SAVANNAH, Ga. —

As families prepare for a busy stretch of holiday meals and celebrations, cardiologists warn of a seasonal increase in "holiday heart syndrome," a condition that can cause irregular heartbeats after heavy eating or drinking.

Doctors say the holidays are among the busiest times for heart rhythm complaints, with more patients arriving in emergency rooms experiencing symptoms they often mistake for fatigue or a mild illness. The condition is commonly triggered by meals high in salt and fat, along with increased alcohol consumption.

Holiday heart syndrome occurs when the body becomes overloaded, which can push the heart into an abnormal rhythm or, for some people, depress normal heart function.

"You're in this kind of fog afterward. You think you might have caught something

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