Is your heart safe for a joy ride?
Feb 07, 2006
MANY parents choose to take their children to amusement parks like Didi’s World in Kansanga, Kampala for fun rides on roller coasters, caterpillar, octopus, pirate’s boat and other pleasurable enjoyments.
By Stephen Ssenkaaba
MANY parents choose to take their children to amusement parks like Didi’s World in Kansanga, Kampala for fun rides on roller coasters, caterpillar, octopus, pirate’s boat and other pleasurable enjoyments.
But be careful. The fun may turn nasty if certain precautions are not taken for particular people. There is a danger of accidents, but apart from that, some roller coaster rides could have disastrous
consequences for the faint-hearted.
According to the findings of a recent study by German researchers, the thrill of roller coaster rides can spark irregular beats in people with heart disease, putting them at risk of heart attack.
The researchers studied 37 men and 18 women who volunteered to take roller coaster rides while having their heart and blood pressure monitored.
Even though all the volunteers were healthy, many experienced dramatically increased heart rates during the ride. Some experienced irregular heartbeats and one experienced a heart rhythm disorder called atrial fibrillation –– a rapid chaotic electrical activity in the upper chambers of the heart.
Yet in Kampala, some of the people who afford to go to Didi’s world live a sedentary life, eat lots of fat and take away and do little physical exercise. This exposes them to heart and blood vessel (cardiovascular) problems, which can be worsened by roller coaster rides.
Dr. Dedace Mugisa, a cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon at Mulago hospital, agrees that people with weak hearts and other ailments such as epilepsy risk suffering heart seizure by riding in roller coasters.
“The heart is at the centre of all human body functions such that swinging at very high speed results into an imbalance in blood circulation. As the body swings from one side to the other, blood leaves the heart and goes down to the lower limbs and other extreme parts of the body,†he says.
“This reduces the amount of blood returning to the heart, putting a lot of strain on the heart and compromising its ability to pump blood to the rest of the body. In the process, the blood flowing to the brain may be significantly reduced, leading to a coma, unconsciousness and sometimes fitting,†he adds.
Mugisa says while this may not affect people with healthy hearts, people with weak hearts, epilepsy and motion sickness should keep away from taking roller coaster rides or anything that involves turning the body to dizzying heights or upside down.
At Didi’s world, for instance, they should avoid rides in the pirate boat, the octopus and, to a lesser extent, the caterpillar.
Mugisha says, while everyone can be affected, people, especially men who are above 40 and are fat, are particularly susceptible to such dangers. He advises that people should seek medical checkups and doctors’ approval before taking such rides. He adds that amusement parks should have a regulatory system in place to ensure that only healthy people take up such rides.
However, Mrs. Ruth Lubwama, the general manager of Didi’s World Amusement park, says such precautionary measures are in place.
“We are fully aware of the health implications of some of these rides and we have measures in place to guard against any danger.â€
Lubwama says each ride has an age limit and those that are potentially risky for sick people have warnings attached to them.
“Not only do we discourage people with heart-related problems and other illnesses from taking such rides, we also have a first aid unit with a full-time qualified nurse to take care of people with health problems,†she says.
She, however, said some people ignore the warnings and take on the rides or let their children enjoy them. But so far, no fatal case has been reported.
Mild ones like vomiting and nervousness may occur, but Lubwama says the machine is stopped as soon as this happens.
Mugisa, however, says roller coaster rides at Didi’s World are relatively gentle and do not pose any serious health threat.
MANY parents choose to take their children to amusement parks like Didi’s World in Kansanga, Kampala for fun rides on roller coasters, caterpillar, octopus, pirate’s boat and other pleasurable enjoyments.
But be careful. The fun may turn nasty if certain precautions are not taken for particular people. There is a danger of accidents, but apart from that, some roller coaster rides could have disastrous
consequences for the faint-hearted.
According to the findings of a recent study by German researchers, the thrill of roller coaster rides can spark irregular beats in people with heart disease, putting them at risk of heart attack.
The researchers studied 37 men and 18 women who volunteered to take roller coaster rides while having their heart and blood pressure monitored.
Even though all the volunteers were healthy, many experienced dramatically increased heart rates during the ride. Some experienced irregular heartbeats and one experienced a heart rhythm disorder called atrial fibrillation –– a rapid chaotic electrical activity in the upper chambers of the heart.
Yet in Kampala, some of the people who afford to go to Didi’s world live a sedentary life, eat lots of fat and take away and do little physical exercise. This exposes them to heart and blood vessel (cardiovascular) problems, which can be worsened by roller coaster rides.
Dr. Dedace Mugisa, a cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon at Mulago hospital, agrees that people with weak hearts and other ailments such as epilepsy risk suffering heart seizure by riding in roller coasters.
“The heart is at the centre of all human body functions such that swinging at very high speed results into an imbalance in blood circulation. As the body swings from one side to the other, blood leaves the heart and goes down to the lower limbs and other extreme parts of the body,†he says.
“This reduces the amount of blood returning to the heart, putting a lot of strain on the heart and compromising its ability to pump blood to the rest of the body. In the process, the blood flowing to the brain may be significantly reduced, leading to a coma, unconsciousness and sometimes fitting,†he adds.
Mugisa says while this may not affect people with healthy hearts, people with weak hearts, epilepsy and motion sickness should keep away from taking roller coaster rides or anything that involves turning the body to dizzying heights or upside down.
At Didi’s world, for instance, they should avoid rides in the pirate boat, the octopus and, to a lesser extent, the caterpillar.
Mugisha says, while everyone can be affected, people, especially men who are above 40 and are fat, are particularly susceptible to such dangers. He advises that people should seek medical checkups and doctors’ approval before taking such rides. He adds that amusement parks should have a regulatory system in place to ensure that only healthy people take up such rides.
However, Mrs. Ruth Lubwama, the general manager of Didi’s World Amusement park, says such precautionary measures are in place.
“We are fully aware of the health implications of some of these rides and we have measures in place to guard against any danger.â€
Lubwama says each ride has an age limit and those that are potentially risky for sick people have warnings attached to them.
“Not only do we discourage people with heart-related problems and other illnesses from taking such rides, we also have a first aid unit with a full-time qualified nurse to take care of people with health problems,†she says.
She, however, said some people ignore the warnings and take on the rides or let their children enjoy them. But so far, no fatal case has been reported.
Mild ones like vomiting and nervousness may occur, but Lubwama says the machine is stopped as soon as this happens.
Mugisa, however, says roller coaster rides at Didi’s World are relatively gentle and do not pose any serious health threat.