May 17, 2024
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Shoveling your own snow? Silver Cross has 4 safety tips for you

Even pushing a snow blower can significantly raise one’s heart rate and blood pressure

By Denise M. Baran-Unland
A resident shovels out his van. Many Joliet resident that stay in on Wednesday found their vehicles buried in from the snowplows working throughout the storm. Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022, in Joliet.

A resident shovels out his van. Many Joliet resident that stay in on Wednesday found their vehicles buried in from the snowplows working throughout the storm on Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022, in Joliet. More snow is scheduled to come through Will County on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022. Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox explains how to safely shovel snow if you tackle the job yourself. (Gary Middendorf - gmiddendorf@shawmedia.com/Gary Middendorf)

Winter is back in full force in the Will County area – and that means plenty of snow to shovel.

But shoveling snow is risky, especially for people with diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure or people who’ve had bypass surgery or coronary angioplasty, according to Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox.

“Shoveling snow can be strenuous on your knees and back,” Dr. Aaron Tabor, who works in the emergency room at Silver Cross, said in the release. “But the combination of low temperatures and increased blood pressure can be catastrophic to your heart.”

The American Heart Association says that even pushing a snow blower can significantly raise a person’s heart rate and blood pressure, according to the release.

So Silver Cross offers four tips for safely tackling the job:

• Do a little at a time and take plenty of breaks.

• Wear layers of clothing, cover your hands and keep your feet warm and dry.

• Take a break if you feel tired or sluggish.

• Immediately call 911 if you or anyone else who is shoveling snow shows signs of a heart attack.

“Any sudden onset of pain that radiates through your arm or neck accompanied with difficulty breathing or chest pain is a classic sign of a potentially fatal cardiac event,” Tabor said in the release.