This month of the year is full of enjoyment, get-togethers, and unlimited food and drinks. While having fun and enjoying the moment is fine, it is also important to be careful not to go too far and end up with holiday heart syndrome. It is a heart condition that happens when you consume too much alcohol. In this blog, we will discuss everything about the holiday heart syndrome.
What Is Holiday Heart Syndrome?
The term “holiday heart syndrome” describes the electrical disturbance in the heart very common during the December holidays. It is like atrial fibrillation (AFib) which is caused by binge drinking. While it can happen to anyone at any time, experts say that it’s very common during the holiday season.
What Triggers Holiday Heart Syndrome?
This holiday heart syndrome is purely metabolic, and it is the result of overconsumption of alcohol and high-calorie food with friends, and families during festivals and holidays.
Overconsumption of Alcohol
Holiday heart syndrome happens due to high consumption of alcohol and drugs. These are the main reasons that easily trigger heart syndrome, which may cause sudden cardiac attacks. The use of alcohol and other drugs is extremely harmful to the body.
High-Calorie Food
High-calorie food is also a common trigger during the holidays. Eating foods loaded with fat and high sugar content leads you to heart attack.
How Does Heart Syndrome Feel Like?
The most common symptoms of holiday heart syndrome are usually, the sudden onset of palpitations, dizziness, breathing trouble, and more. Here are the most common symptoms:
Chest Discomfort
It is the most common sign of heart danger. It may feel painful in the chest, and it beats faster than usual. This may happen when you are at rest or when you are doing something physically.
Sweating
Breaking out sweat for no reason can be a signal for heart syndrome. If it happens along with some of these symptoms you can suspect holiday heart syndrome and seek medical attention immediately.
Indigestion and Stomach Pain
Indigestion and stomach pain can also occur due to heart syndrome. But, it can also be due to the food you ate at the feast. If you find chest discomfort along with indigestion and stomach pain, talk to your doctor and get yourself checked.
Ways to Take Care of Your Heart?
Refraining from binge drinking is an important step to avoid heart syndrome, but other habits also play a key role here such as stopping smoking, having a heart-healthy diet, getting at least 150 minutes of exercise per week, and healthily managing stress.
When it comes to holiday parties or festivals, try to limit your drinks. So how much alcohol is too much? If you choose to drink, do it in moderation like one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men is the actual level of drink that you can consume. To reduce the risk, make sure that you are drinking plenty of water and consuming food that keeps your heart healthy.
Try to reduce the risk of heart issues during the holidays. Here are some more tips to help you maintain your health during the holiday season. They are :
- Avoid or minimize conversations or situations with your family and friends that make you feel stressed.
- Take your exercise every day.
- Follow your regular sleep schedule.
Can I Avoid Holiday Heart Syndrome?
Of course, you can avoid holiday heart syndrome by following some steps that I’ve already told you before. To avoid holiday heart syndrome, firstly you have to ensure that you abstain from overindulging in food or drinks during the festive season. Here are some more tips on how you can avoid holiday heart syndrome.
Food and Drinks in Moderation
If you are going to a party in the evening, have a light breakfast and lunch so that it won’t tempt you to overdo it again. During the holiday season food and drink play a major role. We are tempted to eat that, but everything has a limit to reach. We should have control over our cravings, especially sweets. In simple words enjoying your holiday is important, but moderation is the key to keeping it healthier.
Keep on Moving
Stay active during the holidays. Don’t forget to continue your daily workouts on holidays because we all were in the thought of having or taking rest in the holidays but the holiday is to keep all your work and stress aside, but not the workout. If you keep yourself healthy during the holidays, you are less likely to have long-term heart issues.
Try to Stay Calm
Sometimes you might feel extra stressed during the holidays. This is normal but don’t let it go beyond the level and try to stay calm that time. Take your time to relax and stay calm, and then do things that make you happy. This can help you to improve your heart health.
People are not going to give up drinking completely, but keeping them within certain limits helps us stay away from the holiday heart syndrome. Be conscious of your food and drinks and enjoy your holidays healthily and happily.
