TAMPA, Fla. — Days before Christmas, Dr. Jesal Popat is taking care of a patient much younger than his usual demographic.
Michael Joyce is 28, but felt like he needed to call a cardiologist recently.
“A couple of months ago, I just started to have chest pains that, you know, probably ignored for the first couple of weeks,” said Joyce.
What You Need To Know
Holiday heart syndrome is a condition that often occurs between Thanksgiving and New Years. It is when a short-term abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia) happens.
Cardiologists say cause behind holiday heart syndrome includes a higher consumption of alcohol, over indulgent eating, less exercise and more stress.
Dr. Jesal Popat says the most common symptom he says patient’s describe is, “a fluttering or racing of the heart. Sometimes it’s irregular.”
Michael Joyce, 28, was experiencing these symptoms so he decided to get checked out. Doctor’s say holiday heart often occurs more in younger people.
To be safe, Dr. Popat had an electrocardiogram done to see if Joyce was experiencing heart arrhythmia.
Dr. Popat is an interventional cardiologist for Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital. He said this time of year he sees a lot of holiday heart syndrome cases.
“Specifically, it’s a type of heart arrhythmia,” said Dr. Popat. “Sometimes supraventricular tachycardia, sometimes atrial fibrillation, or sometimes another arrhythmia.”
The time of year is when these cases tend to spike, specifically Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day.
“These are the times where patients are eating more indulgently, they’re drinking more alcohol, maybe traveling outside of their usual time frame for window, for sleeping. When you put all these things together, it’s the perfect storm that can lead to a heart arrhythmia,” said Dr. Popat.
He said if affects young people a bit more than older people too.
In Joyce’s case, he will also undergo a longstanding heart monitor and an echocardiogram.
“I feel pretty confident that he’s just fine. But nonetheless, you know, because of his symptoms, he didn’t ignore them. He did the right thing. He came to see his doctor,” said Dr. Popat.
“I think we were just being overly cautious. Obviously, I’m pretty young, but, you know, I just wanted to be rather safe than sorry,” said Joyce.
Popat said the best advice he can give to avoid holiday heart syndrome is to not overindulge on heavy foods and alcohol this time of year. He also recommends keeping your sleep schedule regular, continue to workout and walk, and to never ignore warning signs like heart fluttering.