Don’t let those Bears break your heart, Chicago.
Just because Chicago’s “Cardiac” Bears seem to thrive on nail-biting finishes doesn’t mean the rest of us can handle it.
Ryan Lahey, cardiologist at the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute at Northwestern Medicine Palos Hospital, reminds football fans to go easy on themselves during Sunday’s NFL playoff game, even if their beloved team doesn’t.
Fans may joke about experiencing “the grabber” during a fourth-quarter turnover but the reality is, ongoing, terrifying adrenaline rushes can land you in the hospital, particularly if you already have cardiac issues.
Playoff games can provide the “perfect storm” of conditions leading to a health event, Lahey said.
The stakes are high, the nachos are piled high and, for those inclined to wager on the outcome, the potential payoff can be personal.
“I hope (Coach) Ben Johnson can give us a little bit more consistency,” Lahey said. “Cardiologists in Chicago don’t need any more business.”
What can you do to ensure a last-second Hail Mary doesn’t land you on the sidelines?
Be mindful — of your diet, your alcohol consumption and your need to pause.
Lahey said the typical Super Bowl or playoff watch party buffet has wings, nachos, Chicago-style hot dogs and pizza, all of which are loaded with saturated fat and tons of added salt and can spike your blood pressure even before kickoff.
And, contrary to what TV commercials promote, alcohol does not make for a good mixer.
If you scored tickets, add bitter cold to the list of risk factors.
“There is some data and research to suggest that after major sporting events there is an increase in cardiovascular events,” Lahey said. “We certainly see that following the holidays, when people have been eating and drinking a bunch of things that aren’t really good for the heart. By the time they’re sobering up or coming down, they’re in an abnormal heart rhythm or heart failure and coming into the emergency room to seek medical attention.”
Piling on Chicago fans is the fact that we have a team that is inclined to fall behind early and save the fourth quarter for terrifying — albeit often astoundingly successful — turn-around wins.
Add hope, bragging rights and a long look back on the Bears’ last Super Bowl win and you have a veritable cardiac cocktail.
Lahey said normal response to intense emotional stress typically subsides quickly.
“Your face might feel flushed and your breathing will quicken,” he said. “For most people, these sensations will resolve within a few minutes.”
The warning signs of a serious heart event include chest pain that persists or radiates to the jaw or arm, nausea, vomiting or sweating that doesn’t go away, he said.
“If these feelings do not resolve within a few minutes, call 911 or go the nearest emergency department,” he said.
For people with underlying heart disease, high stress events bring increased risk for arrhythmias, chest pain and heart attacks.
“Many people are unaware they have cardiac disease until a stressful event triggers symptoms that reveal a more serious problem,” Lahey said. “It’s not uncommon for someone to have high blood pressure or other cardiac conditions and not know it.”
A lifelong Bears fan, Lahey commiserates with fans feeling the stress from the team’s tendency to come-from-behind while the clock is running down.
“I watched (last) Saturday’s game ‘behind enemy lines’ in Wisconsin,” he said. Being encircled by fans who might not be so happy about your team’s reversal of fortune can add to the anxiety.
A good offense means a better defense, Lahey said.
Consume in moderation. Use deep, slow breathing techniques to calm yourself down. If things get too intense, walk away or pause the TV. And be your own fan by keeping yourself in good shape year-round, he said.
Exercising two to three hours a week is great for your physical and mental health, he said. Twenty- to 30-minute workouts that raise your heart rate five days a week, while still enabling you to carry on a conversation, should meet that recommendation, he said.
“Certainly, as the Bears push farther and farther into the playoffs, the stakes are higher and higher,” he said.
OK, fans, now get out there and bring yourselves a personal win.
As for the team, well, is it asking too much for them to go up by four touchdowns in the first quarter so that the rest of us don’t have to brush up on CPR?
Donna Vickroy is an award-winning reporter, editor and columnist who worked for the Daily Southtown for 38 years. She can be reached at donnavickroy4@gmail.com.
