In 2017, a South Carolina teenager collapsed during the school day and was rushed to the hospital. He didn’t survive. According to the coroner, his autopsy could have remained a mystery, since he was a healthy, young teen. However, his friends had informed authorities that the boy drank a dangerous amount of caffeine during lunch. The caffeine ultimately stopped his heart. In 2015, the World Health Organization labeled energy drinks as a danger to public health. This boy consumed more caffeine than most do in a day — but can energy drinks actually lead to heart problems?
Energy drinks increase the heart rate
Energy drinks are loaded with caffeine and sugar. Some energy drinks contain as many as 500 milliliters of caffeine. (For reference, one cup of coffee contains about 100 milliliters.) When you consume an energy drink, it takes about 10 minutes for your heart rate and blood pressure to begin rising. The average heart rate is anywhere from 60 to 100 beats per minute. A person’s heart rate is unique to them, so the amount it’s affected by an energy drink varies. But if you’re consistently experiencing rates of more than 100 beats per minute while consuming energy drinks, you should discontinue use.
About one hour after consuming an energy drink, your energy levels will already start to drop. Depending on your activity, this may cause you to consume an additional drink. However, caffeine levels in your system are still very high. Consuming another drink might bring those energy levels up, but it will put double the amount of caffeine in your body, which your liver is already working hard to break down.
A new study says energy drinks may damage blood vessels
In addition to increasing your heart rate, WebMD reports that a new study shows energy drinks might actually damage your blood vessels — even after drinking only one. The study was small; it only included 44 young, healthy students in their 20s. The study checked blood vessel health before and after the students consumed energy drinks. 90 minutes after the drink was consumed, researchers saw that students’ blood vessel health was much worse than prior to consuming the drink. Researchers blamed the difference on the ingredients in the energy drink: High levels of caffeine, plenty of sugar, taurine, and certain herbals.
Consuming an energy drink before exercising may be dangerous
Many young people consume energy drinks prior to working out. But this new study sheds light on the dangers of doing so. As you work out, your body gets more exhausted, requiring more oxygenated blood to keep it functioning properly. When blood vessel function isn’t at its best, it means oxygenated blood has a harder time traveling through the body. If this happens, the body isn’t getting what it needs to keep up with such a hard workout, so the heart must work much harder to try and pump more and blood throughout the body.
Over time, the cardiovascular system may become permanently damaged due to consumption of energy drinks. However, experts note that this study is small, which means it can’t be used as definitive proof that energy drinks will damage the cardiovascular system. More research needs to be done, but it is an unsettling discovery.
Here’s How High Blood Pressure Can Affect Your Eyes
High blood pressure can do critical damage to your heart. But it affects other parts of the body, too, including the eyes. Believe it or not, when you don’t take care of your heart, you may be causing harm elsewhere, too. Here’s how blood pressure can affect your eyes.
Hypertension damages blood vessels in the retina
When you have high blood pressure, it means the pressure of the blood pushing against your artery walls is greater than normal. This can be caused by several things, but it’s most commonly genetics or a high-sodium diet. When you eat too much sodium, your kidneys can’t filter your blood properly. As a result, the blood cells retain water, making it harder for them to push through your arteries. Your artery walls, similar to a muscle, get stronger and thicker to keep up with the harder work of pushing blood through. When the artery walls get too thick, they cause a blockage.
Your eyes are full of blood vessels. When you have hypertension, those blood vessels don’t function properly, leading to potentially severe eye damage.
It can lead to eye disease
The damage done to blood vessels in the eyes has a name: Hypertensive retinopathy. It occurs when the blood vessels near the retina are damaged. The retina is what helps focus images — it’s the backbone of how we see. If your hypertension isn’t treated, the eye disease will only get worse. Hypertensive retinopathy might not yield any symptoms at first — high blood pressure usually doesn’t show itself anywhere. But if you go for an eye exam, your doctor will likely discover it. He or she will examine the back of your eye ball and notice certain signs, such as narrowed blood vessels, spots on the retina, swelling of the retina and optic nerve, and bleeding toward the back of the eye.
Eventually, vision loss can occur
If your hypertensive retinopathy is never treated, and you continue to have high blood pressure, it can result in permanent vision problems. Other eye problems, such as nerve damage and fluid buildup, also stem from high blood pressure and can lead to vision loss. If these diseases are left untreated, they eventually worsen to the point where the retina can no longer properly function.
Another problem that may come along with high blood pressure is a stroke. When you have a stroke, there is a blockage in the arteries that prevents oxygenated blood from getting to your brain. When this happens, the brain can’t function properly, and one common side effect is vision loss.
Through diet and exercise, you can keep your blood pressure stable
Even after you find out you have high blood pressure, there are plenty of ways to maintain it and prevent damage to your body. The most important things to do are eat a healthy diet and exercise frequently. Loading your body with high-sodium foods, such as fast food, fried food, and foods with added salt, is a big way to guarantee high blood pressure later in life. Fill your diet with fruits, vegetables, and lean protein. Make sure to exercise daily; take a walk to get your heart working. The heart is a muscle, which means it needs to be exercised in order to work its best. Preventing hypertension is possible if you take the right steps and form healthy habits.
Energy drinks increase the heart rate
Energy drinks are loaded with caffeine and sugar. Some energy drinks contain as many as 500 milliliters of caffeine. (For reference, one cup of coffee contains about 100 milliliters.) When you consume an energy drink, it takes about 10 minutes for your heart rate and blood pressure to begin rising. The average heart rate is anywhere from 60 to 100 beats per minute. A person’s heart rate is unique to them, so the amount it’s affected by an energy drink varies. But if you’re consistently experiencing rates of more than 100 beats per minute while consuming energy drinks, you should discontinue use.
About one hour after consuming an energy drink, your energy levels will already start to drop. Depending on your activity, this may cause you to consume an additional drink. However, caffeine levels in your system are still very high. Consuming another drink might bring those energy levels up, but it will put double the amount of caffeine in your body, which your liver is already working hard to break down.
A new study says energy drinks may damage blood vessels
In addition to increasing your heart rate, WebMD reports that a new study shows energy drinks might actually damage your blood vessels — even after drinking only one. The study was small; it only included 44 young, healthy students in their 20s. The study checked blood vessel health before and after the students consumed energy drinks. 90 minutes after the drink was consumed, researchers saw that students’ blood vessel health was much worse than prior to consuming the drink. Researchers blamed the difference on the ingredients in the energy drink: High levels of caffeine, plenty of sugar, taurine, and certain herbals.
Consuming an energy drink before exercising may be dangerous
Many young people consume energy drinks prior to working out. But this new study sheds light on the dangers of doing so. As you work out, your body gets more exhausted, requiring more oxygenated blood to keep it functioning properly. When blood vessel function isn’t at its best, it means oxygenated blood has a harder time traveling through the body. If this happens, the body isn’t getting what it needs to keep up with such a hard workout, so the heart must work much harder to try and pump more and blood throughout the body.
Over time, the cardiovascular system may become permanently damaged due to consumption of energy drinks. However, experts note that this study is small, which means it can’t be used as definitive proof that energy drinks will damage the cardiovascular system. More research needs to be done, but it is an unsettling discovery.
Here’s How High Blood Pressure Can Affect Your Eyes
High blood pressure can do critical damage to your heart. But it affects other parts of the body, too, including the eyes. Believe it or not, when you don’t take care of your heart, you may be causing harm elsewhere, too. Here’s how blood pressure can affect your eyes.
Hypertension damages blood vessels in the retina
When you have high blood pressure, it means the pressure of the blood pushing against your artery walls is greater than normal. This can be caused by several things, but it’s most commonly genetics or a high-sodium diet. When you eat too much sodium, your kidneys can’t filter your blood properly. As a result, the blood cells retain water, making it harder for them to push through your arteries. Your artery walls, similar to a muscle, get stronger and thicker to keep up with the harder work of pushing blood through. When the artery walls get too thick, they cause a blockage.
Your eyes are full of blood vessels. When you have hypertension, those blood vessels don’t function properly, leading to potentially severe eye damage.
It can lead to eye disease
The damage done to blood vessels in the eyes has a name: Hypertensive retinopathy. It occurs when the blood vessels near the retina are damaged. The retina is what helps focus images — it’s the backbone of how we see. If your hypertension isn’t treated, the eye disease will only get worse. Hypertensive retinopathy might not yield any symptoms at first — high blood pressure usually doesn’t show itself anywhere. But if you go for an eye exam, your doctor will likely discover it. He or she will examine the back of your eye ball and notice certain signs, such as narrowed blood vessels, spots on the retina, swelling of the retina and optic nerve, and bleeding toward the back of the eye.
Eventually, vision loss can occur
If your hypertensive retinopathy is never treated, and you continue to have high blood pressure, it can result in permanent vision problems. Other eye problems, such as nerve damage and fluid buildup, also stem from high blood pressure and can lead to vision loss. If these diseases are left untreated, they eventually worsen to the point where the retina can no longer properly function.
Another problem that may come along with high blood pressure is a stroke. When you have a stroke, there is a blockage in the arteries that prevents oxygenated blood from getting to your brain. When this happens, the brain can’t function properly, and one common side effect is vision loss.
Through diet and exercise, you can keep your blood pressure stable
Even after you find out you have high blood pressure, there are plenty of ways to maintain it and prevent damage to your body. The most important things to do are eat a healthy diet and exercise frequently. Loading your body with high-sodium foods, such as fast food, fried food, and foods with added salt, is a big way to guarantee high blood pressure later in life. Fill your diet with fruits, vegetables, and lean protein. Make sure to exercise daily; take a walk to get your heart working. The heart is a muscle, which means it needs to be exercised in order to work its best. Preventing hypertension is possible if you take the right steps and form healthy habits.
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