“The uncomfortable feeling in the chest during cold weather usually is related to changes in temperature and humidity. We are not clear exactly what’s the cause of this discomfort in the chest. But it is felt that the chest and the ribs rejoins the breastbone. It’s the cartilage called the joint space – that can swell up in cold weather and that can give you some uncomfortable feeling in the chest. However, if people have chest pain, especially when they’re shoveling snow and especially if they’re elderly, that could indicate that they could have a significant heart condition. If the discomfort in the chest increases while increasing workload and it has associated symptoms – difficulty breathing and nausea, vomiting – you should seek medical attention. Just a simple chest discomfort with cold weather could be just related to the cold weather and it should go away and it’s not of a concern.”
Ramesh Gowda, MD is a board-certified cardiologist at Mount Sinai Doctors Brooklyn Heights. Mount Sinai Doctors Brooklyn Heights is a two-floor multispecialty practice with a walk-in urgent care center and more than 35 specialties. Located at 300 Cadman Plaza West, the practice is situated on the 17th and 18th floors.
