Why does my heart pound after drinking alcohol?

Welcome to the world of alcohol-induced palpitations! You know that feeling when your heart suddenly starts racing and pounding after a few drinks? It’s not exactly the most pleasant experience, but it happens to many people. So why does this happen? Let’s get down to brass tacks.

Alcohol and Heart Rate

Alcohol is a powerful drug that affects various parts of our body in different ways. One area where it has a significant impact is on our heart rate – specifically, it makes our heart beat faster.

Under normal conditions, our heart beats at an average rate of 60-100 beats per minute (bpm). However, when we consume alcohol, this number can jump up dramatically. Depending on several factors such as weight, age etc., consuming just one drink might increase your BPM by anywhere from 10 to 20%.

Why does this happen though? It turns out that there are various reasons…

Alcohol Causes Dehydration

Drinking too much alcohol dehydrates you; every alcoholic beverage consumed increases urine output by inhibiting antidiuretic hormone (ADH) secretion. As more fluids leave your system through urination than what are coming in via consumption make the body lose fluid volume causing dehydration – which can trigger an increase in vasopressin levels(1). High vasopressin levels contracting blood vessels reducing water moving back into tissues increasing concentration forming Palpitations or ‘racing’ heartbeat — especially noticeable while lying down due to gravities effect on circulation.

Table: Impact Of Various Alcohols On Heartbeat

Type Of Drink Average Increase In BPM
Beer +5-15 bpm
Wine +10-20 bpm
Liquor/swill/whiskey/bourbon/rum/gin/vodka/etc… +15-30 bpm

Alcohol and Norepinephrine

Another reason your heart pounds after drinking is that alcohol triggers the release of norepinephrine, a hormone responsible for regulating our body’s fight or flight response(2). While stimulating activity in central nervous system norepinephrine secretion also speeds up the heartbeat rate by constricting blood vessels.

As you get to higher levels when heavily drunk, the amount of norepinephrine production increases. The increased level of this hormone can lead to greater stimulation contractility and faster contractions increasing heartrate making it beat at an ‘abnormally’ fast pace.

Alcohol and AFib (Atrial Fibrillation)

One other risk worth mentioning is atrial fibrillation(3), better referred as “AFib”. It occurs when there are irregular electrical impulses inside your heart – conflicts due to changes in rhythm between two chambers(i.e., Fast-and-slow) resulting in poorly controlled speed which becomes slower but switching then jumping back up hence causing palpitation (fluttery feel).

These issues may seem ‘scary,’ but they often dissipate once you stop drinking, though anyone who experiences prolonged symptoms should call emergency services right away.

OKAY! Enough with boring medical terms-there are different ways someone may want to avoid/get help managing cardiac conditions caused by heavy drinking.
Here are some tips:

  1. Slow down; less excess intake equates minimized possibilities of effects like dehydration
  2. Drink enough water either before consumption or between alcoholic drinks; replacement compensatory fluids lost during urination
  3. Caffeine use avoidance –sensitivity varies on individuals
  4. Limit severe emotional stress from late-night out social interactions involving controversial subjects/ecstasy etc.
  5. Have immediate phone contacts ready if need be.

Having these conversations might not exactly be fun, but it’s better to be safe and take care of your heart – after all, it’s the hardest working organ in your body.

Here are some dos and don’ts that can help you avoid getting palpitations from alcohol:

Do This!

  • Drink plenty of water to eliminate dehydration chances
  • Go slow while taking alcoholic drinks — excess is a no!
  • Snack on food throughout drinking rather than fasted consumption.
  • Fatty Foods absorb toxins better aiding blood circulation slowing down cardiac muscle the contractions so an easier passage for your blood flow or what remain of it, alcohol will always fight through ones veins…
  • Keep emergency contacts available.

Don’t Do These!

  • Mix more than one type of alcohol (e.g. wine, beer etc).
  • Exert high levels-stress for long periods with no rest; stressful celebrations/time frame events could lead to triggers enhancing symptoms like this./4/
  • indulge in other ‘stimulants’ such as ecstasy/cocaine which make heart rate even higher.

And finally,

Final Thoughts

Knowing why alcohol causes our hearts to pound doesn’t make dealing with these effects any easier — they can still be uncomfortable or even frightening. Fortunately, it usually goes away pretty quickly once we stop drinking completely—so I guess moderation remains key?

The most critical step toward avoiding Alcohol-induced palpitations stays conscious during drinking sprees/times/the period/moments keeping strict vigilance over how much someone drank —this minimizes risk among others listed above…and thus stay healthy!

“So keep calm my fellow drinkers–Just drink responsibly.”

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