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
BlackDoctor.org
Where Wellness & Culture Connect

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

  • Health Conditions
  • Wellness
  • Lifestyle
  • Longevity
  • Resource Centers
    • Clinical Trials Resource Center
    • Wellness on the Yard
    • Cancer Resource Center
    • Immunocompromised Care
    • Top Blacks in Healthcare
  • Find A Doctor
  • BDO TV
Home / Lifestyle / Living with Heart Failure / How to Prepare For Wildfires & Hurricanes if You Have Heart Problems

How to Prepare For Wildfires & Hurricanes if You Have Heart Problems

wildfires

Environmental disasters are difficult for anyone. For people with cardiovascular disease, they can be particularly risky.

As wildfire and hurricane seasons kick into high gear, experts urge extra caution for people who’ve had a heart attack or stroke or have other forms of cardiovascular disease.

Wildfire smoke

Research shows wildfire smoke has a significant impact not just on the respiratory system, but on cardiovascular health as well.

“The inhaled small particulate matter from smoke can cause inflammatory effects as well as a cardiovascular response to the stress, including changes in the blood vessels and increased heart rate and blood pressure,” says Dr. Celina Yong, director of interventional cardiology at Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System in California. “For people with underlying heart disease, this can trigger exacerbation of existing problems.”

You May Also Like
Real Housewives Star Describes Terrifying Medical Experience!

An overview published last year in the American Heart Association journal Circulation described wildfire smoke as “a rapidly growing threat to global cardiovascular health” and said that even short-term exposure can lead to heart attacks, strokes or cardiovascular-related deaths.

Complicating matters is the unpredictable nature of wildfires. In early June, U.S. residents in the Northeast and Midwest were caught off guard when an orange-gray fog of smoke blew down from Canada, where dozens of wildfires were burning.

RELATED: 9 Ways to Protect Yourself from Breathing Wildfire Smoke

What you can do to protect yourself

Still, there are steps you can take to prepare.

People with cardiovascular disease should check air quality reports every day when there is a concern for air pollution, says Yong, also an associate professor of medicine at Stanford University. “Pay attention to the instructions for sensitive individuals regarding whether it’s safe to go outdoors.” One example is AirNow from the Environmental Protection Agency and other agencies that provides real-time air quality index readings.

Yong also recommends keeping indoor areas of the home closed off from outside air and using a high-efficiency air filter in their air conditioning system or a portable indoor air filter if possible.

To help stay safe when outdoors, a high-quality mask, such as an N95 mask, can offer some protection from

Continue Reading

The Latest In Living with Heart Failure

health problems

The 12 Most Common Health Problems for People 55+

Thanks to new medications and surgical techniques, people are living longer. However, a 35-year-old body will be a very different body than a 75-year-old one. Many issues, both genetic and environmental, affect how we age. The most widespread condition affecting read more about The 12 Most Common Health Problems for People 55+
types of blood clots

How Different Types Of Blood Clots Feel

A blood clot in a vessel might have varying sensations depending on its location in the body. Clotting is essential to stem blood loss from a broken blood vessel but may also block veins and arteries. Pain, numbness/tingling, edema, and read more about How Different Types Of Blood Clots Feel
vegetarian

Going Vegetarian? Here’s How it Will Impact Your Heart

As more people are advised to shun meat, a new study from Australia adds to evidence that a vegetarian diet can help improve heart health. A review of 20 prior investigations found that folks who followed a vegetarian diet for read more about Going Vegetarian? Here’s How it Will Impact Your Heart
heart rate

12 Reasons Why It Feels Like Your Heart Rate Won’t Slow Down

Anxiety? Caffeine? More serious? Running the last few minutes of a race, preparing for a major presentation, or watching "Stranger Things" in the dark may make your heart race. Daily living shouldn't raise your heart rate. Your heart's rhythm is read more about 12 Reasons Why It Feels Like Your Heart Rate Won’t Slow Down
heart attack

After Misdiagnosis, Doctors Discovered Her Main Artery Was 99% Blocked

After a week of remote work in Farmington Hills, Michigan, Denise Castille was packing up her desk and preparing to leave for the airport to catch a flight back to her home in McKinney, Texas. Most of her co-workers had read more about After Misdiagnosis, Doctors Discovered Her Main Artery Was 99% Blocked
heart healthy nuts

Health in a Nutshell: 6 Ways Daily Nut Consumption Could Help Your Heart

One way to reduce the risk of heart disease: Eat more nuts and seeds, according to a new review of 60 studies. Scandinavian researchers found that eating nuts could reduce the risk of a heart attack. "If you eat a read more about Health in a Nutshell: 6 Ways Daily Nut Consumption Could Help Your Heart

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to our newsletter

Poll

Popular Posts

4 Natural Remedies for Hot Flashes

natural remedies for hot flashes

Actress Marsai Martin Diagnosed with Ovarian Cysts: “Pain is Not Normal”

Actress Marsai Martin Diagnosed with Ovarian Cysts: “Pain is Not Normal”

5 Ways to Tackle Your Sugar Cravings Instantly!

sugar cravings

10 Warning Signs Of Mold Toxicity In The Body

10 warning signs of mold toxicity

7 Signs Your Nipples Are Trying to Tell You Something

nipples
Find a Culturally Sensitive Doctor

Footer

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

BDO is the world’s largest and most comprehensive online health resource specifically targeted to African Americans. BDO understands that the uniqueness of Black culture - our heritage and our traditions - plays a role in our health. BDO gives you access to innovative new approaches to the health information you need in everyday language so you can break through the disparities, gain control and live your life to its fullest.

Connect With Us

Resource Centers

  • Clinical Trials
  • Wellness on the Yard
  • Cancer
  • Immunocompromised Care
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise With Us
  • BlackDoctor.org Advertising and Sponsorship Policy
  • Daily Vitamina
  • TBH

Copyright © 2023, BlackDoctor, Inc. All rights reserved.