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High Blood Pressure and Alcohol
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If you take too much
alcohol, this will increase your blood pressure with time. Moreover Alcohol also contains a lot of
calories which will also increase your weight and This will further increase your blood
pressure.Also, alcohol can interfere with the effectiveness and increase the side effects of some
blood pressure medications. There have been several scientific studies over the last 100 years that
have confirmed that Alcoholism is ONE of several causes of Hypertension. Originally it was
suggested that alcoholism was a cause of hypertension irrespective of a whole range of other
associated socio economic factors such as economic status, your age, race, weight, serum
cholesterol levels or even tobacco use. When Alcohol is present in the blood stream it covers the
blood vessels and artery walls thereby increasing their tension and thereby increasing the blood
pressure. This is the basic version and there are more complex definitions and explanations in
existence but these are for the Medical Textbooks!
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Reduce alcohol to avoid high blood pressure
(Hypertension)
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If you take recommended limits
of alcohol, this will help lower your blood pressure. The current recommended limits are 21
units of alcohol a week for men, and 14 units a week for women.
How many units of alcohol are
in your take?
take
Units of Alcohol
Single measure of spirits (25ml) 1 unit of
alcohol
Pint of normal-strength beer 2
units of alcohol
Medium glass of wine (175ml) 2 units
of alcohol
Large glass of wine (250ml)
3 units of alcohol
Pint of strong beer
4 units of alcohol
If you have high blood pressure, avoid alcohol or drink alcohol only
in moderation. Moderate drinking is generally considered two drinks a day for men younger than age
65, one drink a day for men age 65 and older, and one drink a day for women of any age. In some
people, alcohol causes blood pressure to rise quite a lot. In other people, it doesn't. If you
drink alcohol, limit it to no more than 1 or 2 drinks per day. One drink is a can of beer, a glass
of wine or 1 jigger of liquor. If your blood pressure increases with alcohol, it's best not to
drink any alcohol.
Even if you are taking less
than the recommended limits, you will still benefit from taking less alcohol. Here are some tips
to help you have a good night out (or in) without having to worry about your blood
pressure.
* Don’t eat bar snacks like chips, crisps and
peanuts – the added salt will make you want to take more alcohol, and will increase your blood
pressure
* If you take alcohol at home, buy a measure so
that you know how much you are drinking.
* Try low-alcohol strength options – there are now
a number of lower-strength beers on the market
* Check the label on bottle– and see how many
units they contain
* Make your drinks last longer by adding mixers or
water, helping to dilute it
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