Few organs are as vital to life as your heart, the center of the cardiovascular system. Fist-sized and brimming with muscle and tissue, your powerful heart constantly pumps blood throughout your body, delivering nutrients and oxygen to all the areas that need them. Guided by your brain and nervous system, your heart also regulates your blood pressure.
Beating about 2.5 million times over a person’s lifespan, if your heart fails, you won’t live much longer. Several factors can impact your heart health during the holiday season. Beverly Hills, California, residents seeking to stay heart healthy while enjoying the holiday season can find assistance from Dr. Shawn Veiseh and his experienced medical staff.
To avoid the impact of holiday stress on your cardiovascular health, let’s examine how you can control your risks.
Heart issues are so common at this time of year that the phenomenon even has a name, holiday heart syndrome. It results from many different problems stemming from excesses, such as overindulging in alcohol and various foods that may taste delicious but are high in salt and sugar, creating problems for your heart.
We often spend time at the holidays with those we don’t see much the rest of the year, so it’s easy to enjoy a bit more eating and drinking than usual. However, the result for many is an increased risk of cardiac issues that frequently start with atrial fibrillation, also known as an irregular heartbeat.
Atrial fibrillation occurs as a result of erratic electrical impulses in the upper chambers of your heart (the right and left atria), which in many cases can also lead to your heart stopping. Referred to as an episode of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, people who struggle with it usually experience heart palpitations, shortness of breath (dyspnea), fatigue, and dizziness.
This can last 12-24 hours and may be worse if you already struggle with cardiovascular conditions like underlying heart disease, breathing or sleep disorders, hypertension, obesity, a family history of heart issues, stress, or panic disorders. Routine physical inactivity, commonly known as a sedentary lifestyle, can also increase your risk.
To avoid complications that come with holiday heart syndrome, try these valuable tips:
If you’re going to visit family or friends who are hosting, find out what’s on the menu to determine what you’ll allow yourself to indulge in while you’re there.
You don’t have to avoid everything, but be mindful of portion sizes and choose wisely. If you can take some to go and enjoy it at your leisure, it will reduce the temptation to overdo it.
Get up and walk around or find another way to incorporate exercise into your routine after eating to keep your body moving and burn calories.
Many things can stress you out during the holidays, whether you’re visiting or hosting, so take time to relax.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, often follow a night of drinking to ease hangover symptoms. However, they also stress your heart, so be careful with how much you take.
These simple steps can help you have a good time with loved ones, so enjoy the holiday cheer and use them wisely. For any heart concerns and other health needs, schedule an appointment with Dr. Veiseh today by calling our office or booking your visit online.
