Drinking too much this holiday season can do more than cause a bit of inebriation. Consuming relatively large amounts of alcohol can cause what physicians term “holiday heart syndrome“, a condition where alcohol stimulates the heart to go into arrhythmias (an abnormal heart rhythm) – even in healthy individuals without cardiac problems. Symptoms of holiday heart syndrome typically include palpitations, shortness of breath, lightheadedness, and chest pressure/pain or discomfort. This condition can occur during any periods of increased alcohol consumption – binge drinking on weekends, during vacations, and, of course, during holidays. It’s usually self-limited and benign. But if you feel any of the symptoms above for an extended amount of time (minutes to hours), you should get checked out by your physician or seek medical attention at the emergency room. The only way to prevent holiday heart is to use your judgment in exercising moderation.
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Tags: alcohol, arrythmia, drinking, heart, holiday, syndrome, vacation
Dr. Steven Chang, the author of DailyDose, is a staff physician with Kosmix RightHealth. Dr. Chang practices Family Medicine at the University of California Davis Medical Center, where his medical interests include both pediatric and geriatric care, public health, gay and lesbian health, and sleep medicine. Dr. Chang trained at the Stanford University affiliated O'Connor Hospital, and was a research fellow at the National Institute of Health. He holds an M.D. from McGill University and a BA in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.