Can quitting alcohol lower blood pressure?

We all know that alcohol is a fun way to unwind after a long week, but it’s no secret that excessive alcohol consumption can lead to high blood pressure. In this article, we will explore the connection between alcohol and high blood pressure and answer the burning question: Can quitting alcohol actually lower your blood pressure?

What is Blood Pressure?

Before delving into the relationship between alcohol and blood pressure, let’s first understand what exactly “blood pressure” means. Essentially, it refers to the force of your blood pushing against your arterial walls as it circulates throughout your body with each heartbeat. This process creates two numbers measuring systolic (the top or highest number) and diastolic (the bottom or lowest number) pressures in millimeters of mercury (mmHg). For adults aged 18 years old or older, normal pulse rate should be below 120/80 mmHg.

How Does Alcohol Affect Blood Pressure?

Now back on topic – drinking more than three alcoholic beverages per day leads to an approximately 20% chance of developing hypertension according to research. However not everyone who drinks heavily has hypertension; so how does alcohol impact one’s cardiovascular health?

Alcohol increases both heart style volume which cause increased velocity which again raises arterial resistance- thus heightening one’s chances having high BP. Additionally regular drinkers experience interrupted sleep pattern resulting in tiredness which over time causes fatigued tissues within artery walls making them weaker hence also raising ones BP levels’.

On another hand moderate drinking poses little threat especially when paired with activities such as exercise maintaining good weight plus healthy food intake- keeping those arteries supple functioning well preventing constriction.

Remember though every individual differs some few ‘lightweights’ might have significantly low BP from only consuming small quantities- limiting amounts consumed is key for avoiding related consequences altogether.

What Happens When You Quit Drinking Alcohol?

Now that we’ve covered the basics of blood pressure and how alcohol can affect it, let’s answer the question you’re all here for: Can quitting alcohol lower your blood pressure?

In short, yes! Cutting back on or eliminating alcohol from your diet can lead to a significant decrease in both systolic and diastolic pressures. It is important however to stick with this lifestyle change because returning to heavy drinking nullifies one’s efforts resulting in worse reading statistics than when an individual started.

Other Factors That Affect Blood Pressure

It should be noted that while there is strong evidence pointing towards a connection between alcohol consumption and high blood pressure, it’s worth mentioning other factors as well:

• Age: Older people have higher rates of hypertension.
• Race: African-Americans tend to develop hypertension more often at younger ages compared to people of different races
• Geneetics play-ins some individuals may have certain DNA variants signalling alarmingly fast upward movement within BP readings ‘malignant’ evolution.

How Much Alcohol Is Too Much?

The general consensus experts recommend no more than 2 servings per week (up to 1 drink daily) for women & men aged above 65 years. At most Men under age bracket twenty-one are suggested sticking with not crossing their intake past three drinks daily plans.

Warning Signs To Watch Out For When Drinking

There exist many warning signs which indicate that consuming lots of alcohol is making negative impact upon ones health; common indicators among them include;-

Experiencing headaches,
Night sweating episodes,
Dry mouth sensations,
Increase in insomnia instances
Spikes of anxiety or depression ,
Changes in appetite levels,
Constant nausea feelings
Blood sugar spikes .

Now if any above significantly persist after few weeks’ healthy interval then kindly consult medical advice promptly since nature complications might advance beyond reversible stages quicker-than-originally-assumed!

Conclusion

Alcohol consumption has been linked to hypertension, but there is hope! Quitting or even just cutting back can lead to a decrease in blood pressure. Remember though that other factors beyond alcohol consumption affect blood pressure as well; it’s important to maintain healthy weight, engage regularly in physical activity and eat nourishing foods.

Don’t hesitate anymore – take charge of your health today by curbing excessive drinking behaviour away permanently without regrets!

Dane Raynor

Hey there, I’m Dane Raynor, and I’m all about sharing fascinating knowledge, news, and hot topics. I’m passionate about learning and have a knack for simplifying complex ideas. Let’s explore together!