Hey there Guys. Today I found this article that highlights the role some energy drinks has had in increased presentations to the emergency room.
The dose of caffeine in energy drinks can be very high leading to racing heart beat, unusual heart rhythms, heat attacks, headaches, insomnia, anxiety and rarely psychosis.
Several emergency physicians said they had seen a clear uptick in the number of patients suffering from irregular heartbeats, anxiety and heart attacks who said they had recently downed an energy drink.
More than half of the patients considered in the survey who wound up in the emergency room told doctors they had downed only energy drinks. In 2011, about 42 percent of the cases involved energy drinks in combination with alcohol or drugs, such as the stimulants Adderall or Ritalin.
“A lot of people don’t realize the strength of these things. I had someone come in recently who had drunk three energy drinks in an hour, which is the equivalent of 15 cups of coffee,” said Howard Mell, an emergency physician in the suburbs of Cleveland, who serves as a spokesman for the American College of Emergency Physicians. “Essentially he gave himself a stress test and thankfully he passed. But if he had a weak heart or suffered from coronary disease and didn’t know it, this could have precipitated very bad things.”
Energy Drinks + Alcohol Can Lead To Violence
The combination of energy drinks and alcohol has been noted to cause violence in some people. An Australian study noted:
There is evidence that energy drinks mask the feeling of intoxication, which can lead to increased consumption and the potential for risk-taking and violence. And as both alcohol and energy drinks are diuretics, drinking them to excess leads to dehydration which is potentially very dangerous, particularly if people have been dancing for long periods of
time,”
If you have high blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythms or have any heart problems it’s best to avoid these drinks.
If you are drinking energy drinks at dance parties it’s best to avoid alcohol to the drinks and ensure you are getting plenty of water.
Depending on the brand, one can can have the euqivelent caffeine of five cups of coffee. If you notice a racing pulse, an uneven pulse or you are starting to feel faint or unwell seek medical help fast.
Yours in good health.
Dr George
See full story on time.com
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