by Dr. Adam Seigers
In the United States someone has a heart attack every thirty seconds. While the most likely time to have a heart attack might be Monday morning, you might consider the following before tipping your glass this holiday season.
Between Christmas and New Year’s each year millions of hospital admissions result from what we might jokingly call the holiday heart syndrome.
This syndrome is especially common in individuals who use alcohol or other drugs such as marijuana around the holidays.
Disguised in medical terms like “angina, myocardial infarction, presyncope, or atrial fibrillation” the holiday heart syndrome is primarily as result of four factors.
These include, stress, alcohol, added salt intake, and dietary over-indulgence. Taken to excess these factors result in an almost doubling of hospital admissions for “holiday heart” associated conditions.
Since so many people are with their families over the holidays, many people overlook the signs of the holiday heart syndrome.
These delays result in poor patient outcomes, missed strokes, and heart attacks.
While it is important not to over indulge, it is equally important to recognize signs that should prompt an emergency room evaluation.
These symptoms include palpitations, shortness of breath, worsening leg swelling, chest pain, atypical “reflux”, arm pain or pain into the back or neck.
For more information about the holiday heart syndrome or what you can do to prevent it please contact your primary care provider.
Dr. Adam Seigers is a physician with Faxton St. Luke’s Adirondack Community Physicians (ACP) Boonville Medical Offices on Rt. 12.
