Prescriptions for Health: Holiday alcohol abuse can lead to emergency room visits

5 mins read
Zanella
Stephen Zanella, DO

The weekly Prescriptions for Health column is part of an ongoing community health education effort by Franklin Memorial Hospital to provide information on an important health topic by its medical staff, with support from intern Sam Bennett, a junior at the University of Maine at Farmington majoring in biology and creative writing.

By Stephen Zanella, DO

The holiday season is a wonderful time for family, friends and building fond memories. But it’s also a time to remember safety when it comes to drinking alcohol. I’m using this opportunity to warn against excessive alcohol consumption and to urge people to use good judgment this holiday season.

Very few things are more heartbreaking than to see a family suffer the loss of a loved one because of an alcohol-related tragedy. And during the holidays, people take risks. A fun holiday celebration can turn into a nightmare in the blink of an eye, and it can happen to anyone.

Seventy-nine thousand deaths occur annually as a direct result of excessive alcohol use, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many more are injured. Alcohol-related injuries are not just driving-related incidents like some may assume. As an emergency physician, I have treated patients who have been seriously injured while decorating a home for the holidays. Alcohol-related injuries range from serious falls from stringing lights on roofs or climbing ladders, to using dangerous power tools incorrectly, and doing other tasks that require significant amounts of balance. These activities are dangerous under any circumstances, but when you add alcohol to the mix, all of a sudden cognitive skills are lessened, personal judgments change, and your ability to think coherently is decreased.

Heavy drinking over time can also lead to high blood pressure and even damage the heart. Those with heart conditions can put themselves at great risk if they drink or eat excessively during the holidays. Some people can also be affected by a condition known as “holiday heart syndrome.” This condition is basically an irregular heartbeat pattern that may develop largely because of excessive drinking in people who are otherwise healthy individuals.

If you’ve never experienced an irregular heartbeat or arrhythmias, it feels like little flutters or extra heartbeats in your chest. Generally the symptoms last just a few seconds and, in most people, go away completely within 24 hours as the alcohol leaves the body.

However, there is one type of arrhythmia, called atrial fibrillation (afib), that isn’t harmless and can also be precipitated by an excessive amount of alcohol. In afib, the symptoms are more severe (shortness of breath, fatigue, and dizziness, along with palpitations and sometimes chest pain that last for minutes rather than seconds). Atrial fibrillation can lead to stroke, heart failure, or heart attack, and while this is rare, the condition does require a call to a doctor and sometimes a trip to the emergency room.

This holiday season avoid heavy alcohol consumption. And remember, drunk driving is 100-percent preventable. Don’t get behind the wheel of a car if you’ve had too much to drink; you are a danger to yourself and to everyone else on the road.

And finally, if you know someone who is depressed, alone, or isolated during the holiday season, reach out and cheer them up. It may be the best thing you do for their heart as well as yours.

Have a happy and safe holiday.

Dr. Stephen Zanella is the medical director of the Emergency Department at Franklin Memorial Hospital; He has been on the medical staff at Franklin Memorial Hospital for 24 years. He resides in Strong with his wife Dr. Ann Schwink. They are the parents of two grown sons. During his free time Dr. Zanella enjoys fishing, running, skiing, hunting, and reading.

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3 Comments

  1. Yes, very good article, but unfortunately the people who are most affected by the risky, unnecessary and intentional behaviors are not the ones who are doing most everything right.

    I urge everyone to take this holiday season and don’t just think about how your decisions may affect you, but more importantly can my choices affect others.

    Happy Holidays to you all!

  2. @ George I agree with the “risky, unnecessary” . I don’t agree with the ” intentional” Part of it. Excessive Drinking is an addictive behavior; as is smoking or any other drug.

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