Polar plunge may cause heart problems, American Heart Association says

Jumping into freezing cold water in the middle of winter is a popular way for charities across the U.S. to raise money. However, the American Heart Association says it doesn’t come without risks.

WASHINGTON - Jumping into freezing cold water in the middle of winter is a popular way for charities across the U.S. to raise money. However, the American Heart Association says it doesn’t come without risks.

According to an article on Heart.org, the organization says shocking the body with cold water can trigger a sudden, rapid increase in breathing, heart rate and blood pressure. This reaction is known as cold shock response.

The shock can cause a person to drown within seconds if they gasp while their head is submerged. It can also place stress on the heart causing it to work harder.

The sudden shock can also cause blood to rush from the extremities leaving the arms and legs without good circulation triggering a loss of strength and coordination.

According to the article, the National Center for Cold Water Safety says sudden immersion in water under 60 degrees Fahrenheit can kill a person in less than a minute.

Dr. Jorge Plutzky, director of preventive cardiology at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, tells the AHA that health benefits associated with cold water plunges are not clear and have not been established. He says he warns against it for anyone with a cardiac history.

Lee Hill, with the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre in Quebec, Canada, tells AHA that the shock response may be lessened by acclimating your body to increasingly colder water over time.