Exercise is one of the efforts a person makes to lead a healthy life. It is recommended to do at least 30 minutes of exercise a day. Doing exercise regularly can increase the body's endurance so that it can prevent various diseases. But why can someone who is exercising suddenly have a sudden heart attack and end up dying?
Causes of Heart Attacks While Exercising
- Coronary Heart Disease (CHD)
Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is a disorder of heart function caused by a lack of blood in the heart muscle. This lack of blood is the result of narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries caused by damage to the lining of the blood vessel walls. People with coronary heart disease are still advised to do measured exercise regularly. The recommended exercise for people with coronary heart disease is light exercise such as walking, cycling, swimming and yoga. - Congenital Heart Disease
A person with congenital heart disease can experience sudden cardiac arrest. Congenital heart defects that interfere with blood going in and out, mixing clean blood and dirty blood, will make the heart work harder, thereby increasing the risk of sudden cardiac arrest during exercise. - Dehydration
When exercising, the body releases sweat fluid which causes the body to need replacement intake to keep the amount of fluid in the body balanced. If someone who exercises does not meet their fluid replacement needs, dehydration will occur. When someone experiences dehydration, many negative impacts can occur, one of which is that the heart's workload increases. When the body is dehydrated, mineral levels (potassium and magnesium) become low, the blood becomes thicker and the blood vessels constrict in order to conserve the amount of water available. The increased workload of the heart can cause symptoms of shortness of breath, high blood pressure, and even cardiac arrest in severe dehydration. - Unhealthy Lifestyle
Unhealthy lifestyles such as smoking, consuming too much food and drinks high in sugar, drinking alcohol and often staying up late can cause a person to suffer from various diseases. To avoid heart disease, we must choose to live a healthy lifestyle.
Tips to Prevent Heart Attacks While Exercising
- Exercise when you are healthy
As we know, exercising is a good physical activity to do. However, when doing exercise you need to pay attention to whether your body is healthy or not. When you feel unwell, it is advisable to rest. Exercising when sick makes our bodies too tired and not optimal in getting benefits. - Choose exercise that suits your body condition
There are many sports you can choose to do, but for people who have heart problems, you need to pay attention to what sports you can and cannot do. People who have heart problems can do light exercise such as walking, jumping rope, cycling and swimming. - Do exercise gradually by starting from low intensity
Sport has many benefits which definitely make people compete to do it. However, if beginners do excessive exercise it will be dangerous. Exercise can be done regularly starting from 30 minutes every day of the week. After doing it regularly, we can increase the duration of exercise slowly. - Immediately consult a doctor if you experience symptoms of heart problems
We need to recognize the symptoms of a heart attack, so that when we experience these symptoms we can immediately see a doctor. Generally, symptoms of a heart attack while exercising are suddenly falling, fainting, shortness of breath, chest pain, and stopping breathing. If you experience these signs or see someone experiencing these symptoms, immediately contact the nearest health service for treatment.
Article written by dr. Emile Tumpal Hombaron, Sp.JP (K) FIHA (Heart and Blood Vessel Specialist at EMC Alam Sutera Hospital).