How much does alcohol increase blood pressure?

If you’re anything like me, then the idea of going through life without a little tipple is less than appealing. But as we all know, too much alcohol can lead to some seriously negative health effects, one of which being high blood pressure.

In this article, we’ll delve in and answer one big question: just how much does alcohol increase blood pressure? So pour yourself a drink (it’s 5 o’clock somewhere!), kick back and let’s explore the world of hypertension together.

What is Blood Pressure?

Before we jump into the sea of statistics surrounding booze and blood pressure, let’s take a moment to define what that actually means. Essentially, your blood vessels have two types of pressure readings: systolic (the top number) and diastolic (the bottom). Systolic measures when your heart contracts while pumping out your blood with its highest force. The lower number or diastolic indicates when your heart rests between beats after filling up with blood.

Together these two numbers indicate how hard your heart must work to pump adequate amounts oxygen-rich-blood throughout the body! These numbers are measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg) as either/both over 80 mmHg for normal.

Unfortunately , high BP puts extra strain on our bodies leading damaging organs such as; brain arteries/capillaries affecting eyesight, impaired kidney functions causing edema or even in severe cases failure requiring dialysis, chronic fatigue/sleep apnea due to damage air releasing windows known as autonomic nervous system dysfunction or heart attack/stroke risk from clogged/damaged arteries/severe arterial bleeding caused by weakened/fatigued varicose veins among others !

Why Does Drinking Affect My Blood Pressure Levels?

Now onto everyone’s favorite topic: drinking! When consumed (most common ones) , booze boosts levels neurotransmitter GABA working in tandem with glutamate, activating the brain’s reward center release of dopamine. This is what gives us that all-too-pleasurable buzz we’re after, but it also comes at a cost: alcohol works as a stimulant before working as depressant.

Alcohol then increases the production of Angiotensin which in turn strains our heart‘s arteries-circulation and hence to produces increased blood pressure levels. Simply put, your heart needs to pump harder/faster than normal in order for blood vessels deliver oxygen-rich-blood throughout your body properly because there is more volume of liquid being moved around per beat! That means high BP if an excessive amount or amount taken very frequently of alcohol used affects how hard it has work leading hypertension.

How Much Alcohol Does It Take to Increase My Blood Pressure?

Unfortunately universal answer does not exist here , we have/ are seeing cases under various circumstances depending upon individuals such 1 drink (5 ounces) daily while other finding correlation heavy drinking upping count even further significantly skyrocket!! Nevertheless follow table shows generalized consumption threshold points ;

Category Men Women
Moderate 2 drinks or fewer 1 drink or less
Heavy More than 2 drinks .per day More than 1 drink per day

Remember this can be affected based on ever-changing factors including weight , size , diet apart from previous intolerances/allergic reactions!

Conclusion

Overall, body must maintain homeostasis balance internally otherwise consequences risk becoming detrimental long-term potentially life-threatening situations arising out control So how much should you really be drinking? Most healthy men should stick to no more than two alcoholic beverages a day, though some women may want to limit themselves even further. If you’re concerned about your own drinking habits and their effect on your health, consider talking to your doctor or a qualified therapist for daily monitoring with lifestyle modifications such as healthier food choices (less sodium and processed) along with regular exercise to improve balance body weight. Remember, when it comes to alcohol, moderation is key – so drink up, but always do so responsibly!

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