The holiday season is here, and with it, ample opportunity to celebrate with family, attend festive events, eat rich meals, indulge in sweet treats, and imbibe intoxicating drinks. But if you’re living with atrial fibrillation (AFib), your holiday joy should be measured.
Why? Because many of the indulgences and disruptions that happen over the holidays are AFib triggers that can increase your risk of having an arrhythmia episode.
Fortunately, there’s a lot you can do to keep AFib under control all season long. In this month’s blog, our team at Sunnyvale Cardiology explains how (and why) to up your AFib management game over the year-end holidays.
AFib is the most common form of arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat. It happens when the upper chambers of the heart muscle beat out of sync with its lower chambers, leading to:
AFib can happen in sporadic, acute episodes, or it can persist with regularity. When it’s a chronic condition, proper treatment is vital for restoring normal heart rhythms, controlling your heart rate, and preventing serious complications.
Chronic AFib is dangerous because it inflicts lasting damage that can lead to heart failure and significantly increases your risk of developing blood clots and having a stroke.
Once AFib exists — even if it’s been treated with a cardiac ablation or a pacemaker and is well-controlled by medication — arrhythmia episodes can still be triggered by factors like:
In addition to managing underlying health conditions that aggravate AFib (i.e., high blood pressure, sleep apnea), effective AFib control means minimizing or avoiding symptom triggers.
AFib management doesn’t change with the seasons, but the seasonal holidays — with their food indulgences, free-flowing alcohol, excess stress, and break in routine — can throw a major wrinkle into your efforts if you’re not careful.
Luckily, staying healthy with AFib through the holidays isn’t difficult when you pay attention to the following four areas:
While one is a depressant and the other a stimulant, both of these substances can trigger an AFib episode if you consume too much.
Binge drinking is the primary trigger of “holiday heart syndrome,” or short-term arrhythmia episodes that last for a day or two after heavy imbibing. Holiday heart syndrome can affect anyone, including people without AFib.
If you do have AFib, even moderate drinking can lead to a serious symptom flare. Don’t drink beyond the recommended “healthy” limit (one drink per day for women, two for men).
While normal amounts of caffeine are fine for many people with AFib (i.e., one or two cups of coffee a day), avoid excessive caffeine — especially if you’re sensitive to its effects.
Eating too much, and not drinking enough water, can also trigger AFib episodes. We recommend that you:
Eating large, heavy holiday meals — especially those rich in fat, sodium, and sugar — can overstimulate the vagus nerve, potentially disrupting normal heart rhythms and triggering AFib symptoms. Eat a healthy snack before you arrive at a party to avoid overdoing it.
Drink plenty of water every day to keep your fluids and electrolytes well-balanced. Dehydration and electrolyte imbalance can strain your heart, leaving it prone to an arrhythmia episode.
Stress — whether it takes the form of heightened emotions or holiday overload — is a major AFib trigger. To keep stress in check, you should:
Regular, moderate exercise is very helpful for managing AFib and reducing recurrence; it also helps control health conditions that aggravate AFib, like high blood pressure.
Over the holidays, maintain your regular physical activity routine as much as possible. Even taking a few short, daily walks is better than doing nothing.
Late-night celebrations and irregular sleep can aggravate AFib and increase stress. Prioritize your usual sleep routine over events that go past your normal bedtime.
Take the stress out of the holidays by only taking on what you can handle and making time to exercise, relax, partake in activities you enjoy, and get outdoors.
It’s easy to fall out of your normal routine during the holidays, but don’t let the seasonal change of pace affect your AFib medication regimen.
When traveling, pack enough heart medication for your trip (and always bring extra). Use pill organizers or phone reminders to ensure you don’t miss any doses. Avoid medications that can aggravate AFib, like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
Lastly, know when to get help for AFib: Seek medical attention as soon as you notice symptoms like a rapid or irregular heartbeat. Prompt evaluation and care can make a big difference in your urgent care treatment outcome.
Need help managing AFib? Call or click online to make an appointment at Sunnyvale Cardiology in Sunnyvale, Texas, today.
