Vodka is one of the popular alcoholic drinks, without which, as a rule, important events cannot be done. The strong drink is part of the ceremonial and farewell rituals. But what about people suffering from cardiovascular diseases, in particular hypertension?
This article will discuss whether vodka affects blood vessels, lowers or increases blood pressure, what doses are permissible, and in what cases doctors impose an absolute taboo on the use of alcoholic beverages.
Vodka Absolut
Preamble: You should definitely remember this!
Many defenders of alcohol, including vodka, are confident that in moderate doses it exhibits almost medicinal properties. If you drink vodka regularly and in small doses, as such “experts” claim, it will help normalize blood pressure and improve overall health. And the question of whether vodka increases or decreases blood pressure with regular consumption, in their opinion, disappears by itself.
Doctors remind us that vodka, like other alcoholic drinks, causes persistent addiction and dependence if consumed frequently. As a result, this leads to alcoholism - a terrible disease that can turn the life of both the drinker and those around him into a tragedy. In addition, doctors say that alcohol has a detrimental effect on all internal organs of a person: it affects the heart, blood vessels, kidneys, liver, and pancreas. No matter how ingrained the habit of drinking alcohol is in Russian culture, especially on holidays, one should remember the harm it causes to health.
What determines the body's reaction?
The hope that vodka can be used to reduce or increase blood pressure by replacing medications with it is utopian. Nature has endowed the human body with individuality, so it is almost impossible to predict how it will react to ingested alcohol. This reaction depends on a number of factors:
- general condition of the body;
- age;
- nutrition;
- suffered stress;
- diseases and methods of their treatment;
- lifestyle;
- quantity and quality of alcohol consumed;
- frequency of alcohol consumption;
- genetic predisposition to alcoholism.
And even if we carefully take into account all these factors, there remains one more - individual intolerance to alcohol or its components. That is why it is impossible to say with 100% accuracy whether vodka will increase or decrease a person’s blood pressure. One person, after drinking half a liter, may feel comfortable, while another, even after a symbolic 50 grams, begins to “break the roof.”
The danger of trying to stabilize blood pressure with vodka is that alcohol does not act directly, but in a roundabout way. In other words, it is not the alcohol itself that affects blood pressure, but its breakdown products, primarily ethanol. And since the period of processing alcohol is individual for each organism, it often happens that a person drinks glass after glass - and nothing happens.
Important information: Stabilization of pressure: what additional measures to take
But the next day the pressure rises sharply and the patient begins to take powerful pills. And this is extremely dangerous: the tablet shell, which under normal conditions takes a long time to dissolve, is destroyed much faster under the influence of ethanol, and the active substance penetrates the body almost instantly.
In addition, individual components of the tablet, which are harmless under normal conditions, become toxic when interacting with alcohol, further poisoning the body and causing unpleasant sensations in a person: dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, etc.
What factors should you consider?
As already mentioned, when alcohol enters the human body, it affects not only the gastrointestinal tract, but also other organs. What happens to the body when you drink? Does vodka lower or increase blood pressure? Alcohol by itself cannot significantly affect changes in blood pressure, but in combination with certain factors its effect on blood vessels is very strong.
It is impossible to say for sure whether vodka increases or decreases a person’s blood pressure. Such changes are subject to the following conditions:
- presence of a stressful condition;
- age;
- dietary features;
- medications taken during this period;
- frequency of alcohol consumption;
- lifestyle.
The stage of intoxication is another factor on which the answer to the question of whether vodka increases or decreases blood pressure depends.
The effect of small doses of alcohol on the body
Alcohol, when it enters the human body, has a negative effect on almost all systems, primarily disrupting the normal functioning of the liver, brain and heart. These violations, depending on the amount of alcohol consumed, may manifest themselves to a greater or lesser extent, but they always exist.
Alcohol, passing through blood vessels, dilates them. At the same time, tone decreases and the body relaxes. This happens due to the effects of what is present in all alcoholic drinks, incl. and vodka, ethanol. As blood presses against the walls, the more flexible and elastic vessels underneath expand, slowing down the natural flow of blood and reducing pressure.
The normal functioning of the heart is also disrupted. His ventricles, which function as pumps, pumping blood into the vessels, relax, and the blood simply quickly flows through them without receiving the push it needs. As a result, blood enters distant areas of the body: fingers and toes, as well as some areas of the brain, having almost completely consumed the oxygen it contains.
Due to these physiological characteristics of the human body, in small quantities (more than 50 grams), vodka lowers blood pressure.
If you drink just a little
For those who are interested in whether vodka increases or decreases blood pressure, it will be interesting to know the following. Strong alcohol has a dual effect on blood pressure. And the point here, according to experts, is, first of all, the dosage. If you drink a very small amount of the “fiery drink”, about 50 g, your blood pressure may decrease and the tone of your blood vessels and the flow of blood through them will improve. Many may conclude that taking a small dose for everyone is fraught with a positive effect.
But, according to experts, everything is far from so simple. Improvement in blood pressure and its normalization after drinking vodka in small quantities is almost always accompanied by a deterioration in heart rate. In this case, the heart begins to pump blood too much. It turns out that even a small amount of alcohol still causes harm to the body. Doctors recommend avoiding vodka altogether.
Vodka and blood pressure: is a compromise possible?
Hypertensive patients deliberately drink vodka in two cases:
- If they are unable to break traditions (at weddings, anniversaries, funerals, etc.), i.e. "on holidays".
- When alcohol is consumed for therapeutic and prophylactic purposes.
Heavy alcoholics are a separate issue. In this situation, the motivating factor is not a consciously made decision, but rather a weak-willed submission to necessity. This is alcohol addiction, which is a serious disease and requires special treatment, especially if it is combined with hypertension.
What kind of drink can be recommended for a hypertensive patient if he still decides to do it?
It is preferable to drink dry red wine or good cognac, or, in extreme cases, high-quality vodka. Beer, fortified wine, tonic water and champagne are bad options. It is clear that if you have hypertension, you don’t need to drink every day, but in special cases (or it’s better to refuse altogether).
In addition, you need to know the permissible norm, which can cause the least harm to health.
Does vodka have a therapeutic effect? Treating hypertension with vodka is a common misconception. A one-time dose of one glass is in rare cases possible in a situation where it is urgently necessary to lower (or increase) blood pressure. But drinking alcohol every day for the treatment and prevention of hypertension, even in small doses, is not worth it. Vodka increases blood pressure with prolonged use, and this is an indisputable fact.
Cognac is preferable to drink due to the presence of tannin and tannins in it. They lower blood pressure and strengthen the walls of blood vessels.
Dry red wine
This drink can truly be called healing. But you need to drink it within reasonable limits, not forgetting that this is a medicine, you can even dilute it with water. Fruit acid dilates blood vessels, polyphenols in wine have an anti-inflammatory effect, prevent cancer, stimulate the cardiovascular system, and have a beneficial effect on other organs and systems.
However, alcohol “therapy” can end badly, namely:
- Firstly, addiction will develop very quickly.
- Secondly, after a temporary decrease, the pressure will begin to rise again, especially if the body is regularly supplied with ethanol.
- Thirdly, there is a very fine line between a “medicinal” dose and alcohol intoxication, and there is no guarantee that one day there will be no desire to cross it.
It is better not to tempt yourself, but to be treated with traditional methods.
Beer and blood pressure
Beer is classified as a low-alcohol drink. And in this regard, another misconception arises: as if there is no harm to blood pressure from such drinks, even with hypertension.
This popular drink is drunk by people of all ages, both women and men, often in large quantities. Dependence on it, therefore, develops rapidly. And this can already affect your health, including your blood pressure. Under the influence of beer, it steadily increases, especially among those who drink it regularly.
In addition, the heart of beer lovers undergoes pathological changes: it grows in size, the structure of its tissues changes, and coronary heart disease develops. The vessels become flabby and lose their ability to self-regulate.
Beer is a source of large amounts of carbohydrates, which means it leads to excess weight. Beer is served with chips, crackers, nuts, and salted fish, but this means extra salt and calories. Among other things, this drink is an extra liquid in the body, because it is drunk in large quantities. This creates the preconditions for swelling. Fluid stagnation plus extra pounds are an additional risk factor for hypertension.
Why is this happening?
Doctors explain the reasons for the decrease in blood pressure from a small dose of alcohol by saying that after the first drink the blood vessels usually dilate, the load on their walls decreases, and, accordingly, the blood flow accelerates and the pressure drops. This is how ethanol, a substance that is part of alcohol, affects blood vessels.
A person, feeling better, concludes that vodka lowers blood pressure. But this state will not last long. After about half an hour, the blood vessels spasm and the pressure rises sharply. This is due to the fact that the acceleration of blood flow leads to intensification of the work of the heart muscle, which also causes an increase in heart rate. Participants in the feast, as a rule, do not limit themselves to one glass of vodka; with each subsequent glass, blood pressure continues to increase.
The mechanism of alcohol's effect on blood pressure
The main component of vodka is ethyl alcohol, which can be absorbed into the blood through the mucous membranes of the oral cavity. Ethanol penetrates nerve fibers and blocks the release of neurotransmitters - substances that are responsible for transmitting impulses that maintain vascular tone. As a result, partial paralysis of the vascular walls occurs, which increases blood flow and helps reduce pressure.
That is why a person who has taken a small dose of alcohol feels a pleasant relaxation throughout the body. But this effect does not last long. With further entry of ethanol into the blood, the body reflexively increases the production of neurotransmitters. Vascular tone is restored to its original state. With each new dose of alcohol, the effect is repeated, as a result the body cannot cope with the load, and the pressure rises.
Ethanol has an exciting effect on the nervous system and stimulates the production of norepinephrine, causing an increase in heart rate and leading to impaired kidney function. Constant stress negatively affects the condition of the heart muscle and increases the risk of developing coronary disease. Frequent stress on blood vessels leads to wear and tear of their walls and fragility. In large quantities, vodka increases blood pressure to critical levels and can cause a heart attack.
Vodka increases blood pressure
What if you drink more?
So does vodka increase blood pressure or lower it? Those who are accustomed to drinking this drink in large portions also need to know the answer to this question. How does the body react to increasing the dose?
As the dose increases, oddly enough, the exact opposite happens. If drinking a small amount of alcohol improves vascular tone, then a large dose, on the contrary, worsens it. At the same time, the blood vessels are compressed. This leads to the fact that it becomes more and more difficult for blood to circulate throughout the body. As is known, this causes an increase in pressure. After a certain time, everything can result in quite negative consequences, for example, a heart attack or stroke. Therefore, doctors warn that alcohol abuse is strictly contraindicated for everyone without exception, including hypertensive patients.
Is it possible to drink vodka if you have hypertension?
Hypertension is a disease that is accompanied by increased blood pressure. Alcohol is also a source of high blood pressure, which is why the answer to the question of whether you can drink with high blood pressure suggests itself.
Before taking vodka, even in small quantities, you must measure your indicators. If they are outside the normal range, then drinking alcohol can cause the following side effects:
Sudden and prolonged dizziness. Trembling of the whole body and complete weakness. Vomiting and nausea. Heart rhythm disturbance. Cloudiness of mind.
By visiting a specialist, you will know exactly how vodka affects blood pressure and whether it can be consumed if desired. All doctors will unanimously argue that drinking even a small amount of alcohol can provoke a sharp deterioration in health, especially when a hypertensive patient is undergoing a course of drug treatment. In case of high blood pressure, alcohol should be avoided altogether.
Nuances
The impact of alcohol on each individual person is purely individual. In some cases, drinking alcohol actually helps lower blood pressure throughout the feast. This happens when a person drinks alcohol infrequently. But with increasing alcohol experience, this effect decreases and completely disappears. Basically, according to doctors, vodka still increases blood pressure.
It happens that a person drinks alcohol in large quantities and still feels great. And his blood pressure remains within normal limits. But the day after the corporate party there will certainly be a surge in blood pressure. In this case, the time during which high blood pressure will persist depends on the dose that was taken the day before.
According to experts, the effect of alcohol on the condition of the heart and blood vessels can be completely unpredictable. It doesn’t matter at all, doctors say, whether vodka increases or decreases blood pressure. The important thing is that it changes under the influence of alcohol. Everything that happens to the body in an unnatural way is harmful to it. Whatever pressure the organism is prone to, it is unlikely that its owner would want it to make random jumps. But this is exactly what happens to drinkers.
In addition to problems with blood pressure, there are many other negative changes in the health of a person who abuses alcohol: from problems with the kidneys and liver to gastrointestinal diseases, etc. Doctors recommend that people suffering from hypertension, liver and kidney diseases refrain from drinking alcohol. Otherwise, the course of the disease may worsen.
What to consider
Once in the human body, vodka can not only increase blood pressure, but also affects the organs of the digestive tract, the brain and various parts of the nervous system. What its final impact will be depends on several factors:
- the emotional state of a person - with increased nervous tension, after a conflict or problems at work, during psychological experiences, the blood pressure level of a hypertensive person is already elevated, and drinking vodka will further aggravate the problem;
- age – it has been proven that at a young age the body is still able to cope with the harmful effects of alcohol on its own, but as you grow older and chronic diseases worsen, alcohol abuse only brings harm;
- features of the diet - if a person eats normally and does not experience problems with the gastrointestinal tract, liver and kidneys, then even with low or high blood pressure, the effects of vodka will not be so negative. Moreover, if during the feast he had a good snack, and the alcohol did not have time to be completely absorbed into the blood;
- medications taken - most instructions for medications indicate that they are not recommended to be combined with alcohol, since the medications either lose or increase their properties. Therefore, the final effect on the body depends on the course of treatment currently being received (it is advisable to completely abstain from strong drinks during therapy);
- frequency of drinking alcohol and lifestyle - if a person drinks occasionally, 50-100 ml of vodka 1-2 times a month will not cause him harm, but systematic feasts without snacks and if he is addicted to cigarettes will cause significant damage to his health.
It is necessary to take into account not only the listed factors, but also the stage of intoxication - the more the alcohol tincture is absorbed into the blood, the harder it will be for the body to remove it in the morning, and the greater the risk of a sharp increase in blood pressure.
Medicines and alcohol are a dangerous combination
Does alcohol raise or lower blood pressure? Norms
The tradition of drinking alcoholic beverages dates back to the distant past. One can hardly hope that a hypertensive person will refuse a glass of vodka at a holiday.
Doctors recommend that people suffering from high blood pressure measure their blood pressure before drinking alcohol. If it remains within normal limits, you can allow yourself to drink a dose of alcohol that doctors consider safe. This dose for vodka is 50 g. However, according to doctors, it is advisable to replace this strong drink with cognac or wine (200 g is allowed). If a person’s blood pressure is high before taking it, he should not drink alcohol.
Experts urge you to remember that it is necessary to observe moderation when drinking alcohol. If you believe the results of the research, you can drink the following per day without harm to your health:
- beer - 0.5 l;
- wine - 300 ml;
- cognac - 50 g;
- vodka - 50 g.
Doctors warn that even in such doses, alcohol can cause harm to the human body. Don't forget about this.
Doctors' opinion
The doctors' opinion is clear. Drinking alcoholic beverages with high blood pressure is not permissible. First of all, this is due to the fact that for hypertension, medications are prescribed to maintain normal blood pressure.
When combining medications and alcohol, the patient's condition may worsen. The therapeutic effect of drugs on the body will also decrease. The therapy will be ineffective. In extreme cases, drinking an alcoholic drink is possible only 3-4 hours after taking the drugs.
If you regularly drink alcohol-containing drinks, it is not recommended to suddenly give them up. It is necessary to gradually reduce the dose of alcohol, and in women it should be no more than 15 ml, and in men 30 ml per day.
Scientists have proven that the combined use of alcohol-containing drinks and medications to lower blood pressure increases the risk of stroke or heart attack.
