Alcohol is a legalized psychoactive substance in most countries around the world. This is the main reason that in the United States alone, according to the NSDUH, about 10% of the population suffers from alcoholism. Once in the body, alcohol causes damage to all organs and systems. One of the targets is the cardiovascular system. In this article, we will discuss how alcohol affects the heart through moderate use and abuse.
Signs of the negative effects of alcohol on the cardiovascular system
Despite the fact that any dose of alcohol is harmful to health, society has developed a notion of moderate alcohol consumption. In simplistic terms, this is any alcoholic beverage per day that only contains about 10-20 pure alcohol in total.
Is it safe to do so? To answer this question, it is enough to look at the body’s response after just 350 ml of light beer. A person’s blood pressure rises. In the presence of chronic diseases or persistent high blood pressure, this significantly increases the risk of stroke.
The higher the dosage of alcohol, the more serious the consequences. So exceeding the “safe” dose increases the risk of stroke by 35%.
The negative impact of alcohol on the cardiovascular system can be determined by the following signs:
- hypertension. Blood pressure is constantly higher than normal, which leads to an additional load on the heart and blood vessels, the risk of stroke is significantly increased;
- arrhythmia. Due to the fact that alcohol and its metabolites are constantly in the blood, the electrical system of the heart can be disturbed. As a result – irregular heartbeat, cardiac arrest is possible;
- blood clots. Excessive alcohol consumption is the cause of thrombosis, the most critical consequences of which are heart attack or stroke;
- cardiomyopathy. Weakness, shortness of breath, dizziness and fainting – all this can be a consequence of weakening of the heart muscle, as a result of which the brain is worse supplied with oxygen;
- angina pectoris. People with alcohol dependence often suffer from chest pain caused by reduced blood flow to the heart muscle;
- edema. Due to the violation of normal blood circulation, fluid accumulates in the tissues.
Are you experiencing these symptoms and still drinking? This indicates that you have already developed an addiction. If you want to live as long as possible, you need to seek help: sign up for a consultation at an alcohol addiction rehab, for example, in California, where there are a lot of them. Here you will be examined, helped to choose a suitable treatment program and provided with post-rehabilitation care. The main thing is to make a step on the way to a sober life in time – before irreversible consequences and chronic diseases of the cardiovascular system appear.
Effects on blood pressure
Numerous studies have shown that alcohol abuse significantly increases the risk of hypertension. An increase in blood pressure compared to normal can range from 4 to 8 points. It has been found that an increase of every 2 points increases the risk of stroke and coronary heart disease by 10 and 7 percent, respectively.
High blood pressure can lead to diseases such as heart and kidney failure, blindness, sexual dysfunction and more.
Risks of atrial fibrillation
A consequence of alcohol dependence is often atrial fibrillation: an irregular or rapid heart rhythm. In this case, the lower chambers of the heart work inefficiently and do not pump the necessary amount of blood. As a consequence, fatigue, dizziness, discomfort in the heart area, which could require the need to see a heart failure specialist. All this is due to the fact that the heart works worse and the blood is less involved in metabolic processes and individual tissues experience oxygen starvation.
The danger of atrial fibrillation is that it can occur even at the stage of refusal from alcohol. That is why in the conditions of a rehabilitation clinic during detoxification people with alcohol dependence constantly monitor vital signs. If attention is not paid to this, thrombosis, heart failure, stroke and even cardiac arrest are possible.
The importance of timely rehabilitation
Many cardiovascular diseases caused by excessive alcohol consumption are reversible with a healthy lifestyle. For example, hypertension. But there are also such diseases that do not go away even with abstinence – cardiomyopathy. It is better not to bring the heart to such a state.
Feeling health problems, alcoholics often try to quit drinking. Independent struggle with alcoholism can lead to a vicious circle, from which it is impossible to get out. This means that it is important to stop in time and ask for help. You don’t have to go into hospital for a long period of time to do this, sometimes just visiting a rehab clinic to get the support you need is enough.
