The 8 subtle signs of lingering ‘holiday heart syndrome’ – and when you risk blood clots and stroke

WITH the fun and joy of Christmas and New Year also comes the risks of overdoing it, particularly when it comes to alcohol.

But consuming a lot of alcohol can directly impact your heart – and in the days that follow one too many drinks, you could be at risk of holiday heart syndrome (HHS).

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Holiday heart syndrome is considered an official medical term a condition where excessive alcohol consumption, often during holiday periods, can trigger irregular heartbeats like atrial fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation is a heart condition that causes an irregular and often abnormally fast heart rate.

It can lead to serious health complications if left untreated.

Dr Jeff Foster, director of health at Manual www.manual.co, said the symptoms of HHS can come on suddenly after excessive alcohol intake.

He explained: “Although thousands of people get an irregular heartbeat, the classic trigger for HHS is excessive alcohol intake. 

“This is because alcohol can affect the heart in a few ways.

“It causes interference with the cardiac conduction, it cause changes to the body’s essential electrolytes (affecting heart cells), it can damage heart cells directly, and it can also affect blood pressure which can impact on heart function.”

Typical symptoms, said Dr Foster, are usually a fluttering or beating in the chest.

But seven other symptoms may also occur. He continued: “You may have a feel of an irregular heartbeat, or even chest pain, palpitations, and discomfort. 

“But not all patients get this and some just feel very lethargic, lack of energy, or a shortness of breath.”

Can holiday heart syndrome be reversed?

If the alcohol damage is short lived, most of the effects on the heart will reverse or stop.

But Dr Foster said the problem is that having an atrial fibrillation, can also have other complications or risks.

He said: “These include an inability to keep you blood pressure up, and an increased risk of blood clots and stroke.

“Therefore if you have the symptoms above suggestive of HHS we recommend you do not try and wait it out as it may not resolve or may result in high risk complications.

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“You must seek medical advice immediately.”   

According to the University of Alabama at Birmingham, HHS symptoms typically last a few hours to several days, but usually resolve within 24 hours.

Symptoms usually resolve once alcohol consumption is stopped or moderated and normal routines are resumed. 

If symptoms don’t resolve within 24 hours, patients should seek medical attention.

How to avoid holiday heart syndrome

The most effective method to avoid HHS is to practice moderation with alcohol intake.

Limit excessive drinking, and stay stay hydrated, maintain a healthy diet, manage stress, and continue your regular exercise routine throughout the holiday season or prior to any drinking occasions.

The NHS recommends that men and women drink no more than 14 units of alcohol per week, spread out over at least three days.

This is about six medium (175 ml) glasses of wine, or six pints of 4 per cent beer.

There is no completely safe level of drinking, but following these guidelines can lower your risk of health harm.

If you want to cut down, you can try having several alcohol-free days each week.

Doing initiatives like Dry January, when you have one month off drinking, will have very few benefits if you continue to drink heavily for the remaining 11 months of the year, experts warn.

To reap the benefits, you’d need to significantly cut down on alcohol in the longer term.