Since Medco and Express Scripts have come together as one company to manage your prescription drug benefit, the information Medco had on file for you is now available to the merged company.
Frigid winds make you shiver; dry air chaps unprotected lips and hands; and a lack of sunshine can even cause depression. Cold weather also puts immense strain on the heart. Low temperatures cause your blood vessels and arteries to narrow, restricting blood flow and reducing oxygen to the heart. Your heart must pump harder to circulate blood through the constricted blood vessels. As a result, your blood pressure increases. A sudden spike in blood pressure â especially when paired with outdoor exertion, such as shoveling a snowy sidewalk â can cause serious issues such as: 1  Unstable chest pain.
Being exposed to high altitudes, where there is less oxygen, can actually make blood become a little thicker over time because the bone marrow will produce more red blood cells, which carry oxygen, she said. This may help endurance athletes, she said, but it will not make them feel warmer. However, she said, âOur bodyâs ability to control temperature or thermo-regulate does involve blood circulation. In the cold, the small blood vessels on the surface of our body get smaller to keep warm blood deeper inside. In the heat, they dilate to release heat from the body. Over all, how warm or cold a person feels âhas more to do with our perception of temperature than with our actual temperature,â she said.