Recognizing Signs of the Most Dang.erous Health Events in Cold Weather: Often Overlooked

As temperatures drop, cardiovascular, respiratory, and skin allergy conditions tend to increase. Among them, heart attacks are the most dangerous events, often overlooked because symptoms can be subtle or mistaken for common ailments like stomach pain.

Heart Attacks Often Mistaken for Stomach Pain

Dr. Nguyen Huy Hoang, member of the Vietnamese Underwater and Hyperbaric Medicine Association, warns that many patients suffer heart attacks without realizing it, only discovering the issue when arriving at the hospital too late—beyond the golden period for coronary intervention.

Heart attacks are frequently confused with stomach pain, especially after late-night, heavy dinners in cold weather. The key difference lies in the nature of the pain: stomach pain usually feels like burning, gnawing, or accompanied by belching. In contrast, heart attack pain is squeezing, pressing, or heavy in the center of the chest, persistent, not relieved by rest or changes in posture, and may radiate to the jaw, neck, shoulders, or left arm.

Additional symptoms include autonomic nervous system responses such as cold sweats (even in cold weather), shortness of breath, nausea, restlessness, and unexplained anxiety or fear.

“Women and people with diabetes may only show subtle signs, such as extreme fatigue or shortness of breath after climbing a few stairs. Families may mistake it for fatigue or minor illness, but it could actually be an inferior wall heart attack,” Dr. Hoang emphasizes.

During cold weather, Prinzmetal’s coronary spasms also increase. These spasms can occur even at rest, often in the early morning, causing severe chest pain and leading to serious complications.

Golden Rule for Cold Weather Heart Pain

According to Dr. Hoang, any squeezing chest pain lasting more than 20 minutes—especially in cold weather—should be treated as a coronary event until a doctor confirms otherwise.

Beware the “Cold Shock”

Northern Vietnam enters the dry, cold period from November to January, followed by the humid “no” season from February to April. Each stage poses its own risks.

Sudden temperature changes are particularly dangerous. Stepping from a warm room into the cold can trigger sudden vasoconstriction, sharply raising blood pressure and potentially causing stroke or heart attack in people with underlying conditions.

“Never ignore fleeting chest pain during cold days. Every minute of delay could cost your life,” Dr. Hoang warns.

Cold-Season Health Recommendations

To protect health in cold weather, Dr. Hoang advises:

• Keep the body warm, especially the chest and feet.

• Maintain proper indoor humidity.

• Drink warm water and rest adequately.

Most importantly, never underestimate chest pain, especially after a late dinner.

“Prevention is important, but recognizing early signs and responding appropriately is the best way to protect yourself,” Dr. Hoang emphasizes.