Symptoms and stages of development of alcoholic cardiopathy

Alcoholic cardiopathy develops as a result of regular intake of alcoholic beverages, so this disease is not uncommon among patients with alcoholism.

The disease appears in people who abuse alcohol for a long time. WHO experts say that if a person takes more than eight liters of alcohol a year, he can not only get sick with this disease, but also die from it. The human heart is not able to withstand large doses and prolonged consumption of alcoholic beverages.

Causes of the onset and development of the disease

Cardiopathia is a pathology, the main cause of which is long-term alcohol consumption.

As a result of its development in a sick person, the destruction of the muscle fibers of the heart occurs, since alcohol acts on them:

1. Ethyl alcohol has a detrimental effect on myocardial tissue, having a toxic effect. This leads to the fact that the volume of the body increases, heart failure appears. It may be accompanied by ischemic disease.
2. It turns out that alcohol dependence causes disturbances in the metabolic process of heart muscle cells, which lead to myocardial dystrophy.
3. This alcoholic disease develops due to a violation of energy metabolism as a result of the action of ethanol, as well as acetaldehyde. There is a loss of the component necessary for the heart muscle - adenosine triphosphate. The myocardium loses the frequency of contractions, as a result, disturbances in the metabolism of calcium, potassium and magnesium occur.
4. The content of catecholamines (also norepinephrine) begins to increase in the blood, which is caused by a large and frequent use of alcoholic products. As a result, the myocardium experiences a lack of oxygen.

All these processes damage the heart structure and can lead to disastrous consequences.

Signs of the disease

The symptomatology of this alcoholic pathology depends on the type of myocardial dystrophy.

Signs of the classic form of the disease:

• the appearance of shortness of breath;
• the rhythm of the heartbeat quickens;
• heart pains appear (most often at night).

These symptoms usually appear on the second or third day after drinking a lot of alcohol.

The manifestation of the pseudo-ischemic form of the disease:

• there are pains in the heart,
  which can be of different strength, they differ in duration;
• increase in body temperature;
• the appearance of shortness of breath;
• swollen arms or legs;
• the heart may increase in size.

Signs of an arrhythmic form are caused by the appearance of a rapid heartbeat or a violation of the heart rhythm. A person may suddenly feel dizzy, he will lose consciousness.

Each of them comes with its own symptoms.

1. In the first stage, which lasts about ten years, there are infrequent heart pains.
2. People who suffer from alcoholism for more than ten years acquire the second stage of the disease. Here, heart failure appears, which becomes chronic. A person may have swelling of the limbs, shortness of breath, even in a supine position, cough with sputum; lips and face become bluish. Against the background of a violation of the heartbeat, atrial fibrillation appears.
3. The most severe form of this disease is the third stage. The structure of the heart, vascular tissues and other organs are destroyed, it is no longer possible to restore them.

In general, the symptoms of this disease caused by alcohol addiction look like this: physical activity is not the cause of pain in the heart, which periodically occurs in the morning and is aching in nature. They last long enough. If a person begins to drink alcohol, then the pain only intensifies. There is also a violation in the work of the heart, resulting in a rapid heartbeat, dizziness is also possible.

An electrocardiogram will help to identify other consequences of the pathology.

Stages of development of the disease

1. The initial stage of this disease usually causes heart failure. When the disease is still in its infancy (preclinical stage), then its presence can be determined only with the help of an echocardiogram. You can also suspect this disease if a person has more than a hundred beats per minute of the pulse after a week without drinking alcohol.
2. Next is the clinical stage, at which shortness of breath and weakness may appear. Tachycardia is already developing next, it also occurs when a person is at rest. Here, the development of arterial hypertension is possible. If at this stage a person stops drinking alcohol, then myocardial function can be restored, and the general condition will improve.
3. pseudo-ischemic stage. There are pains in the heart, and the cardiogram can reveal a picture that is similar to coronary heart disease. Pain in the heart is already quite long in time and constant. They are stabbing and aching in nature, and the patient may also complain of a burning sensation in the region of the heart. A person begins to feel pain the very next day after taking alcohol in large doses, it can last for a whole day. Then, if you do not drink alcohol, she will leave. But one has only to drink a little, the pain will intensify, all the signs of this pathology will return.
4. The third stage is arrhythmic. This is the development of arrhythmia, which can be expressed in different forms. A person notices signs of atrial fibrillation approximately six hours after drinking alcohol. He may feel signs of general malaise (chills, numbness of the limbs, lack of oxygen, etc.). Further, arterial insufficiency already appears, as a result of which pressure decreases. This condition can cause collapse. If a person is a chronic alcoholic, then arrhythmia can develop into a chronic form. A very high presence of alcohol in the blood can lead to very serious consequences.

He will offer to undergo a course of examination and, based on its results, prescribe medication. In addition, the patient will be offered to drink a course of multivitamins and then follow a healthy lifestyle, an important part of which is daily and long walks in the fresh air.