Heavy, wet snow that hammered the region this past weekend created messy driveways and a health risk for some residents who took to shoveling.
Cold air combined with sudden, strenuous exertion can sharply increase cardiac stress, doctors say, and studies have found a measurable uptick in heart attacks in the days after major snowstorms.
Dr. James Sauto, an emergency physician at Cleveland Clinic, warned that people with known heart trouble or other conditions should leave the shoveling to someone else. “If you have a heart problem, high blood pressure, chronic back problems… Those are things that it would be best deferred to somebody else to do for you,” he said.
Medical experts say the combination of cold temperatures, heavy lifts and shortness of breath raises blood pressure and heart rate, making shoveling particularly risky for people who are inactive or have cardiovascular disease. Recent reviews of the research emphasize pacing, avoiding heavy lifting and treating snow removal as a demanding physical task rather than routine yard work.
Sauto also cautioned that long periods outside can bring a different danger. “If you're going to be out there for a long time, you start to break a sweat… The sweat wets your clothes… The clothes stay wet… Now they get cold, and that's how you become hypothermic,” he said.
For practical tips, doctors recommend dressing in layers and removing outer layers as you warm up to avoid overheating and then cooling suddenly. “Dress in layers. And as you start getting heated up, you take the top layer off to cool off a little bit,” Sauto said. Those steps match longstanding winter-safety guidance from major medical centers.
Beyond cardiovascular concerns, icy conditions increase the risk of falls and fractures. “Slipping and falling, hitting your hand, causing an injury... a break, you know, a fracture... But at least you're protecting your head. That's the most important,” Sauto said, urging people to prioritize head protection and careful footing when clearing walkways.
Health officials suggest several precautions: warm up before you start, use a small shovel and push snow rather than lift when possible, take frequent breaks, stay hydrated and ask a neighbor or hire help if you have medical risk factors. If you experience chest pain, dizziness, fainting, unusual shortness of breath or other alarming symptoms while shoveling, call 911 immediately.
