How Super Bowl Stress can Impact your Heart

CLEVELAND – Super Bowl Sunday is almost here and you can bet fans are pumped up and ready to go.

But, too much stress and excitement can be dangerous for those who may already have a heart condition.

“The Super Bowl is basically our biggest unofficial holiday. We overeat, we over-drink, it’s a very stressful moment and you put that all together, especially for people that are already at increased risk for having heart attacks, those who have high blood pressure, those with high cholesterol, diabetes, if you smoke, if you drink too much, you’re overweight. All of that can come together and form a perfect storm and increase your risk for a heart attack,” said Nicholas Ruthmann, MD, cardiologist for Cleveland Clinic.

So, what can fans do to help protect themselves during the big game? Dr. Ruthmann said try to avoid stress as much as possible. One way to do that is to take breaks when the players take breaks.

Don’t forget to drink some water as well. He said it’s easy to get dehydrated.

When it comes to those delicious Super Bowl spreads, try to limit how much unhealthy food you’re eating and go for some fruits and vegetables instead. You should also limit your alcohol intake.

Dr. Ruthmann said if you notice any type of chest discomfort, you should seek medical care right away.

“If you do feel symptoms of a potential heart attack, and those can range from having chest pain, acute shortness of breath, even feeling unwell, some people just feel nauseous, they have fatigue, make sure you seek care,” he said. “That is the biggest thing I can offer is to call 911. If you have an aspirin, chew it in your route and to seek attention.”

Dr. Ruthmann said it’s also important to take your regular medications. If you have high blood pressure or diabetes, be sure to monitor those.