While the emergency room in most hospitals is usually an active place, according to recent research the holiday season only adds to the drama.
A study published in the journal Circulation found that heart-related deaths increase by 5 percent during the holiday season. The research also revealed that fatal heart attacks peak on Christmas, the day after Christmas, and New Year’s Day.
Dr. Steven Polevoi, medical director of the University of California, San Francisco's (UCSF) Emergency Department says people tend to delay care during the holidays and often ignore the tell-tale signs of major medical event. "They may have symptoms of cardiovascular disease such as abdominal or chest discomfort which they interpret as indigestion or overeating, but in fact it could be cardiac ischemia,” he explains.
Related: Important New Guidelines for Women and Heart Disease
Dr. Polevoi says the holidays are a pivitol time of year for us to "listen to our bodies," rather than ignoring what could become a serious or even fatal condition. “You meet the patient and they tell you their story,” Polevoi said. “You say, ‘Why didn’t you come sooner?’ and they say, ‘Well, I was traveling or I was having a party.’ These can be subtle symptoms patients interpret as something other than a serious condition.” And the results, he says can be catastrophic if not caught in time. Physicians also point out that if a patient has a pre-existing heart condition the added stress of the holidays and the over-indulgence in food/drink (the extra fat and salt) can cause a major event, so those people need to be even more cautious.
So while heartburn and acid reflux may just be the result of an over-zealous caloric fest, it's important not to ignore any lingering symptoms.
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