Local hospitals see increase in heart attacks, injuries after heavy snowfalls

By Mike Renzella

The Haldimand Press

HALDIMAND—There are certain things you expect to see after a heavy snowstorm like the one that pounded Haldimand County last week – kids building forts, dogs frolicking in snowdrifts up to their eyeballs, and people frantically clearing piles off their driveway so they can get off to work in the morning. It is that last group that concerns local hospitals.

“Unfortunately, we do see an increase in heart attacks, along with episodes of chest pain and shortness of breath, in patients during the clean-up after a heavy snowfall,” said Dr. Jeffrey Remington, Chief of Emergency for Haldimand War Memorial Hospital (HWMH). “The combination of heavy physical exertion and cold air, along with the fact that many of us have been sedentary and inactive since the summer months, all contribute to this.”