Winter Drinking: Fighting the Holiday Heart Syndrome

A few meetings with the Old Monk everyday seem perfect in the winter, but cold temperatures, combined with the "holiday heart syndrome" are not worth toasting to one's health.
Alcohol does not keep you warm - it's quite the opposite. After a drink or two, your blood vessels dilate, reducing blood temperature. In fact, in severely cold conditions, alcohol can actually speed along hypothermia or frostbite.

Triggering Holiday Heart Syndrome

A combination of drinking, getting stressed out and not enough water can make your heartbeat irregular, even if you've only had small amounts of alcohol.

In fact, even if you don't have a history of heart disease, binge drinking can trigger off heart disease. And cold temperature can make it worse on the heart. A recent study showed that drinking when temperature go lower than 10 degrees Celsius can trigger heart attacks.

Alarm Bells

For the susceptible, a night of heavy drinking could give a warning bell of 'atrial flutter'- or a rapid heart beating that's localized in only your upper atrial chambers.

Taking Action

See a doctor if you feel a first time heart flutter that lasts for five minutes or longer. Take someone else along for emotional support, and to call an ambulance if it get worse. For those who'v experienced a flutter followed by gradual dissipation, it's still recommended to check with a physician.

Your doctor may add another beta blocker to your regular heart medicine if you have a history of heart palpitations.

Other Ingredients of a Winter Heart Attack

Salty foods, a complement to any drinking session, up your blood pressure, and those with advanced coronary disease are even more vulnerable. The sodium in salt also influences circulation.

How to Reduce the Risk of a Holiday Heart

Take less drinks, and fend off social pressure by making pegs a half of their regular size. Eat less, or don't need fried snacks (which also tend to be high in salt). Instead, opt forpeanuts or salads. And get some exercise the next morning, even if it's only pushups next to your bed

Alcohol Effects on Your Sex Life

Alcohol remains a dicey part of our lives, attracting many of us with the surreal sense of happiness

it can create and making us apprehensive with the wide range of health problems it can induce. However, most health/medical experts believe that the real issue is not whether alcohol is beneficial or detrimental for your health. The real issue is how you handle your alcohol consumption. Perhaps, the best way of explaining this is reading the following, which explains Alcohol Effects on Your Sex Life:

When Alcohol Can Catalyze Your Sex Life

It is often said that anything when consumed in moderation is less prone to harm you. This concept couldn’t be truer for alcohol consumption. It is a well-researched fact that when used in moderation, alcohol can become a handy aid for spicing-up your sex life. Probably, this is the reason why many ancient cultures, including the mighty Romans, referred to wine as a powerful aphrodisiac Positive effects of consuming alcohol in a restricted manner have been acknowledged by many medical fraternities too. This includes lowering symptoms of cardiovascular diseases and depression!

Fueling Your Sex Drive With Alcohol

This might not be surprising to even those who have merely sipped or experimented minimally with alcohol. Even when consumed in the slightest amounts, alcohol tends to lower the overall anxiety levels. This is particularly helpful for those struggling with stressful work conditions or continuously bothered by issues at home. For some duration, the mind enters a more relaxed and appeasing state which is likely to increase the overall degree of confidence and help you overcome your shyness. This might work to the extent of diluting the inhibitions related to approaching women.

Using Alcohol To Conquer Sexual Apprehensions

Stress sustained over a period and the fear of not performing well in bed can seriously impact the bedroom performance. Here, nervousness and unwanted concerns take over—factors that often cause temporary bouts of failed erection. These psychological barriers can be alleviated to some extent with alcohol. The idea is to limit the intake so that the consciousness and overall sensibilities are not impaired but the uneasiness is conquered.

When Alcohol Can Derail Your Sex Life

Once you exceed the minimal amount of alcohol that can contribute towards improving your sexual life, its detrimental effects take over. Please understand that you don’t have to be a chronic drinker or an alcoholic past redemption to fall in this category. These harmful effects can surface even if alcohol consumption is exceeded occasionally.

Alcohol & Reduced Libido

Regularly consuming alcohol can impair the body’s internal processes that are involved in sexual stimulation, including the manner in which the blood rushes to the penile tissues when the mind is engaged with erotic notions. Further, the body is unable to maintain the required vital capacity that is required to support the increased oxygen uptake required during sex—these symptoms constitute reduced libido levels.

Alcohol & Unsympathetic Performance

While limited amounts of alcohol are a sexual aid, excessive amounts are just the opposite. With your overall degree of perception clouded with alcohol-induced drowsiness, the sexual response can be highly curbed. You might create the impression of merely going through the motions on your partner. You can be devoid of the usual expressions and bodily reactions that underline your level of enjoyment from the act. Most men, when drunk, find it hard to maintain their erection for a reasonable period that can cause extreme dissatisfaction in your partner.