The holidays can be very fun, but let’s be honest, they can also be stressful. This can lead to extra pressure on your body, specifically your heart.
ROCK HILL, S.C. — It can be easy to overindulge at holiday parties, but enjoying yourself a bit too much can put you in the hospital with serious health consequences.
Too much food and alcohol could result in what’s known as “Holiday Heart Syndrome.”
OUR SOURCES
- Dr. Andrew Brenyo, a cardiac electrophysiologist with Piedmont Medical Center
- Dr. David Lim, the medical director of Baptist Health System’s emergency departments
- Dr. Allen Anderson, chief of the division of cardiology at HT Health San Antonio
WHAT WE FOUND
First off, what is holiday heart syndrome?
It’s the increase in occurrences of atrial fibrillation, or an irregular heartbeat. It results from a combination of excessive alcohol, high stress and dehydration.
“What tends to happen is after an afternoon or evening of heavy drinking, in the middle of the night or even the following morning, the patient will notice that their heart is racing and usually they feel significantly different,” Brenyo said.
Not only is it uncomfortable, but there are serious health risks associated with the condition.
“The dangerous part about it is it increases your risks of stroke and increases your risk of developing a blood clot within the heart that can spread through your body,” Lim said.
Doctors say alcohol is the main cause because it doesn’t allow the heart to contract properly, disrupting the heart’s ability to distribute blood throughout our body.
“It’s a little bit like having a four-cylinder engine lose the turbo,” Anderson said.
People at the highest risk of suffering from holiday heart syndrome are people with diabetes, obesity or heart failure. Anyone with a family history of A-fib or heat disease also has an elevated risk.
If you start to experience symptoms like a racing heart, chest discomfort or shortness of breath, you should stop drinking immediately. Holiday heart syndrome usually resolves itself, but if symptoms persist, you should go to the emergency room immediately.
If you plan to drink, pace yourself and switch off with some water.
Contact Meghan Bragg at mbragg@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
