Why Heavy Holiday Drinking Can Trigger Irregular Heart Rhythm
A new study has found that binge drinking during the holidays, especially in December and January, is linked to an increase in irregular heartbeats. There are a lot of parties, celebrations, and social events during these months where people drink too much alcohol. While a lot of people think this is just harmless fun, the research shows it could be bad for your heart.
How Drinking on Holidays Affects the Heart
The heart needs steady electrical signals to beat in a regular way. Binge drinking, which is usually defined as drinking a lot of alcohol in a short amount of time, can mess up these signals. The study found that arrhythmias, or irregular heartbeats, happen a lot more often around the holidays. Atrial fibrillation is a common type of this condition in which the heart beats too quickly or unevenly.
Alcohol can make heart tissue hurt, raise blood pressure, and make you dehydrated. People also tend to sleep less, eat heavy foods, and feel more stressed during the holidays, all of which can put more strain on the heart. When these things happen with binge drinking, the chances of heart rhythm problems go up.
Some people have heart fluttering, chest pain, dizziness, or trouble breathing. Some people may not feel anything at all, which makes the condition more dangerous because it can go unnoticed. People who don’t already have heart disease can still have these problems after drinking a lot.
This pattern is often called “holiday heart syndrome” by health experts because it happens to people who are otherwise healthy but drink a lot during the holidays.
The good news is that you can mostly avoid this risk. To protect your heart, you should drink less alcohol, drink slowly, stay hydrated, and get enough sleep. When you celebrate, being moderate doesn’t mean you can’t have fun; it means you can keep your heart safe long after the holidays are over.
