• Careers
  • Education
  • Research
Ochsner Health Ochsner Health
  • About
  • Find A Doctor (current)
  • Find A Location
  • Specialties & Treatments
MyOchsner Logo
Login | Signup
Submit Search
Close Search
  •   Home
  • In To Your Health...
  • Food & Fitness
  • Conditions & Treatment
  • Health Trends
  • Prevention & Wellness
  • Women's Health
  • Men's Health
  • Mental Health
  • Parenting
  • I need to...
  • Find A Doctor
  • Find A Location
  • Find A Specialty
  • Schedule An Appointment
  • Pay A Bill
  • Explore
  • About Ochsner
  • Careers
  • Patients & Visitors
  • "To Your Health" Blog
  • Health Resources
  • Medical Professionals
  • Education
  • Philanthropy
  • Community Outreach
  • Research
  • Ochsner Health Network
  • Schedule an Appointment
  • Call: 1-866-624-7637
  • Online: Login to MyOchsner
  • Personalize your content
  • patient Edit Persona Persona Chooser
To Your Health

View Newsletter Editions
  • Food & Fitness
  • Conditions & Treatment
  • Health Trends
  • Prevention & Wellness
  • Women's Health
  • Men's Health
  • Mental Health
  • Parenting
459513447 Heart In Christmas Lights

How to Avoid a Holiday Heart Attack

Updated: Sep 4, 2020 | Originally Published: Dec 16, 2014 |
By Carl (Chip) Lavie, MD, FACC, FACP, FCCP
Share Facebook Logo Twitter Logo Pinterest Logo Email Logo

More people have heart attacks in December and January than at any other time of the year due to excessive alcohol, lack of exercise and food overconsumption – all hallmarks of the holiday season.

The holidays are also accompanied by high levels of stress and depression which can also lead to an increased risk of cardiac events. To help reduce stress and improve mood, exercise such as a morning walk or jog can be a good way to help prevent a health scare.

Additionally, it’s important to remember to eat, drink and be merry - in moderation that is! While moderate alcohol intake appears to protect the heart, repeated overindulgence poses a direct and immediate threat to the heart. Plus, all those high-fat and salty foods not only raise the long-term dangers of obesity and high blood pressures, but can also increase the immediate likelihood of a heart attack.

One of the biggest risks of all? An episode of chest discomfort can sometimes be attributed to indigestion, but that missed trip to the hospital can sometimes be fatal. Know the signs of a heart attack, and call 911 if you or someone you know has one or more of the following symptoms:

  • Heart attack symptoms include chest pain, difficulty breathing, anxiety, perfuse sweating and nausea.
  • Women often have little or no chest pain with a heart attack. Instead, they tend to experience unusual fatigue, difficulty sleeping and shortness of breath that may precede the heart attack by as long as a month.
  • Out-of-towners can be especially reluctant to go to an unfamiliar hospital or doctor. Don’t delay!

To help you stay on track over the holidays, below are some simple tips to keep yourself heart-healthy:

  • Eat and drink moderately.
  • Don't let minor things stress you out.
  • Continue to exercise during the holidays. Regular exercise reduces the risk of heart disease and depression/psychological stress.
  • If you find yourself depressed, tell somebody and get help.
  • Don't ignore symptoms that may indicate a heart attack — hospitals appreciate false alarms over mortalities.
Tags
cardiology
holiday

You may also be interested in:

Holiday strategies for weight maintenance
Food & Fitness
Sep 4, 2020

6 Stay-Slim Holiday Strategies

The average person gains about one pound during the holiday season. Six simple steps you can take to avoid unwanted pounds.
Holiday Party Food Swaps
Food & Fitness
Sep 4, 2020

7 Healthy Holiday Food Swaps

Healthy holiday food swaps that can work as a substitute for some of your favorite holiday sides or desserts.
134936674 Holiday Stress Scaled
Prevention & Wellness
Dec 4, 2014

Don’t Let Holiday Stress Get You Down

With the holidays upon us, between shopping, events and parties, many may be feeling ovewhelmed. Here are some tips to cope with the hustle and bustle this season.

Comments about the blog? Send us an email!

Ochsner Health Ochsner Health

Schedule An Appointment: 1-866-624-7637

Follow us: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram YouTube Pinterest

Healthy living tips, delivered weekly to your inbox.

Patients & Visitors

  • Billing & Financial Services
  • Insurance Information
  • International Patients
  • Request Medical Records
  • Share Your Story
  • Read Patient Stories

Medical Professionals

  • Transfer a Patient
  • Refer a Patient

Health Resources

  • To Your Health Blog
  • Golden Opportunity
  • Hello Health Seminars
  • Ochsner Magazine

Job Seekers

  • Career Paths
  • Benefits
  • Open Positions

Employees

  • Webmail
  • OHSLink
  • Workday

Employers

  • Corporate Wellness
  • Medicare Advantage Plans

Community Outreach

  • Classes & Events
  • Programs
  • Community Health Needs Assessment
  • Dr. John Ochsner Discovery Health Sciences Academy

Education

  • Graduate Medical Education
  • Clinical Medical Education
  • Continuing Medical Education
  • Medical Library
  • Publishing Services
  • Medical Illustrations

Research

  • Clinical Trials
  • Applied Health Services Research
  • Clinical Research & Trials
  • Nursing Research
  • Translational Research

Giving

  • Donate
  • Volunteer

About Ochsner

  • Mission & Vision
  • History
  • Annual Report
  • Outcomes & Honors
  • News & Media
  • Alumni
  • Ochsner Health Network
  • Contact Us

Shop

  • O Bar
  • Optical Shop
  • Ochsner Fitness Center
  • Brent House Hotel

© Ochsner Health  | Notice of Privacy Practices | Terms of Use | Vendor Information

Ochsner accepts all major insurances.

Ochsner is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, founded on providing the best patient care, research, and education.

We are one of the country’s largest non-university based academic medical centers.

Ochsner is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

Community Needs Health Assessment

EpicMobile Tablet | EpicMobile Phone

Healthy Living Tips, Delivered Right To Your Inbox

* indicates required


Must Reads
Food and Fitness
Men’s Health
Parenting
Women’s Health

Source:
Source Description:
Marketing Goal:


Get Weekly Health Tips

Select the weekly newsletters you'd like to receive.

Please select at least one category to continue.

Curious about our newsletters?

View details for each edition

Let us know where to send your weekly newsletters.

To Your Health- Food and Fitness:
To Your Health- General:
To Your Health- Men’s Health:
To Your Health- Parenting:
To Your Health- Women’s Health:

Source:
Source Description:
Marketing Goal:

You're all set!

We’ll send newsletters full of healthy living tips right to your inbox every week.

Ochsner Health System
ESC to Close

Begin Typing to Search

Select the drop-down to filter Search by Blog Articles or Sitewide