Does Alcohol Raise Your Blood Pressure?
Drinking alcohol is something that many Americans enjoy. Moderate alcohol consumption, avoiding binge drinking, and drinking within CDC guidelines can lower your chance of developing alcohol-related health issues.
If your alcohol use is causing high blood pressure (or any other health problems), you may need professional help. Call us at (855) 430-9439 to learn about the alcohol use disorder (AUD) treatments we offer.
What Is High Blood Pressure?
High blood pressure (hypertension) is defined as systolic blood pressure higher than 130 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure higher than 80 mmHg. People with hypertension may also have a higher heart rate.
Three Causes of High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is known as a silent killer because many people can have hypertension without realizing it. Left untreated, hypertension can cause severe and fatal health issues. There are many different causes of high blood pressure, including:
- Genetics
- Weight gain
- Excessive alcohol abuse
Hypertension and Alcohol
Nearly 50% of people in the United States have high blood pressure (hypertension). Although hypertension is caused by many factors, alcohol-induced hypertension relates explicitly to blood pressure caused by high alcohol intake.
Hypertension can cause a range of health issues, so treating it promptly is recommended.
If you are a heavy drinker and have concerns about your blood pressure readings, seek medical advice. If your systolic blood pressure is higher than 130 mmHg or your diastolic blood pressure is higher than 80 mmHg, then you have hypertension.
How Alcohol Affects Blood Pressure
Drinking alcohol causes a temporary increase in blood pressure. This is known as alcohol-induced hypertension. Although this can be temporary, more permanent problems can develop when you have a continuously high alcohol intake.
Alcohol-induced hypertension happens for several reasons, including:
- The way in which alcohol affects blood flow and blood vessels
- Impacts on the central nervous system
- An increase in calcium and cortisol levels which are produced as a result of alcohol consumption
Three Risks of High Blood Pressure Relating to Alcohol Consumption
Alcohol-induced hypertension (like other forms of hypertension) can cause a range of health issues.
1. Heart Disease
High blood pressure is a risk factor for heart disease and other health issues relating to the cardiovascular system.
2. Heart Attack
Left untreated, hypertension can be a risk factor for heart attacks.
3. Heart Failure
Cardiovascular disease can progress and ultimately lead to heart failure.
There are several treatment options available for high blood pressure. Often your physician will prescribe blood pressure medication. However, medication alone is unlikely to lower blood pressure significantly with alcohol-induced hypertension.
Is High Blood Pressure From Alcohol Reversible?
As alcohol-induced hypertension relates to high alcohol consumption, decreasing your alcohol intake can lower your blood pressure. However, it’s important to remember that other risk factors can cause hypertension, such as weight gain or a low fitness level.
You may need to make several lifestyle changes in addition to lowering your alcohol intake to decrease your blood pressure overall.
Alcohol use disorder can significantly affect your health and other areas of your life. If you think alcohol has a negative impact on your life, you may need to enter a treatment program. You can get in touch at (855) 430-9439 or send us a message to discuss our treatments.
Four Ways To Lower Blood Pressure and Prevent Hypertension
Do you need to lower your blood pressure or prevent hypertension? Try the following.
1. Dietary Changes
The food you eat can significantly impact your blood pressure. Avoiding foods with high levels of saturated fat can help to prevent hypertension.
2. Blood Pressure Medications
Your physician may prescribe treatments for hypertension. These may include medications such as beta-blockers and calcium channel blockers.
3. Exercise
Regular cardiovascular exercise can lower your chances of developing hypertension. Cardiovascular exercise can also help you shift excess body fat and improve your heart health if you have hypertension. Many people use it as a prevention technique.
4. Moderate Drinking
Alcohol-induced hypertension can be reversed by moderating your alcohol use. Moderate drinking, or abstaining from drinking alcohol, can help you reduce your blood pressure.
If you have an alcohol use disorder, however, moderate drinking will not work for you. Instead, you should seek treatment for alcohol addiction and abstain from drinking in a safe environment.
Other Health Effects of Excessive Alcohol Consumption
Alcohol-induced hypertension is just one of the health issues that you can experience when you have heavy drinking habits. Other medical conditions heavy drinkers can experience include:
- Liver disease
- Liver cancer
- Mouth and throat cancer
- Rectal and colon cancer
- Mental health problems
- Memory issues
- Alcohol use disorder
Alcohol Use Disorder
Someone with an alcohol use disorder may be more likely to develop alcohol-related health issues. If you have difficulty controlling your alcohol consumption and experience withdrawal symptoms, you may have an alcohol use disorder.
Recognizing alcohol use disorder can be difficult. However, there are certain signs that can help you determine whether your alcohol consumption is problematic. These include:
- Craving the effects of alcohol
- Experiencing problems at work or school because of your alcohol consumption
- Developing health issues relating to your alcohol intake and continuing to drink
- Repeated attempts to cut down the amount of alcohol your drink with no success
- Finding your alcohol use is causing problems in your relationships with friends or loved ones
- Taking risks while under the influence of alcohol, such as driving or operating machinery
- Withdrawing from hobbies or social activities that do not involve drinking alcohol
- Spending lots of your time drinking alcohol or being hungover
- Experiencing blackouts when drinking alcohol
Like alcohol-induced hypertension, alcohol use disorder can be treated. You may be able to reverse some of the health issues relating to your alcohol use disorder if you get treatment as soon as possible.
Without treatment, alcohol use disorder can progress and cause even more serious health and social problems.
Get Help for Alcohol-Induced High Blood Pressure
Alcohol use disorder is a severe, progressive condition. If your alcohol intake causes problems in your daily life, or you have alcohol-induced hypertension, consider entering a treatment program. With the proper support, you can live a sober life and improve your overall health.
Our treatment centers offer programs that tackle alcohol addiction at its core. Addiction is a complex issue requiring specialist treatment that focuses on detox, mental health, and behavioral health. At a Zinnia Health treatment center, you’ll always be in the hands of experienced addiction professionals.
We can help you or a loved one receive the treatment needed to break free of addiction and improve physical and mental well-being. Remember, it’s never too late to access treatment for addiction.
Regardless of the severity of your addiction, we’ll be with you every step of the way, providing the support and resources you need to succeed.
We can also help if you have co-occurring disorders. Our treatments can help you recover from substance use disorder and related mental health problems. Our treatment centers offer an all-encompassing addiction and mental health treatment program to help you live the life you deserve.
If you have identified your alcohol use disorder, you’ve already made progress. Admitting you have a problem is tough. Take the next step and call us at our free alcohol addiction number today at (855) 430-9439 or send us a message to learn more about our treatment options.
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