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Heart disease and colds: who's who?

Alexey Kryvenko, medical expert
Last reviewed: 07.07.2025

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Heart disease and colds are bad companions. When you have a cold, the virus enters the body and burdens the cardiovascular system. If a person has a heart disease, it suffers even more. Therefore, when treating a cold, you should not forget about your usual medications that you took before you caught a cold. What are the characteristics of heart disease during a cold?

Is a cold dangerous if you have heart disease?

Yes, it is quite dangerous. But not in itself, but its consequences and impact on the body. A cold often causes complications such as pneumonia, which deprives the blood of oxygen supplied to the heart. This can cause a person to have difficulty breathing and feeling unwell. A heart patient with a cold may feel weak, he may feel ill, and may have shortness of breath at night.

These loads are very dangerous for the heart. It pumps blood with great effort, and a person can choke and feel bad even when walking slowly, and if the patient climbs the stairs, the load increases even more. This is especially dangerous for people suffering from heart failure.

What cold medications should you avoid if you have heart disease?

First of all, you should avoid cold remedies that contain decongestants. According to the American Heart Association, decongestants should not be used for colds, especially for people with high blood pressure. Medicines containing this substance increase blood pressure even more. This can lead to a stroke. An alternative to these medications is the well-known drug Coldrex. However, when deciding on the medications to take, be sure to consult with your doctor, who will recommend the best treatment option for you.

How do cold remedies interact with other medications?

If cold and heart medications are chosen incorrectly (and this can often happen when self-medicating), they can counteract each other. Cold medications can neutralize heart medications, and they will not help at the most crucial moment. You also need to carefully read the labels of the medications to see if they increase or decrease the blood pressure of people who have it jumpy or abnormal.

It is essential to consult a doctor before you start taking cold and heart support medications. And it is also essential to inform the doctor about what medications you are taking (even the most harmless ones) and what you have taken before. This applies to both prescription and over-the-counter medications.

Preventive measures against colds in cardiovascular diseases

Even if you suffer greatly from heart disease, this is not a reason to stop walking in the fresh air and doing simple physical exercises. Even after a heart attack, patients are recommended to swim - it relieves the bones and blood vessels, and also hardens.

Hardening is an important remedy against colds, but it is also necessary to take the simplest preventive measures. First of all, this is thorough and regular hand washing. Washing your hands with soap removes harmful bacteria and viruses from the surface of your hands, which are a source of infection. And if you do not get colds, your heart will not receive additional stress.

Immunization as a means of protecting the heart

Paradoxically, by getting a flu shot, you protect your own heart. This is because the vaccine protects against many viruses that can cause flu and colds ( colds are almost always caused by viruses).

Therefore, consult your doctor about the possibility of an annual immunization. It should be done before October, and the vaccine begins to work two weeks after the person has been injected. But even if you have not been vaccinated on time, it is not too late to do it at another time, unless you are suffering from an acute respiratory disease at the time, are not breastfeeding, and have a fever.

Heart disease and colds will not cause you any trouble if you take care of your health by exercising, including enough vitamins in your diet and avoiding bad habits.