As the temperature drops, people should watch out for signs of heart attack or stroke, the Health Promotion Administration (HPA) said yesterday.
The Central Weather Bureau forecast cold weather for the weekend as a cold front arrives.
When the weather changes and there is a large fluctuation in temperature, contracting blood vessels can raise blood pressure, increasing the risk of heart attack or stroke, the HPA said.
Older people and those at high risk of cardiovascular diseases should be especially careful to control their blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels, and to eat healthy, keep warm and avoid smoking, the HPA added.
Signs of heart attack include sudden chest tightness or pain, arm pain, difficulty breathing, nausea, extreme drowsiness and dizziness, it said, adding that people who experience symptoms should seek immediate medical attention.
Those with a medical history of coronary artery disease can put a doctor-prescribed sublingual tablet under their tongue before heading to the hospital, it added.
People can remember the most common signs of stroke by the acronym “FAST”: face, arms, speech and time, the HPA said.
“Face” means to ask the person to smile to see if one side droops or the smile is uneven; “arms” means to ask them to raise both arms to check if one drifts downward; “speech” to ask them to repeat a simple phrase to observe if the speech is slurred or strange; and “time” to immediately seek medical attention if any of the signs are observed.
It urged people to keep warm — especially in the head, neck, legs and arms — by wearing scarves, hats, facial masks, gloves and socks, and to dress in layers to make it easier to adjust to temperature changes.
People should also drink more water to help prevent blood from becoming thick and sticky, the HPA added.
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