Heart Disease

Check the weather before you head out - as explained above, cold temperatures can put a strain on your heart. If the temperature is particularly low it might be worth asking yourself is this journey really needed or could you ask a friend, family member or neighbour to go out for you?

If you choose to go out, ensure you wrap up with layers of thin clothing, keep your head, hands and feet warm with a hat, scarf and extra pair of socks. You may want to place your scarf over your mouth and nose, this will help to warm the air.

Cold air can still affect your heart when you are in your home, for example when moving from a warm room to a cold room. Try to heat your home to 18 degrees Celsius, use blankets or hot water bottles, have warm meals and hot drinks and keep active! If you are worried about the cost of heating your home seek support from your local council or citizens advice. 

Ensuring good hand hygiene and asking visitors to do the same, is one of the most effective ways of keeping germs and viruses at bay.

Regularly wiping down surfaces with antibacterial sprays and remembering to disinfect high traffic objects such as door handles, light switches and even remote controls will help you stay well.

If anyone around you is coughing or sneezing ensure it's into tissues - remember catch it, bin it, kill it - a tissue should be single use item to stop the transfer of germs.

Carry hand gels with you for when you are out and about and consider wearing gloves that you can pop in the washing machine once home.

Use the sanitation stations when you are out or shopping.

Consider wearing a mask on public transport or when in enclosed or busy spaces. 

Knowing and understanding your condition can help empower you to manage it. Self-managing your condition – with support from others – helps give you control. The British heart foundation has a wealth of information to support you.

It's important to know all about your condition, your symptoms, your medication, and how to cope with flare-ups. All of this will make your day-to-day life easier and could reduce the risk of needing to go into hospital.

Consider keeping a diary so you can draw links between the weather, how you feel and the activity you were undertaking so that you can start to see patterns. 

If you are unsure about any element of your medications then visit your local pharmacist for advice and support or contact your healthcare team.

Giving yourself the best protection against viruses will help you to stay well over winter. You can find out more about vaccinations by clicking the following links - Flu vaccination information, Covid vaccination information.

You may be offered a one-off anti-pneumonia vaccination if you’re over 65.

Your heart constantly pumps blood through your body and when you become dehydrated, the amount of blood circulating through your body is reduced. To compensate, your heart beats faster, increasing your heart rate and your blood pressure. By keeping your body hydrated, you help your heart to work more effectively under less stress. As a guide, men and women need around 8–10 cups of fluid each day (around 2–2.5 litres) which includes water and other fluids like milk and tea.

Drinking plenty of water is just one part of keeping our heart healthy, it is also important to have heart-healthy diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables and healthy meals. Visit the British Heart Foundation for some great examples.  

The cold, rain and shorter days can make it feel harder to be active in winter, but keeping moving doesn’t just benefit your long-term heart health, it can also help strengthen your immune system. Invest in a waterproof and warm boots and clothing so you can keep walking outdoors, make arrangements to go with someone else as this may help you to go regularly and will also make it more enjoyable. 

There are ways to exercise at home for free too. From exercise classes on YouTube to hula hooping to dancing to your favourite music. It also does not have to be formal exercise, just getting up regularly, and going up and down the stairs will all help. 

The NHS has useful resources which include chair exercises. If you are a wheelchair user you may find these activities helpful. 

Physical and mental health are linked, and winter can be a tough season for many of us. When you live with a heart condition it can get you down, make things feel harder and impact your mental wellbeing.  

Stay connected, talk to family and friends openly about the impact you feel your condition is having, keep moving and seek help if you are feeling down.

You can find a variety of help and support on our mental wellbeing pages. 

If at any time you are feeling unwell, ensure you stay indoors and keep warm and seek help from the appropriate health service.

At all times, but especially in the winter, avoid contact with people who have cold symptoms and explain to friends and family why this is so important for you - Catching a cold or another infection may trigger your symptoms to get worse or your condition to flare up. 

If you do catch a cold, monitor yourself. It might be a good idea to discuss a health plan with family and friends, making sure everyone knows what to do, where your rescue medication is and how to contact your healthcare team. 

Make sure you make the right choice if you become unwell and seek help early.