What to do if you have difficulty breathing during a hangover?


Hello) I have had a health problem for two years now) After drinking alcohol, I feel choked, it’s hard to swallow saliva, I feel like I’m about to lose consciousness) the next day I can’t go anywhere far, my consciousness is cloudy and I generally feel afraid that I’m going to die. Because of this, he even began to hire his wife for work. It’s as if even if something happens to your health and your wife is nearby), the suffocation persists the next day. It was as if a stone had been hung in the area of ​​the heart. Please tell me what is wrong with me?) Can this be cured? It’s just that sometimes I want to have a drink after a difficult day at work or just with friends) name the amount for which you can cure me.

Often a feast with alcohol ends in unpleasant consequences. Drinking abuse manifests itself in alcohol poisoning, which is accompanied by various symptoms. If after drinking it’s hard to breathe and your heart is worried, it is recommended to give up alcohol until the circumstances are clarified. Why does a person encounter such anomalies and how can you help him?

Effect of alcohol on the respiratory tract

Even a minimal dosage of ethanol dilates the blood vessels that are connected to the respiratory system. Later, with regular consumption of strong drinks, the connective tissue grows and blocks the lumen. A change in its structure leads to disruption of the nutrition of the respiratory organs, as a result of which an anomaly can occur.

Drinking has a negative impact on the functioning of the immune system. The respiratory tract of a healthy person consists of a mucous membrane on which there are special villi. One of the tasks of the bronchial epithelium is to protect the entire system from harmful microorganisms.

The mucus of this protective layer contains leukocytes (white blood cells). They protect the epithelium from dangerous bacteria. With regular consumption of strong drinks, ethanol destroys this barrier.

As ethanol passes through the alveoli (lung structures), it damages their cells. Regular drinking leads to loss of elasticity of this system, resulting in breathing problems.

The affected cells become scarred and mucus accumulates in the cavities of the resulting tissue. Sputum can provoke a cough and affect the occurrence of respiratory diseases.

About 10% of ethyl alcohol is excreted through the respiratory system.

Causes of breathing difficulties

If a person has difficulty breathing with a hangover, the cause may be diseases that developed as a result of regular alcohol consumption.

Alcoholic drinks can provoke the following pathological manifestations:

  • Atherosclerosis of the lungs. When the vessels of the respiratory system narrow, the amount of oxygen entering the blood is significantly reduced. Later, the connective tissue grows and interferes with the normal functioning of the respiratory system. The result of the anomaly is shortness of breath.
  • Bronchitis, pneumonia, tracheitis and tuberculosis. Diseases occur when the alveoli are damaged and mucus accumulates in the resulting connective tissue.
  • Exacerbation of existing diseases. When ingested, ethyl alcohol provokes bronchospastic syndrome (bronchial spasm), and also aggravates the condition of patients with bronchitis, asthma and other respiratory pathologies. Drinking alcohol may cause coughing to become more frequent.
  • Appearance of scars. When drinking too much, the lining of the lungs and bronchi is destroyed, which leads to various inflammatory, infectious manifestations and scarring.

All these pathologies can cause breathing problems. In addition to the diseases described above, shortness of breath can be caused by indirect factors. People suffering from alcoholism often fall asleep in the cold, and also do not particularly monitor their health.

Sometimes, 7-10 days after quitting binge drinking, when exercising, a person experiences shortness of breath, which is accompanied by trembling of the limbs. Then you should definitely consult a specialist.

In 80% of cases, pneumonia is diagnosed in alcoholics. With a weakened immune system, these people often face tuberculosis. In case of giving up drinking and normalizing the quality of his life, an alcoholic can improve the general condition of the body.

Treatment of breathing difficulties

If this pathology manifests itself after a feast, it is first recommended to calm down and not panic.

To get rid of an unpleasant symptom, you need to remove the decomposition products of ethyl alcohol from the body:

  • Colon cleansing speeds up the recovery process. It is recommended to use sorbents. A cleansing enema or taking a laxative will improve the patient's condition.
  • Mineral or plain water will restore fluid balance. You can drink fruit drinks and compotes. It is better to avoid brines, as salt retains liquid and the process of eliminating toxins through urine will be suspended.
  • The use of succinic acid and B vitamins will have a beneficial effect on the general condition of the patient.
  • Taking special medications that help with hangovers.
  • Walking outside or at least ventilating the room will speed up the healing process.

If a person has difficulty breathing, you can also use special gymnastics. You need to sit or lie down comfortably and relax. It is recommended to inhale and exhale not too deeply so that the recovery process proceeds in a comfortable manner.

Complications

If you do nothing and continue to drink, the situation may worsen. At a certain stage in the development of pathology, a person will need to completely give up alcohol.

With prolonged use of alcohol, the elasticity of blood vessels decreases, and pathologies of the heart muscle and circulatory system also occur. The development of these abnormalities results in a deficiency of oxygen (O2) in the tissues.

Gradually, the amount of O2 entering the blood decreases. If the patient smokes, his condition worsens. With the development of pathology, even minimal exertion causes shortness of breath. Alcoholic drinks have the same effect on respiratory function.

Therefore, if you have breathing problems, it is very important to consult your doctor and, if necessary, undergo an examination. Sometimes, to stabilize the condition, it is enough to temporarily give up alcohol or minimize its intake.

Drinking alcohol does not always mean having fun and having a good time. The effect of ethyl alcohol on the body can cause discomfort. Some of them, such as breathing problems, are a symptom of a dangerous dysfunction.

A feeling of heaviness in the chest, the appearance of shortness of breath after drinking indicates a problem with the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. Nicotine aggravates the situation, exacerbating the symptoms of dysfunction.

Why is it hard to breathe after drinking alcohol?

Unpleasant sensations during a feast with alcohol consumption cannot be ignored. Difficulty breathing may be due to one of the following reasons:

  • An allergic reaction is not always caused directly by ethanol alcohol. Alcoholic drinks contain many components that serve as active allergens: almonds, dyes, fruit seeds. A combination of symptoms such as weakness, low blood pressure, and difficulty breathing is extremely dangerous. This is how an allergy to alcohol or its components manifests itself. It is better to seek emergency medical help;
  • Exacerbation of chronic diseases as a result of alcohol intake. Alcohol puts a strain on all internal organs and can provoke an acute condition. It is the organs weakened by the disease that suffer first. The organs most at risk are the gastrointestinal tract, liver and kidneys. It is important to consult your doctor about drinking alcohol. An undiagnosed disease of the respiratory or cardiovascular systems can cause difficulty breathing after drinking alcohol;
  • The effect on the circulatory system is expressed in a change in the tone of the walls of blood vessels. Ethyl alcohol causes a sharp dilation of blood vessels. The protective reaction is expressed in the reverse process - narrowing of blood vessels, which makes it difficult to absorb oxygen. A decrease in the concentration of red blood cells provokes oxygen starvation of internal organs.

A drunk person rarely pays attention to breathing. Decreased concentration does not allow you to independently stabilize your blood pressure. The feeling of heaviness in the chest and shortness of breath remain for a long time and rarely go away without drug treatment.

Negative consequences in the long term

Uncontrolled, frequent consumption of alcohol aggravates breathing problems. Regular breathing problems that arise from drinking alcohol are a serious reason for completely giving up alcohol. Often, only a sober lifestyle helps preserve the patient’s remaining health and life.

Alcohol has a delayed effect that manifests itself after many years of frequent drinking. The following changes occur in the lungs:

  • A decrease in the elasticity of blood vessels in the circulatory and cardiovascular systems provokes a constant lack of oxygen in the tissues of internal organs and muscles. The lungs supply less and less oxygen to the blood. The process is significantly accelerated with nicotine addiction. The slightest exertion provokes severe shortness of breath. Even one glass of alcohol can cause difficulty breathing;
  • Ten percent of the breakdown products of ethyl alcohol are removed from the body by the lungs. The thinnest pulmonary vesicles, metabolizing ethanol, lose their elasticity and receive irreversible damage. Connective tissue grows, replacing functional tissue. As a result, a person begins to suffer from a lack of oxygen;
  • The detrimental effect on the immune system is the transformation of mucosal tissue. In a healthy state, the epithelium of the trachea and bronchi contains so-called cilia. Their function is to throw back foreign particles that enter the respiratory system along with the air. Sputum accumulates in the cavities, causing coughing.

Breathing problems are often explained not only by the condition of the lungs, trachea and bronchi. An unpleasant feeling of heaviness in the chest that prevents you from fully inhaling air is associated with the cardiovascular system.

Symptoms that occur with heart disease

With a hangover, cardialgia may also appear against the background of general weakness, dizziness, discomfort in the stomach and chest. Heart pain does not always indicate acute coronary syndrome. If these complaints arise, you must:

  1. Stop drinking alcohol.
  2. Replenish fluid deficiency with mineral water and tea at room temperature.
  3. You should not drink hot drinks, as this can cause increased blood pressure and strain on the heart.
  4. Hot baths and showers are contraindicated; water should be cool or at room temperature.
  5. The room should be ventilated and fresh air supplied.
  6. Limit physical activity.
  7. In case of nausea or vomiting, take sorbents according to the instructions.
  8. For headaches, take Aspirin, Paracetamol or drugs to eliminate hangover syndrome.
  9. In case of a nervous state, acute or increasing pain in the heart, take Valocordin or Valerian.
  10. For patients with hypertension, measure blood pressure. If the numbers are elevated, take an antihypertensive drug and consult a doctor.
  11. Patients with coronary artery disease, angina pectoris, who have previously had similar attacks, take a nitroglycerin tablet under the tongue, if there is no effect, call an ambulance.
  12. If cardialgia during a hangover does not go away or sharply intensifies within 15 minutes, you should call an ambulance.

I would like to briefly talk about the symptoms that indicate heart disease caused by alcohol:

  • fatigue and constant shortness of breath;
  • stomach pain accompanied by nausea;
  • swelling of the legs and tremors of the hands;
  • frequent headaches;
  • chest pain.

These are common symptoms that should not be ignored. Pay attention to your body's behavior more often.

The effects of alcohol on the cardiovascular system and breathing

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Video (click to play).

Ethyl alcohol has a detrimental effect on the functions of the cardiovascular system and heart muscle. Attacks of tachycardia are often accompanied by difficulty breathing. Tachycardia does not allow the ventricles of the heart to fully fill with blood. The release of blood decreases many times, impairing the supply of nutrients and oxygen to all internal organs.

The presence of a chronic disease, such as asthma, bronchitis or a common cold, complicates the situation. A small dose of alcohol causes an exacerbation. This effect is called bronchospastic syndrome. It is caused by a number of toxic substances, including ethyl alcohol.

As a rule, it becomes difficult for a person to breathe even during the feast or the next morning. Deep wheezing appears and there is not enough air. Tremors (shaking) of the hands and feet, chills, cough, loss of strength and fever are noted. Bronchospastic syndrome is difficult to distinguish from a regular hangover.

It’s hard to breathe after drinking alcohol: shortness of breath, shortness of breath

The appearance of shortness of breath and a feeling of heaviness when breathing after drinking alcohol occurs for several reasons caused by the effects of ethanol on the body. Alcohol negatively affects not only the digestive organs, but also the entire body as a whole, although the symptoms may not appear so clearly and intensely.

Having problems with the respiratory or cardiovascular system increases the risk of developing breathing problems after drinking heavily or during a hangover. Smoking further increases shortness of breath, breathing problems and internal organs.

If, after drinking a certain amount of alcohol, you lose your breath, it becomes difficult to breathe and shortness of breath appears, this is due to one of the following reasons:

  1. Allergic reaction. It is possible to be allergic to alcohol itself or to its individual components. For example, it could be almonds or other strong allergens in liqueurs, or any components of flavoring additives in drinks. If weakness sets in, it becomes difficult to breathe and blood pressure drops - there is a high chance that this is an allergy, and you should immediately stop drinking alcohol. An allergic reaction to alcohol itself is quite rare, which means you need to read the composition of drinks and avoid allergens.
  2. Exacerbation of chronic diseases. Alcohol inhibits the functioning of almost all internal organs, harms the body at the chemical and cellular level, poisoning healthy tissues. In the event that pathogenic processes are already occurring in the body (chronic disease, organs are damaged or inflamed, weakened), alcohol will hit the weak spot first. Of course, in the case of gastrointestinal diseases, the risk is usually greater, since ethanol enters directly here, but in reality, an exacerbation of allergies and any other disease is possible. Including those related to the lungs and respiratory system as a whole. You should check with specialists and rule out respiratory diseases, or confirm the diagnosis.
  3. Impact on the circulatory system. Alcohol first causes a strong dilation of blood vessels, and then a sharp narrowing - this is a kind of protective reaction of the body to poisoning. Due to this, the amount of oxygen delivered through the blood to the cells decreases. In addition, alcohol reduces the number of red blood cells in the blood, generally reducing the blood's ability to deliver oxygen. Taking into account the fact that a person in a state of intoxication does not particularly strive to breathe correctly and stabilize breathing and stress, shortness of breath and heaviness in the chest may not go away for quite a long time.

Calling an ambulance

The help of specialists may be required if a person, despite all the measures taken, does not get better. If heart pain is combined with limb tremors, increasing weakness, arterial hypertension, arrhythmia and panic attack, you should urgently call an ambulance. The arriving team of doctors will carry out all the necessary manipulations to alleviate the condition. If the core of the problem is a cardiac disease, the patient will be taken to the clinic for further assistance.

In a hospital setting, doctors will have to take all necessary measures to save the patient. After his condition has stabilized, he will be sent for examination to accurately identify the causative factor and draw up a treatment regimen. You should not be ashamed to call an ambulance, as delay increases the chances of developing complications, including death.

After a feast, many people suffer from nagging pain in the heart area. Its occurrence is associated with various factors, based on which you can use methods for relieving hangover syndrome. If there is no result, you will need to call an ambulance.

Long-term negative consequences

With prolonged alcohol abuse, the problem with difficulty breathing will only get worse. When you lose your breath after drinking a glass for a while, that’s one thing. Chronic breathing problems due to alcoholism can force you to completely give up alcohol as an emergency measure in order to preserve what remains of your health and life.

In the long term, alcohol has at least two negative effects on the lungs:

  • Reduced vascular elasticity and damage to the cardiovascular and circulatory systems leads to a chronic lack of oxygen in muscles and tissues. Less and less oxygen begins to flow from the lungs into the blood during breathing. If a person smokes, the problem gets worse many times faster. As a result, this leads to the fact that absolutely any load, even minimal (several steps), leads to difficulty breathing and shortness of breath. Even a small dose of alcohol has the same effect.
  • During the process of processing alcohol by the body, about 10% of all alcohol is excreted along with the air during respiration. Very delicate and thin pulmonary vesicles, regularly passing ethanol through them, are damaged and lose their elasticity. The consequence is the same - lack of oxygen and breathing problems.

How to get over a hangover quickly after binge drinking if your stomach hurts

Of course, alcohol has a negative effect on the heart. But besides this, it has a detrimental and unpleasant effect on other processes in the body.

In medicine there is a concept - withdrawal syndrome. This condition is observed in a person in a state of heavy drinking. Characteristic signs are black feces. If you see such a terrible sight, then you need to sound the alarm. This is dangerous as it can lead to death. Alcohol is to blame for this condition.

Perhaps you have wondered why a person sweats a lot after drinking? The body fights the poison that enters the bloodstream by performing various processes. This is stress and strain, so a person sweats, removing poison in this way.

And the poor body tries to resist poisoning, defending itself as best it can. Many people experience diarrhea after quitting binge drinking. Diarrhea is a protective function of our body. The body thus tries to remove harmful substances. Diarrhea is dangerous when blood comes out of the anus along with it. Here you need to immediately consult a doctor.

There is not a bit of a joke here, it really is so. The liver takes the brunt of regular alcohol consumption.

In this case, it is advised to apply a warm heating pad to the side to relieve the pain. Again, this is temporary.

To fundamentally solve the problem, you need a complete abstinence from alcohol.

And finally - dark urine. If you experience this phenomenon regularly the day after binge drinking, then this is a sign of cirrhosis and hepatitis. To determine the cause, tests are performed.

It happens that a 2-3-day binge occurs as a result of holidays, for example, a wedding or New Year. But in general, you are a person who does not drink, just celebrating with strong drinks, like everyone else. And now I’m suffering from a hangover, and my stomach also hurts.

Then the simplest, most accessible and fastest way to improve your health will be to go to a day hospital - this can be done without a referral from a local therapist - with a request to put you on an IV, because the tablet form of medications is not desirable for you. After an hour or two with the help of a dropper, you will feel great.

1. Bellasthesin will help as a pain reliever. Use once and no earlier than 6 hours after the last drink.

1. If you are sure that you have gastritis and not an ulcer, take Omeprazole.

2. After 15-20 minutes, eat warm, non-spicy broth with a boiled egg, or any other liquid, non-fat and non-spicy broth. Then drink half a tablet of Acetylsalicylic acid dissolved in a glass of still water at room temperature.

3. For tremors, take Asparkam 40 minutes after Aspirin.

4. Drink bicarbonate non-carbonated mineral water, Regidron or, as a last resort, “homemade saline solution” in small portions all the time.

5. If you have the slightest suspicion that the cause of the pain is an ulcer, it is too late to drink Borjomi. Go to the hospital - your life is in danger.

How to get rid of heavy breathing after alcohol - Methods of treating ailments

It is important to understand that alcohol itself is not the cause of oxygen starvation. Ethyl alcohol only reveals a hidden problem. The disease could develop slowly over quite a long time. The main problem is ignoring deadly symptoms.

If you have difficulty breathing, it is important not to panic and not to subject yourself to physical stress. You need to follow a diet and drink more water. Oxygen deficiency syndrome will completely disappear only after the body has been completely cleansed of the effects of drinking.

After which it is important not to delay your visit to the doctor. Visible improvement in well-being does not mean the absence of a problem. Hidden symptoms are much more dangerous. Delayed diagnosis worsens the chance of recovery.

(Video: “How to restore and cleanse the body the morning after a holiday, alcohol, lose weight”)

Effective diagnostic methods allow you to accurately identify the problem and prescribe treatment. Diseases of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems cannot be cured on their own and significantly reduce life expectancy.

Many illnesses can be prevented by avoiding uncontrolled, excessive drinking of alcoholic beverages.

Prevention of pain during heavy drinking

To stop the degradation of the human body, you should stop drinking alcohol. If necessary, undergo treatment at a drug treatment clinic or an anonymous private office.

Medicines are not prescribed against the background of ethanol consumption, since it is either useless (their effect is nullified in the liver against the background of the breakdown of alcohol into components) or dangerous (metabolites of alcohol and drugs act synergistically and cause severe intoxication).

Only two months later, after the complete removal of toxins from the body, is the following prescribed:

  • therapy that improves metabolic processes (Angiocardil, Cardionat, Vasomag, Idrinol, Medatern);
  • drugs to restore liver function (Legalon, Ovesol, Vesicur, Hofitol, Karsil);
  • agents that block the vasoconstrictor effect of stress hormones (Agmatine, Hexarelin, Pralmolerin, Phosphatidylserine, Clenbuterol).

Against the background of a balanced diet and dosed physical activity, the prognosis is favorable.

Feeling pain or some pressure in the chest can be a sign of both minor health problems such as indigestion, and much more dangerous, serious diseases. When your chest hurts after drinking alcohol, this is a serious reason to think about your health. Therefore, it is important to know, at least in general terms, the basic symptoms of the most severe diseases with such prerequisites, to understand the nuances of chest pain in order to identify possible problems in advance and begin treatment on time.

Changes in the airways in alcoholism

Depending on whether the case of alcohol abuse was isolated or systemic in nature, the causes of shortness of breath will be different.

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In the case of one-time poisoning with alcoholic beverages, when a hangover occurs, it is difficult to breathe as a result of an increase in blood pressure and changes in the walls of blood vessels. When ethanol enters the human body, it increases their elasticity and they expand. Then, to prevent further spread of alcohol in the blood, a sharp narrowing occurs.

This phenomenon is aimed at preserving blood vessels from rupture and preventing further poisoning of the body. However, this leads to a decrease in the rate of blood movement in them and a decrease in oxygen in the cells. After removing alcohol, the body returns to normal.

How to treat heart disease

Depending on the nature of the pain, a specific course of treatment is prescribed.

Cardiovascular diseases. Treatment consists of a complex of medications and adherence to a special diet regimen, giving up bad habits. Hypertension is treated with special medications that stabilize blood pressure, and aneurysm is treated with surgical methods. The patient is monitored and a course of treatment is prescribed by a cardiologist and therapist.

Problems with the digestive system. Depending on the diagnosis, either medical or surgical treatments are used. It is imperative to follow the correct diet and drinking regimen; most often, the diet remains with a person for life.

Lung diseases. In the case of acute pneumonia, hospitalization is most often carried out, followed by the prescription of antibiotics and auxiliary medications.

If cancer is detected, chemotherapy, surgical methods and radiation therapy are used.

It is believed that you can drink alcohol and then take a “miracle pill” and your health will be restored. It's a delusion. Take care of your health from a young age - you need to adhere to this rule. And if it’s too late to save it, then at least not spoil it completely and support it.

The heart is a mechanism that takes on heavy loads. What to do if your heart hurts after drinking? I would like to answer: don’t drink! Don't drink to the point where your heart hurts. It will not be possible to return it to its former strength, but it can be maintained without stress. Follow these simple rules and your heart will thank you:

  • do not drink large amounts of alcohol;
  • take medications that help your heart;
  • do not expose yourself to stress, take care of your health, heart, and yourself;
  • eat right;
  • follow the regime.

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In people suffering from alcoholism, shortness of breath may be a symptom of an illness that develops as a result of excessive drinking.

What changes in the respiratory system can be caused by drinking alcohol?

  1. Alcohol abuse leads to pulmonary atherosclerosis. Reducing the lumen in the vessels of the respiratory organs leads to disruption of their supply with oxygen and necessary substances supplied with the blood. Over time, the amount of connective tissue increases, which complicates the transport of necessary substances to the lungs. The functioning of the respiratory system is disrupted, shortness of breath appears.
  2. Alcohol negatively affects the functioning of the immune system. In a healthy person, the respiratory organs are covered with a mucous membrane of cells with cilia. The bronchi are covered with mucus to get rid of foreign substances. It contains leukocytes that are supposed to destroy foreign proteins. However, when alcohol enters the human body, it begins to destroy proteins in the leukocytes themselves, reducing the protective function of organs. Difficulty breathing is a consequence of oxygen starvation of lung cells.
  • Up to 10% of alcohol is removed from the body through the respiratory system. During the period of passage through the alveoli, ethanol leads to their damage and reduces the elasticity of the tissue. Dead cells are removed from the body during coughing with sputum, and in their place a scar of connective tissue is formed. Its increase makes it difficult for the lungs to work. This especially affects people who have suffered from alcohol addiction for several years in a row. Sputum is the cause of the addition of other diseases of the respiratory system, such as bronchitis, tracheitis, pneumonia and tuberculosis.
  • Alcohol can cause an exacerbation of an existing disease. Ethanol is on the list of substances that, once ingested, cause bronchospastic syndrome. As a result of alcohol entering the body and its elimination, coughing attacks become more frequent in patients with asthma, bronchitis and other diseases associated with the respiratory system. Patients may hear wheezing during inhalation or exhalation, there are frequent cases of trembling of the arms and legs, and a possible increase in temperature. Bronchospastic syndrome is sometimes difficult to distinguish from the manifestations of a hangover.
  • In people who regularly abuse alcohol, doctors are 3-4 times more likely to register various lung lesions. When cleansing the body, alcohol breakdown products damage the lining of the bronchi and lungs, which causes various inflammations in the respiratory organs. As it heals, scars and connective tissue form. Their appearance negatively affects the functioning of the respiratory system. The risk of infection increases. As a result, shortness of breath is possible.
  • In addition to the direct effect on the lungs, there are indirect reasons that make it difficult to breathe with a hangover. Alcoholics often dress inappropriately for the weather, fall asleep on the streets and do not take care of their health. As a result, doctors register pneumonia in them 4 times more often than in people who are susceptible to this addiction. Against the backdrop of weakened immunity, cases of tuberculosis infection among drinkers are becoming more frequent.
  • If, in the absence of pathologies of the respiratory system, after 7-10 days of abstaining from alcohol with minor exertion, shortness of breath and tremors in the hands appear, you should consult a doctor. Symptoms may indicate heart failure. Only a doctor can confirm or refute the diagnosis.
  • In case of complete abstinence from alcohol while maintaining a healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition, changes in the lungs associated with excessive alcohol consumption disappear. The body is recovering.

Hangover and heartache

If your chest hurts in the heart area, this is a sign of alcohol poisoning. Pain can be caused by a number of factors. Nagging pain is caused by dysfunction of organs such as the stomach, pancreas, and liver.

The most dangerous causes of pain during alcohol poisoning are pathological conditions of the heart, heart failure, and impaired vascular tone. Pain may occur due to other consequences of excessive alcohol consumption, such as arrhythmia (a small arrhythmia causes pain, but a significant one can cause cardiac arrest and death for the patient), dehydration, lack of beneficial chemicals (B vitamins, magnesium, potassium, calcium ). These elements are necessary for the normal functioning of the heart muscle.

The heart works non-stop throughout life. Alcohol poisoning causes additional stress on the organ. As a result, chest pain is classified into two categories:

  • Pain caused by poisoning with alcohol breakdown products. With this option, the dynamics of the development of pain syndrome is positive - the pain will subside from the moment the hangover syndrome ceases.
  • Pain that manifested itself due to a health condition weakened by alcohol poisoning. In this case, the cause of the pain is other pathologies that need to be cured first. Only then will heartache stop tormenting a person.

How to make breathing easier

If shortness of breath occurs, you should calm down and not panic. To quickly eliminate the unpleasant symptoms of a hangover, it is necessary to help the body get rid of alcohol poisoning. The following steps will help with this:

  1. To quickly eliminate a hangover, an important condition is to cleanse the intestines and take sorbents such as: activated carbon, Polysorb, Smecta, Enterosgel. To prevent re-intoxication, you need to go to the toilet after a couple of hours. If you have problems with bowel movements, you can take a laxative.
  2. Mineral water without gas will help restore the water-salt balance. It needs to be consumed in large quantities. Unsweetened fruit drinks and compotes that can be made at home are also suitable for use. It is better to avoid salt brines. They will retain fluid, which, along with toxins, should go out in the urine.
  3. Vitamin B complex and succinic acid will improve the condition.
  4. You can take special medications to eliminate hangover syndrome.
  5. Fresh air, a walk, or just an open window will make breathing much easier.
  6. Breathing exercises help get rid of shortness of breath from a hangover. Inhalations and exhalations should not be very deep so that they do not cause discomfort and help restore breathing.

How to distinguish: heart pain or high blood pressure

It is very important to differentiate a hypertensive crisis, which is accompanied by retrosternal discomfort from cardiomyopathy after drinking alcohol, since the tactics of managing patients are different. Blood pressure increases with constant consumption of alcohol, and the higher the dose of pure alcohol in the drink, the higher the blood pressure numbers. Arterial tone is affected by:

  • high concentration of stress hormones in the blood: adrenaline, cortisol;
  • increased insulin secretion;
  • change in water-salt balance: increase in calcium due to decrease in magnesium, potassium;

If these provoking factors are combined, hypertension or acute vascular crisis develops, leading to stroke, heart attack, or cardiac arrest. Ethanol interferes with lipid metabolism, changing the ratio of good and bad cholesterol in favor of the latter. As a result, atherosclerosis debuts with the deposition of atherosclerotic plaques on the walls of blood vessels. This is especially typical for young people.

High blood pressure has the following symptoms:

  • 24-hour headache that gets worse when bending over;
  • feeling of head being squeezed by a hoop, bursting;
  • noise in ears;
  • a veil before the eyes;
  • discomfort in the left half of the chest.

This condition requires consultation with a doctor; it cannot last long without developing complications. High blood pressure numbers are life-threatening and are the main symptom of hypertension.

Pain in the heart is a vascular spasm of the body in response to drinking alcohol; it is aching in nature and lasts for at least a month, or even more, until the body independently eliminates all toxins.

High blood pressure is not the leading symptom here; it may even be normal, but a person’s well-being is significantly impaired due to poisoning with alcohol metabolites.

It is difficult to differentiate chest pain from pressure or poisoning; only a tonometer can determine the cause, and measurements must be carried out over time.

Possible complications

Alcohol intake stimulates the development of respiratory diseases. Complications from taking it are possible with long-term and regular consumption.

Excessive alcohol consumption leads to the fact that doctors diagnose the emerging disease later than in non-drinkers, and the treatment of diseases is more difficult. People suffering from alcoholism often violate their medication regimen or combine them with alcohol. Such proximity does not bring the desired effect and can provoke the progression of the disease. Therefore, if there are changes in breathing after drinking alcohol, if it is difficult to breathe with a hangover, you must completely give up alcohol and immediately seek help from a doctor.

Serious illnesses and their symptoms

Arrhythmia. A hangover syndrome is often accompanied by arrhythmia, which can provoke the formation of severe cardiac pathologies. With this disease, the normal heart rate changes: the organ beats too quickly or, on the contrary, freezes. Sometimes the disease is accompanied by squelching noises that can be heard.

At home, a non-specialist cannot understand how far the arrhythmia has gone and how dangerous it is. To make a correct diagnosis, an electrocardiogram is needed. If your hangover is accompanied by deviations from a healthy heart rhythm, pay attention to the accompanying symptoms. Call an ambulance or ask for it if:

  • the heart hurts strongly, sharply;
  • feel like fainting is coming;
  • difficulty breathing;
  • shortness of breath appeared;
  • dizzy;
  • you feel anxiety and fear of death.

These are dangerous signs: the body is screaming that it can’t delay any longer. Emergency doctors will have a mobile electrocardiogram machine with them - they will be able to quickly determine the disease.


Heart failure. When the heart cannot pump blood at the required volume, heart failure develops. It disrupts the normal functioning of the body, because the organs receive oxygen and nutrients from the blood. The cause of the disease is a deterioration in the contractile function of the myocardium. This condition often occurs after prolonged drinking.

In such cases, heart pain is accompanied by sudden suffocation - they usually come at night. This increases the likelihood of pulmonary edema, so you should immediately consult a doctor. The danger signs are:

  • the skin turned blue;
  • pink foam appeared on the lips;
  • you break into a cold sweat;
  • there was obvious shortness of breath.

Violation of vascular tone. Poisoning the body with ethyl alcohol and alcohol breakdown products harms metabolism. Improper metabolism leads to changes in vascular tone, which is indicated by pain in the heart.

Violation of vascular tone is the most common reason why the heart hurts with a hangover. Even with a mild or moderate hangover, you will feel discomfort, mild pain and injections in the heart area. If the hangover is severe, each of these symptoms will be intense. Additional signs of changes in vascular tone are as follows:

  • your face turned red:
  • heart rhythm is disturbed;
  • you feel weak.

Read also: Can a nursing mother drink red wine?

Development mechanism

Alcohol (ethanol) and its breakdown product, acetaldehyde, have a toxic effect on heart muscle cells. Energy metabolism is disrupted in them, and the formation of “fuel” for biological reactions – adenosine triphosphate (ATP) – is reduced. In addition, the metabolism of calcium, potassium and magnesium suffers, which impairs myocardial contractility. Ethanol and acetaldehyde cause an increase in the concentration of catecholamines (for example, norepinephrine) in the blood, which increases the myocardial oxygen demand. Catecholamines directly damage cell membranes, activate lipid peroxidation and thereby contribute to the destruction of heart cells.

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