Chest Pain During Cold Weather Exercise
Report #6940
If you develop chest pain when you exercise in cold weather, and not when you exercise in warm weather, check with your doctor. You could have heart disease.
The blood supply to your heart comes from arteries on its outside surface. The blood
that is pumped inside your heart's chambers brings almost no oxygen to your heart muscle.
If you have arteriosclerosis, fatty plaques in your heart's arteries restrict the flow of
blood to your heart, and therefore, your heart has to pump faster to bring more oxygen to
your heart. Cold wind blowing on your face constricts your blood vessels and raises your
blood pressure, which increases the resistance against the flow of blood so your heart has
to work harder to pump blood through your body. It also slows your heart rate so that less
blood is pumped to your heart muscle. A harder working heart requires increased flow of
blood, but a slower heart rate brings less blood to the heart. The heart suffers from
lack of oxygen and hurts.
While freezing your face slows your heart and can cause chest
pain, freezing your fingers makes your heart beat faster and brings more oxygen to your
heart. Putting your fingers in cold water may not cause chest pain, while exposing
your face to a cold wind may do so. If you develop chest pain in cold weather, check with
your doctor for heart disease. Cover your face with a scarf or wear a balaclava when
you go out into the cold.
By Gabe Mirkin, M.D., for CBS Radio News
Checked 1/12/10