Health
Snow shoveling safety tips to prevent injury and heart attacks: 'Very strenuous activity'
While snow may be peaceful and pretty, removing it can be risky.
Snow shoveling is one of the most dangerous winter activities, with research showing that it leads to around 11,500 injuries and medical emergencies and 100 deaths each year.
The American Heart Association has identified snow shoveling as an activity that can put extra stress on the heart.
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Beyond cardiac events, other common injuries include broken bones, cuts, bumps and bruises from slipping and falling.
Two doctors shared with Fox News Digital their insights and recommendations about safe snow shoveling.
Snow shoveling is one of the most dangerous winter activities, with research showing that it leads to around 11,500 injuries and medical emergencies and 100 deaths each year. (iStock)
Why is shoveling snow so dangerous?
Dr. Bradley Serwer, a cardiologist and chief medical officer at VitalSolution, an Ohio-based company that offers cardiovascular and anesthesiology services to hospitals nationwide, noted that there is an overall increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality during the winter months.
“This is due to multiple factors including seasonal temperature, level of physical activity, air pollution, infections, stress levels and fluctuations in diet,” he told Fox News Digital.
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Physical inactivity is a major factor, Serwer noted, as during the winter months, people tend to be less active and thus are less prepared for the high physical demands of shoveling.
“It is often underestimated what kind of physical workload is required to shovel a substantial amount of snow,” Serwer said. “Shoveling snow can be a very strenuous activity, placing notable strain on the cardiovascular system.”
Frigid temperatures also increase the risk.
It’s safer to push the snow out of your path instead of lifting a heavy snow shovel over your head, said one doctor. (iStock)
“Cold temperatures can cause peripheral blood vessels to constrict, which raises blood pressure and can put extra strain on the heart,” he said.
It’s also easy to become dehydrated while working in cold climates, as people tend to forget to replace fluids as needed, Serwer noted.
“It is also important to note that orthopedic injuries are very common due to falls from slick conditions,” he said.
Tips to reduce risk while shoveling snow
To ensure adequate protection from the cold, Serwer recommends dressing in layers — including coats, hats, scarves and gloves — to avoid overheating, shedding them as you warm up.
Sarah Lee, M.D., an emergency medicine physician at the University of Maryland Medical Center Midtown campus, warned people to watch out for signs of frostbite, particularly in the fingers, toes and nose.
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Some early symptoms of frostbite include severe cold, pain, swelling and discoloration.
“If you experience these symptoms, it is recommended that you go to a warm place immediately,” Lee told Fox News Digital. “Be sure to change into warm and dry clothes once inside.”
It’s also important to stay hydrated and avoid alcohol and tobacco products while working, the doctor said.
When lifting heavy amounts of snow, it’s important to do the heavy lifting with your legs to prevent straining your back. (iStock)
Before getting started, experts recommend warming up with stretches.
“Shoveling snow uses a lot of big muscle groups,” said Lee, who is also an instructor of emergency medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. “Stretch before starting to warm up your muscles and joints.”
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When lifting heavy amounts of snow, it’s important to do the heavy lifting with your legs to prevent straining your back, added Lee.
For those who are not typically very active, it’s important to “take extra caution and know your limits,” Lee said.
“Try to avoid overexerting yourself and take plenty of small breaks if you are shoveling a large area,” she advised.
For those who are not typically very active, it’s important to “take extra caution and know your limits,” a doctor told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
To prevent slips and falls, Lee warned to watch out for black ice, which can be hard to detect.
“The colder the weather, the more likely it will be that there will be frozen ice on the ground,” she noted.
Particularly for elderly people, Lee recommends keeping their cell phone in their pocket so they can call for help in the event of an emergency.
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When removing snow, Serwer said it’s safer to push the snow out of your path instead of lifting a heavy snow shovel over your head.
People with certain conditions or risks should consult with a doctor before shoveling, the doctors agreed.
To prevent slips and falls, a doctor warned to watch out for black ice, which can be hard to detect. (Rachel Gibbons/The Daily News-Sun via AP)
“Generally, those who have any mobility-limiting conditions or those with high fall risks — those who are elderly, deconditioned or have a more sedentary lifestyle — should exercise extra caution,” said Lee.
People who have a history of cardiac problems should check with their doctor before any kind of strenuous exercise, she said.
“Patients who take blood-thinning medications should also take special care to avoid falls,” Lee added.
For those who are at a high risk of cardiac events, the experts recommend hiring someone else to complete the task.
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Large, palm-sized spiders are spinning massive golden webs across porches and power lines, and, according to experts, they’re here to stay.
The Joro spider, which has a leg span up to 4 inches and markings of neon yellow, blue-black and red, was first recorded in Georgia in 2013.
Since its arrival — likely as a hitchhiker on a shipping container or an airplane from Asia, experts say — the arachnid has been steadily marching north.
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The spiders have so far been spotted in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
They are expected to spread throughout eastern North America, at least as far north as Pennsylvania and possibly further in warmer, coastal areas, according to Penn State.
Joro spiders can “fly” by shooting out silk parachutes that carry them on the wind. (Stuart Cahill/Boston Herald)
To travel, the spider uses a technique called “ballooning,” in which hatchlings release fine silk threads that catch air currents and carry them over long distances.
Ian Williams, an entomologist with Orkin, said he counted 200 adult spiders by September of last year on his one-acre property near Atlanta.
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“They’re quite intimidating looking spiders, and they make very large webs,” he told Fox News Digital. “The webbing itself, if it catches the sunlight, has a golden hue to it. And it’s very strong.”
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Despite the arachnid’s striking appearance, experts agree that people shouldn’t panic. Research shows the Joro is among the “shyest” spiders ever documented. When disturbed, they often sits motionless for over an hour rather than attacking.
Joro spiders like to spin their webs up high near houses, trees and even power lines, an expert said. (Stuart Cahill/Boston Herald)
“While they’re large spiders, they don’t have large fangs. And, so, it’s difficult for them to bite humans,” Williams noted.
Even in the rare event of a nip, the expert said the venom is weak, comparable to a localized bee sting, and carries “no medical importance.”
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As an invasive species, the Joro’s impact is still being weighed by scientists.
“One of the big concerns is that they potentially out-compete native species of spiders,” Williams said.
Physical removal is more efficient than pesticides, according to an expert. (iStock)
A prolific hunter, the Joro spider catches everything from mosquitoes to large, meaty insects like cicadas. It is unclear whether it steals food from native garden spiders.
To prevent Joro spiders from nesting on your porch or property, experts recommend using a broom or long pole to knock the web down.
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“Spiders may get the message, ‘Hey, I’m not going to keep remaking my same web in the same area,’” Williams said.
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Physical removal is more effective than pesticides, which often miss the spiders in their high, open-air webs.
For those who spot a Joro spider in a new area, experts suggest logging the sighting on apps like iNaturalist to help researchers track their northern migration.
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Simple measurements taken during routine blood pressure checks could predict dementia risk years before symptoms appear.
That’s according to new research presented this week at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session in Louisiana.
The findings draw on two studies led by researchers at Georgetown University, which suggest that monitoring how blood vessels age and stiffen over time can provide a window into future cognitive health.
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Data shows rates of dementia and aging-related cognitive decline are expected to increase as populations age, and half of U.S. adults have high blood pressure (hypertension).
Scientists believe that efforts to better address hypertension, a key contributor to heart disease and a risk factor for dementia, could affect both cardiac and brain health.
Data shows rates of dementia and aging-related cognitive decline are expected to increase as populations age. Meanwhile, half of U.S. adults have high blood pressure. (iStock)
“Blood pressure management isn’t just about preventing heart attacks and strokes; it may also be one of the most actionable strategies for preserving cognitive health,” Dr. Newton Nyirenda, the study’s lead author and an epidemiologist at Georgetown University in Washington, said in a press release.
The research focused on two metrics, the pulse pressure-heart rate index and estimated pulse wave velocity. Both were calculated using data collected during standard doctor visits, such as heart rate, age and blood pressure.
“Blood pressure management isn’t just about preventing heart attacks and strokes; it may also be one of the most actionable strategies for preserving cognitive health.”
Researchers examined five years of data patterns for more than 8,500 people in the SPRINT trial, a large study of adults 50 years and older with hypertension. In the follow-up, 323 of the participants developed probable dementia.
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In one study, the team found the pulse pressure-heart rate index was a strong independent predictor of dementia risk in adults over 50. For participants under 65, every one-unit increase was associated with a 76% higher risk of developing dementia.
For participants under 65, an increase in the pulse pressure-heart rate index was associated with a 76% higher risk of developing dementia. (iStock)
The second study found that adults with consistently elevated or rapidly increasing pulse wave velocity were more likely to develop dementia than those with stable velocity, even after accounting for factors like smoking, gender and cardiovascular history.
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“Our findings suggest that vascular aging patterns may provide meaningful insight into future dementia risk,” said Nyirenda. “This reinforces the idea that managing vascular health earlier in life may influence long-term brain health.”
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The team emphasized that clinicians should tailor risk assessments and treatment strategies to the individual.
Further studies are needed to confirm these parameters and determine whether changing vascular aging trajectories reduces dementia risk. (iStock)
“You don’t want to wait until a patient starts manifesting cognitive decline before you act,” said senior study author Sula Mazimba, an associate professor at the University of Virginia.
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Researchers noted the study could not establish causation. Other limitations included the fact that participants already had hypertension and elevated cardiovascular risk, meaning the findings may not apply to people without those conditions.
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Further studies are needed to confirm these findings and to determine whether improving blood vessel health over time could reduce dementia risk.
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