FOR many, making merry during the holidays involves drinking alcohol and liquor. A lot of these.

After the feasting, many head off to a separate table to hold a drinking session that could last well into the night and into the next morning.

But there are a lot of health issues and other concerns that could arise from alcohol consumption, according to internist and cardiologist Dr. Anthony “Tony” Leachon

These concerns deal not just with people’s health, but also their safety and that of other people, Leachon said. 

If you ask him, it’s actually best to avoid alcohol altogether, as a study has found that no amount is safe to consume.

“There’s no such thing as moderate drinking. Even minimum drinking is bad,” he told republicasia.

But for those who can’t avoid alcohol, they should at least be aware of the dangers that they could face. 

Holiday heart syndrome

Leachon said this is a cardiac condition brought about by binge drinking or excessive alcohol intake. It causes irregular heartbeats in people who have no heart diseases.

It can cause them to lose consciousness, and in some cases, it could be fatal, he said.

“Kung hindi ka sanay uminom for a long time, tapos mabibigla ka, you will develop holiday heart syndrome,” he said.  

Alcohol cardiomyopathy 

This is a condition that affects those who are chronic drinkers. This is characterized by a weakening or the enlargement of the heart, said Leachon.

Some patients with this condition also develop cirrhosis of the liver, he said.

Other symptoms include chest pain, fatigue or weakness, heart palpitations, trouble breathing, fluid buildup and swelling, and loss of muscle mass. 

Alcoholic gastritis 

This is another condition that tends to hit chronic drinkers. This is the inflammation of the stomach due to alcohol use. 

Symptoms include mild upper abdominal pain, tiredness, anemia, loss of appetite, and stomach irritation.

Alcoholic pancreatitis 

This is inflammation of the pancreas due to heavy drinking, and could be fatal. 

“Alcohol is toxic to the pancreas, kaya ang iba namamatay sa pagtulog,” he said. 

People who eat a lot of rice and then resort to drinking alcohol could overwhelm their pancreas, which would release enzymes. These enzymes could destroy the pancreas, he said.

But the dangers of alcohol consumption is not limited to health conditions.

Vehicular accidents

Leachon warned that drinking could cause vehicular accidents.

Some people drink and then get drive cars or motorcycles. They have a high risk of getting into accidents, he said. 

“Kaya mataas ang incidents ng vehicular accidents during the holiday season dahil sa pag inom ng alak,” he said. 

What’s worse is if these intoxicated drivers hit or run over other people, injuring or killing them, he said.

“You’re hurting other people aside from hurting yourself,” he said. 

Acts of violence

Some people who get drunk tend to get out of control, and they could get involved in fights and violent confrontations, said Leachon.

As a doctor, he has seen his fair share of drunk people at the emergency room who got mauled or stabbed after a drinking session, he said. 

Just avoid it 

Leachon said the best way to avoid these risks is to stay away from alcohol altogether.

From a health expert’s standpoint, there is no safe alcohol consumption level, he said. 

“Hangga’t maari, itigil na ang alcohol kasi walang maidudulot na mabut iyan,” he said. 

He cited the study published in the Lancet on alcohol consumption in 2018, which he said supported the call to avoid alcohol.

“There is strong support here for the guideline published by the Chief Medical Officer of the UK who found that there is ‘no safe level of alcohol consumption,’” the report stated.