Can people with atrial fibrillation drink alcohol?

Written by Li Hai Wen
Cardiology
Updated on September 28, 2024
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Atrial fibrillation is a common arrhythmia among many middle-aged and elderly people, and in our country, which has a strong culture of alcohol consumption, many people enjoy drinking. So, can you drink alcohol if you have atrial fibrillation? My advice is that it's best not to drink. Modern medical research has shown that alcohol can potentially trigger attacks of atrial fibrillation, and in our clinical practice, we often find that many patients experience an onset of atrial fibrillation by drinking alcohol, sometimes even necessitating hospital treatment due to the episodes. Therefore, it is recommended that patients with atrial fibrillation avoid or minimize alcohol consumption.

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Written by Li Hai Wen
Cardiology
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Can people with atrial fibrillation drink alcohol?

Atrial fibrillation is a common arrhythmia among many middle-aged and elderly people, and in our country, which has a strong culture of alcohol consumption, many people enjoy drinking. So, can you drink alcohol if you have atrial fibrillation? My advice is that it's best not to drink. Modern medical research has shown that alcohol can potentially trigger attacks of atrial fibrillation, and in our clinical practice, we often find that many patients experience an onset of atrial fibrillation by drinking alcohol, sometimes even necessitating hospital treatment due to the episodes. Therefore, it is recommended that patients with atrial fibrillation avoid or minimize alcohol consumption.

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Written by Tang Li
Cardiology
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Atrial fibrillation is caused by what?

Atrial fibrillation can occur in healthy individuals, sometimes triggered by emotional excitement, surgery, exercise, or excessive drinking. It often occurs in patients with existing cardiovascular diseases, such as rheumatic heart disease, coronary artery disease, hypertensive heart disease, hyperthyroidism, constrictive pericarditis, myocarditis, infective endocarditis, and chronic pulmonary heart disease. Atrial fibrillation can also occur in middle-aged and young adults without cardiac diseases, known as lone atrial fibrillation.

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Written by Zhang Yue Mei
Cardiology
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Is atrial fibrillation the same as atrial flutter?

Atrial fibrillation, also known simply as AFib, is the same disease just referred to by different names. Atrial fibrillation is caused by various reasons leading to pathological changes in cardiac contractility and conductivity. By using a stethoscope, a doctor can detect irregularities in heart rate and varying intensities of heart sounds. Electrocardiogram (ECG) tests can record the distinctive waveforms of atrial fibrillation. Rapid atrial fibrillation requires medication for treatment. If not effectively treated, long-term atrial fibrillation can lead to heart failure, resulting in insufficient blood supply to the body and causing significant harm.

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Written by Li Hai Wen
Cardiology
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Can atrial fibrillation lead to sudden death?

Atrial fibrillation is a very common arrhythmia in our daily lives, but does it lead to sudden death after its onset? Generally speaking, atrial fibrillation does not cause sudden death, but this does not mean that atrial fibrillation is safe. Atrial fibrillation often poses the following risks: Firstly, it causes symptoms; repeated episodes of atrial fibrillation can cause symptoms such as palpitations and chest tightness in patients. Secondly, it triggers heart failure; acute episodes of atrial fibrillation are often a significant cause of heart failure, which necessitates hospital treatment for many patients. Thirdly, it leads to complications from blood clots, which is one of the most severe yet common complications of atrial fibrillation, leaving sequelae such as weakness in walking or hemiplegia on one side of the body.

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Written by Zhang Yue Mei
Cardiology
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Nursing Care for Patients with Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) refers to atrial fibrillation, caused primarily by organic heart diseases, commonly seen in coronary heart disease, rheumatic heart disease, cardiomyopathy, and pulmonary heart disease, as well as certain metabolic disorders such as hyperthyroidism. Patients with AF can experience impacts on cardiac function, and in severe cases, may develop heart failure. Nursing care primarily involves ensuring the patient rests and avoids excessive fatigue. Mild physical activities can be performed, and it is advisable to eat easily digestible foods and avoid spicy foods to reduce gastrointestinal irritation and lessen the burden on cardiac function. Attention should be paid to sleep, avoiding smoking and alcohol, routinely checking the electrocardiogram (ECG), and seeking timely medical treatment at a hospital if special conditions arise.