How Does Alcohol Affect Your Heart?

Most of us are aware of the fact that- Alcohol is a depressant that affects the central nervous system and alters the body’s response to pain. Alcohol can impair judgment, perception, motor coordination, and reaction time. It can also cause nausea, vomiting, loss of consciousness, depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders. 

But, Do You Know- How Alcohol affects your heart?

Curofone, being the provider of vital monitoring devices for cardiac care is on a mission to spread awareness of the short-term and long-term effects of Alcohol on heart health. This blog is an attempt to make you more aware of the consequences that you may suffer if your intake of alcohol is high. Let’s get started. 

Alcohol And Heart

Alcohol is known to increase the risk of heart attack or stroke because it causes an increase in blood pressure and heart rate which leads to the disrupted supply cycle of oxygenated blood to the heart muscle and body. Alcohol also increases levels of bad cholesterol which causes plaque build-up in arteries. Let’s understand them one by one.

Increases Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is a measurement that describes the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries. Alcohol increases blood pressure by causing the heart to work harder. This can lead to several health problems, including high blood pressure and heart disease. Hence, Alcohol is not recommended for people with existing heart conditions. 

Increases Heart Rate

Heart rate is the no. of times your heart beats per minute. It is a measurement of the intensity of your heartbeat. Heart rate is measured in bpm ie beats per minute. Normal resting heart rate: 60-100 bpm. Alcohol consumption can lead to variations in heart rate. It increases the chances of developing tachycardia (increase in heart rate due to electrical signals problem), which can lead to blood clots resulting in a heart attack or stroke. Keep a Heart rate monitor device like CuroMe handy to check it anytime, anywhere. 

Weakened Heart Muscle

The heart muscle is a very important part of our body. It helps in pumping blood to the rest of the body and carrying oxygen. When it becomes weak due to any reason, it can lead to serious health problems. Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to cardiomyopathy. It is a heart condition that affects the heart muscle. It can cause problems in the heart’s ability to pump blood and sustain a normal heartbeat. Patients may experience shortness of breath, collapsing or fainting episodes, chest pain or discomfort, fatigue or swelling in the legs.

Arrhythmias

Arrhythmia is a cardiac condition in which the heart beats too fast or too slow, causing an irregular heartbeat. Alcohol affects the circulation efficiency of blood in the heart. It may result in an atrium blood pool or clot, which can cause ischemic stroke too. The symptoms of arrhythmia can include feeling lightheaded or dizzy, palpitations, chest pain, shortness of breath, anxiety or irritability. A portable health monitoring device like CuroMe is good to check ECG and know if it’s an arrhythmia emergency for the patient. 

Avoid Alcohol, Choose a Healthy Lifestyle

The health risks associated with alcohol are well known, but many people still choose to drink. At Curofone, we strongly advice everyone to avoid alcohol or at least limit their alcohol consumption. Choose a healthy lifestyle. It can be hard to do sometimes, but it is important for your health and well-being. There are many things that you can do to keep yourself healthy, including exercising regularly, eating a balanced diet, and never forgetting to keep your health vitals in check with a patient monitoring system like CuroMe. 

We hope this blog works as an eye-opener for everyone. Feel free to connect to Curofone for CardioCare Plan, Vital Monitoring Devices, and Teleconsultation services. Our experts are here to keep your heart healthy and active!

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