Mr. Zhang, 51 years old, is a truck driver who works diligently every day and often stays busy until midnight.
One night, there was a sudden noise in the bathroom, and Mr. Zhang's family quickly got up to check the movement, and when they knocked on the door, they found him lying on the floor unconscious.
Without delay, the family took Mr. Zhang to the hospital, where the examination showed severe cerebral hemorrhage.
1. Why does taking a bath usually lead to sudden death?
In winter, many people like to take a bath with hot water, thinking that this can promote the body to heat up and wash the whole body warmly, but bathing incorrectly may cause sudden death
Sun Guigui, chief physician of the Department of Cardiology of Shanghai Yuanda Cardiothoracic Hospital, said that the main reason for sudden death from bathing is the stimulation of the body by water temperature, especially the impact on the heart.
Our skin sensors are very sensitive, and once the brain senses hot and cold information, it will immediately communicate it to our body, causing blood vessels to contract or dilate rapidly, triggering a series of physiological responses such as rapid heartbeat, increased blood pressure, muscle tightening, nervous tension, etc. This can put an extra strain on the heart and may even trigger angina pectoris or acute myocardial infarction, which can lead to sudden death.
Common causes of sudden bathing death include sudden cardiac and non-cardiac death:
Sudden cardiac death usually occurs in patients with heart disease, and the sudden onset causes the heart to stop beating, disrupting blood circulation, and leading to ischemia and hypoxia in key organs such as the brain, and ultimately death.
Sudden noncardiac death is caused by other underlying medical conditions. These diseases involve the digestive system, nervous system, etc., and the common ones include cerebral hemorrhage, hypertension, pulmonary embolism, etc. The onset of these underlying conditions can lead to death suddenly.
It should be reminded that winter is the season of high incidence of cardiovascular diseases, and cardiovascular patients such as hypertension and coronary heart disease, as well as the elderly over 60 years old (many of whom are cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases) need to be extra careful when taking a bath, so as not to trigger potential diseases and avoid possible dangers.
Second, middle-aged and elderly people have 3 bathing habits, get rid of them as soon as possible
Liu Jianxiong, director of the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine of Chengdu Second People's Hospital, reminded that patients with cardiovascular diseases should also pay attention to keeping warm in winter and maintain the difference in body temperature within a small range. Here are 3 bathing habits that can be changed:
1. Likes to take cold showers
If you are accustomed to taking cold showers, especially middle-aged people with other medical conditions, it is recommended to choose the appropriate bath temperature to ensure safety after you are awake, have not exercised vigorously, or have calmed down from exercise, and combine the water temperature and ambient temperature. Don't put too much faith that cold showers will improve your physique, especially for older people.
2. The bath water is too hot
Generally speaking, the water temperature is about 5 degrees higher than the body temperature. Excessively high water temperatures can cause skin burns, thin air that can cause uncomfortable symptoms, and even cardiovascular problems such as acute myocardial infarction, increasing the risk of sudden death. The most important thing is to make sure that the bath water is at the right temperature for the individual feeling.
3. Love to take a shower in the morning
Sympathetic nerve excitement is predominantly in the morning, which is the time of high incidence of cardiovascular accidents. In order to reduce the chance of danger, it is recommended to rest for 2-3 hours after dinner before taking a bath. This is a safer time to choose and help prevent cardiovascular problems from occurring.
3. The correct bathing sequence is important, and every step is crucial
Many people have the habit of washing from the beginning of the bath, thinking that this will be the only way to clean it. But Jia Huang, M.D., who is a doctor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, said it could be in the wrong order.
The first step in bathing is to wash your face, because when you enter the bathroom, the vapor generated by the hot water causes your pores to open up quickly. If you don't wash your face first, the makeup, dust, and oil secreted by the skin will sneak in when the pores open.
Over time, pores can become clogged, leading to increased blackheads and pimples. Therefore, washing your face first can prevent too many foreign bodies from entering the pores of your face.
The second step is to wash the body, and there is a sequence: the limbs away from the heart should be washed first, and then the torso should be washed after the body is used to it. When washing the body, do not use a towel to rub the skin excessively, because the skin is not iron, and repeated rubbing may damage the skin, causing the keratotic layer of the skin to peel off, making the skin even drier.
The last step is to wash your hair, which has two benefits: firstly, it can avoid the poor blood flow in the head caused by alternating hot and cold stimulation, which reduces the possibility of inducing cerebrovascular diseases, and secondly, after a period of hot water rinsing, the scalp and hair are fully moisturized in water vapor, which is more conducive to cleansing and scalp health.
Overall, bathing is an important hygiene habit in daily life, but there are some details that need to be paid attention to when performing a bath to ensure the health and safety of the body. Proper bathing habits can help maintain the health of the body, while paying attention to individual differences and physical conditions, and choosing the bathing method that suits you.
Resources:
[1] "Can't take a hot bath immediately after "popping", the correct "posture" for bathing is ......, Southern University of Science and Technology Hospital.2023-11-24
[2] "53-year-old man dies suddenly after taking a bath!Doctor reminds: pay attention to these points in a cooling bath", Chengdu Second People's Hospital.2023-07-16
[3] "Many people died of bathing!Doctor urgently reminds: don't wash like this...".Popular Science China.2021-06-18
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