Effects of Alcohol on Blood Pressure

Alcohol and Blood Pressure

Alcoholism is consumption of alcoholic beverages in excess. Heavy alcoholism is when a person consumes more than 2-3 glasses of alcohol daily. Alcohol is often wrongly considered by many as a stress buster. There are numerous health hazards of alcoholism. The major ill effects of alcohol are problems caused to the central nervous system (CNS), brain, cardiovascular system etc. It also damages liver causing liver cirrhosis, and increases the risks of cancer. Alcoholism also affects blood pressure. Here we will particularly discuss the effects of alcohol on blood pressure.

High blood pressure or hypertension is a precursor of numerous problems related to the heart, kidney and brain. It is always advised to maintain proper blood pressure. There are several causes of high blood pressure, alcohol being one of them. Effects of alcohol on blood pressure are numerous, with the major effect being hypertension, or high blood pressure.

Effects of Alcohol on Blood Pressure

Is is universally known that excess weight is harmful for the heart. Excessive fats put excess pressure on the arteries and consequently on the heart. As alcohol contains calories, consuming excess alcohol causes an increase in weight. This increases the pressure on the arteries and the heart indirectly causing a rise in blood pressure. Alcohol also has an adverse effect on the functioning of the kidneys. When the kidneys get harmed, they exert pressure on arteries, resulting in high blood pressure.

Heavy drinkers more prone to suffer from blood pressure related problems than others. Studies have shown that heavy drinkers have blood pressure higher by nearly 4 mmHg than non-drinkers. It is therefore essential to avoid alcohol for lowering blood pressure.

Effects of alcohol on blood pressure differ from person to person. In some people there may only be a slight increase in blood pressure due to alcohol, while in others, there may be a drastic rise in the blood pressure. It is observed that the effects of alcohol on blood pressure are similar in women as in men. But women are at a higher risk of suffering from high blood pressure due to alcohol than men. Older men, above the age of 65, also have a risk of suffering from high blood pressure due to alcohol.

Consumption of alcohol has adverse effects on your body. Thus, it is best to stop drinking alcohol. It is observed that people who do not consume alcohol are successful in having normal blood pressure as compared to drinkers. In case completely quitting alcohol is not possible, one can reduce the quantity and drink moderately. Doctors advise people to have moderate amounts of alcohol, i.e, one drink per day for women and two drinks for men.

It is not easy to quit drinking immediately if a person is a heavy alcoholic. In that case, he can start by keeping a check on the amount of alcohol that he consumes. Mixing water with alcohol, so as to make the drink last longer, is a good way to prevent excessive alcohol intake. Alcoholism can be reduced and also completely stopped with the help of alcohol treatment and therapies.

Once the amount of alcohol is reduced, a decrease in blood pressure can be noted, if the cause for high blood pressure was alcohol. In order to decrease stress, one can opt for stress management methods. One has to get his blood pressure checked by the doctor regularly. If it is found that alcohol is the underlying cause of high blood pressure, the intake has to be controlled. One has to seriously consider the effects of alcohol on blood pressure and try to modify his lifestyle to lead a healthy life!