Problems with blood pressure today are characteristic not only for the elderly, but also for young people. The cause of this ailment often lies in the wrong lifestyle. For example, pressure after alcohol can rise very often.
Why does blood pressure rise after alcohol
The tonometer determines two pressure values: systolic and diastolic. Normally, indicators should be in the range of 100-130 / 70-90 mm Hg. Clinical studies have shown that pressure increases after alcohol. This is explained by the fact that irreversible changes occur in the body (the structure of blood vessels is disturbed, the load on the myocardium increases). Under the influence of alcohol, the arteries begin to expand rapidly, blood actively enters the brain. After this, the vessels narrow, which causes a rise in pressure. In the morning after a drink, a pronounced headache begins, which is due to just such processes. This is observed not only among alcohol lovers, but also among those who take drinks with ethanol rarely in large volumes.
Because of what pressure rises after alcohol, not everyone knows.
An increased level of ethyl alcohol in the blood activates the sympathetic parts of the nervous system, stimulates the production of renin, norepinephrine and other substances that have a hypertensive effect. In patients diagnosed with "alcoholism" renal function is impaired, which leads to fluid retention and the development of edema. It also helps to increase blood pressure. Swelling is often observed during the hangover syndrome. Doctors say that moderate drinking can strengthen the body, protect it from ischemic and coronary disease. However, the abuse of such a “medicine” can provoke hypertension, stroke, heart attack.
Therefore, high blood pressure after alcohol is not uncommon.
The effects of alcohol on vessels
Various alcoholic beverages unequally affect the vascular system. For example, brandy dilates blood vessels, as a result of which the pressure decreases. It has been proven that this drink lowers cholesterol and the likelihood of atherosclerosis. However, to achieve this effect, it is necessary to drink no more than 50 g of cognac per day. More significant dosages lead to an increase in the load on the liver, kidneys, and nervous system.
Dry red wine also lowers blood pressure. Fine wines are especially recommended. It should be noted that vermouth increases the pulse rate and raises the pressure, and the pressure decreases from a glass of dry white wine. However, the hypotensive effect in this case is weaker than that of red wines.
Beer has the property of increasing pressure, which is due to the properties of hops. If you take more than one bottle of beer daily, clogging of capillaries develops, which leads to numerous negative consequences.
Vodka increases pressure. After the first drink of a glass, the arteries begin to expand sharply, but after a short time spasm of the vessels and an increase in pressure occur.
Avoiding excessive and frequent drinking will help to avoid hypertension. Drinking alcoholic beverages is allowed only in small quantities. It is better to give preference to red wine.
How is high blood pressure manifested after alcohol?
Symptoms of Hypertension
The disease at the initial stage is usually asymptomatic. Severe symptoms are observed when irreversible changes occur in the body. People who drink alcohol often have a headache in the frontal or occipital area, tinnitus, dizziness.
A sharp jump in pressure is very unpleasant.
With the continuation of the process of alcoholism, the following pathological manifestations are added:
- Heart palpitations.
- The occurrence of nausea.
- Arrhythmia.
- Vomiting
- Fainting.
- Dyspnea on exertion.
- Swelling of the legs.
- Redness of the face.
- Cyanosis of feet and hands.
- Decreased vision quality.
- Pressing pain behind the sternum.
- Attacks of hemoptysis.
If such symptoms occur, it is necessary to measure the pressure with a tonometer. If the device shows an excess of the norm, measures should be taken to combat a sharp jump in pressure.
How to reduce high blood pressure
When the pressure has increased after taking alcohol, it is necessary to detoxify the body. To remove ethyl alcohol and its decay products, you need to empty the stomach. The treatment of hypertension and a hangover is carried out with the help of medications and folk medicines.
If blood pressure rises, you need to take the drug to reduce it. Pharmacists offer a wide selection of antihypertensive drugs. The impact of such drugs is aimed at increasing arterial tone, blood thinning, headache relief, normalization of kidney function. During treatment, you must definitely stop drinking alcohol.
Pills for pressure after alcohol
To dilute blood, “Aspirin” is used, which improves blood flow through narrowed vessels, since the main cause of poor health in a hangover syndrome is vasospasm. “No-shpa” or “Papaverine” will help relieve spasm and restore arterial tone.
Also shown is the use of drugs from the category of nootropics - Mexidol and Piracetam. They help normalize peripheral and central blood circulation, saturate the brain cells with oxygen. Along with antispasmodics (No-shpa), nicotinic acid should be taken, which increases vascular permeability and accelerates the effect of drugs.
To relieve the symptoms of poisoning and quickly cleanse the body of toxins, it is necessary to activate the activity of the kidneys. For this purpose, “Torsid” or “Furosemide” diuretics are used, which contribute to the elimination of puffiness, dilate blood vessels and relieve stress on the heart. Normalization of the condition after taking these medical devices is observed after a few hours.
Headache is eliminated with the help of analgesics - “Ibuprofen”, “Spazgan” and others. To reduce the pressure, also use antihypertensive drugs, for example, “Caposide”.
Pharmacies sell a variety of anti-hangover medications that help eliminate the symptoms of hypertension and lower intracranial pressure. These are the drugs "Alka-Seltzer", "Piel-Alco" and "Zenalk". They contain substances that restore vital processes in the body. However, it should be remembered that taking such tablets in the wrong way and in large doses can lead to severe hypotension.
With high blood pressure after drinking alcohol, Metropolol or Bisoprolol help well. These are representatives of the beta1-blocker class, which are used to reduce pressure and stress on the heart.
Many are interested in why Metoprolol helps. This drug is very often prescribed for arterial hypertension, cardiac ischemia, heart failure, and also as a prevention of myocardial infarction. The drug is a beta blocker. Under its influence, the effect of adrenaline and other stimulating hormones on the heart muscle decreases. As a result, the pulse slows down, blood pressure returns to normal, the load on the heart decreases. Now it’s clear why Metoprolol is prescribed.
The medication “Bisoprolol” is a selective beta-blocker that affects the smooth muscle cells of the heart and blood vessels. Beta-adrenoreceptors, which receive impulses from the nervous system, are blocked by the active substance, as a result, the heartbeat slows down. Pressure and strain on the heart are reduced. Consider the instructions for use and the price of Bisoprolol.
It is prescribed for:
- Sinus tachycardia.
- Ventricular and supraventricular extrasystoles.
- Arterial hypertension.
- Angina pectoris (CHD).
- Arrhythmias with mitral valve prolapse.
"Bisoprolol" is also prescribed for chronic heart failure in combination with inhibitors, diuretics, ACE, glycosides.
The annotation states that the medication is taken orally. Take in the morning on an empty stomach. The initial dose will be 5 mg. If necessary, the dose can be increased to 10 mg. The maximum is 20 mg. The price of Bisoprolol is not indicated in the instructions for use. This drug costs from 50 rubles.
In a person after taking alcohol, a spasm of the coronary arteries in the heart can occur, and an attack of angina pectoris can occur. In this case, it is urgent to take the medicine "Nitroglycerin". Indication for use - high blood pressure.
This is the most popular antianginal drug. It has an effect on smooth muscle spasm, normalizes blood pressure, improves heart rate.
One of the main issues in the appointment of the drug "Nitroglycerin" - indications for use with high blood pressure.
It is prescribed for spasms of the vessels of the heart. Indications are:
- Pulmonary edema.
- Heart failure.
- Myocardial infarction.
- Pancreatitis in acute form.
- Angina pectoris.
Pressure Relief with Traditional Medicine
With a slight increase in pressure during a hangover, folk remedies help well. The following recipes are very effective:
- Herbal teas. It is necessary to take hawthorn, motherwort, cinnamon and mistletoe in equal parts. One art. a spoonful of this mixture is poured with a glass of boiling water, insisted and taken three times a day.
- Widely used freshly squeezed beet juice. The medicinal properties and contraindications of this drug will be considered below. It is necessary to squeeze half a glass of juice, where to add 2 tablespoons of natural honey. It is necessary to use such a medicine before meals.
- Effective egg based product. Break the egg into a mug, add a couple of drops of vinegar, a little salt and pepper, after which this mixture must be thoroughly mixed and drunk in one gulp.
- Add a few drops of castor oil to hot milk. When the milk has cooled, it must also be taken in one gulp.
- Sauerkraut or a glass of kvass in the morning after taking alcohol will help restore the mineral balance in the body and alleviate the condition.
Beetroot juice - medicinal properties and contraindications
Basic properties:
- Anti-inflammatory and wound healing.
- Laxatives.
- Lowering blood pressure.
- Cramping.
- Strengthening the walls of blood vessels.
- Strengthening immunity.
- Strengthening the physical endurance of the body.
- Benefits for vision.
- Weight loss.
- Cleansing the liver of toxins.
- Antitumor effect.
Some people after taking a small amount of beet juice suffer from heartburn, nausea, dizziness, and weakness. It is contraindicated in:
- Urolithiasis and gallstone disease.
- Kidney disease.
- Diabetes mellitus.
- Ulcerative colitis and diarrhea.
- The increased acidity of gastric juice.
- Peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum.
- Rheumatoid Arthritis.
- Gout.
- Osteoporosis.
Alcohol intoxication - a factor in the development of hypertensive crisis
Drinks containing ethyl alcohol often cause a hypertensive crisis. Blood pressure begins to rise rapidly in the first hours after a drunk volume of alcohol. A pressure surge is observed with prolonged use of alcohol. When a hypertensive crisis occurs, the blood pressure level rises to critical levels. With the development of such a condition, damage to the kidneys, blood vessels and heart occurs. The patient complains of pain in the chest area, chills, migraine and shortness of breath. The consequences of hypertensive crisis for each patient are individual. Much depends on the amount of alcohol consumed, the presence of concomitant pathological processes in the body. It is necessary to lower the dose of alcohol during a crisis gradually, since a sharp cessation of its use can worsen the situation.
If the pressure drops after alcohol, what should I do?
What to do under reduced pressure
It can drop sharply with alcohol. Then a person begins severe dizziness, weakness, pain in the heart. A similar condition is observed in diseases of the heart and myocardium. Often hypotension after taking alcohol indicates a heart muscle infarction. If the patient has low pressure on the tonometer, it must be laid in a horizontal position, put a pillow or blanket under the legs. Limbs should be above head level. You must also unfasten your clothes and open the window. As the pressure decreases, the temperature usually drops. Therefore, a person needs to be wrapped in a blanket. If the pressure continues to decline, you need to call an ambulance, and drink the patient strong tea with sugar.
Possible complications
Drinking alcohol often leads to a number of negative consequences. This manifests itself especially often if a person already suffers from high blood pressure after alcohol. If you regularly abuse alcohol, over time this can lead to chronic forms of high blood pressure, which is extremely dangerous for health and life. If hypertensive patients continue to drink large amounts of alcohol, they may experience a hypertensive crisis. Alcohol with stably elevated tonometer numbers contributes to the progression of the disease, the appearance of complications. The likelihood of developing ischemia, stroke, heart attack, renal and heart failure increases.
Hypertensive seizures
Excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages can become a factor in the development of pathologies of the cardiovascular organs: coronary disease, atherosclerosis, and arrhythmia. High blood pressure and alcohol cause kidney disease.
Atherosclerosis is a pathology characterized by the deposition of plaques in the blood vessels that contain cholesterol compounds.
Coronary heart disease is a disease caused by insufficient blood supply to the myocardium (oxygen starvation).
A heart attack is an acute form of coronary artery disease and occurs when there is a violation of the blood supply to a certain section of the heart muscle, when blood flow to this zone completely stops.
What you can not do with high blood pressure during a hangover
Alcoholic drinks dehydrate the body. The body is forced to use all supplies of fluid to flush out toxins. Therefore, it is strictly forbidden to overheat during a hangover, as this will increase fluid loss.
With increased pressure after alcohol, you can not:
- Drink coffee and tea, which further increase the pressure.
- Visit the bathhouse, take a hot bath, because at the same time, cardiac activity increases, and pressure rises.
- Perform exercise.