Drinking 2–3 cups of coffee a day may be an acceptable practice to maintain moderate coffee consumption. An increased intake of coffee may cause a diuretic effect that promotes dehydration. Relatedly, alcohol consumption can also cause vasodilation, which is the widening of blood vessels. In this article, we will discuss the relationship between alcohol and dehydration, the negative effects of dehydration on the body, and practical tips for staying hydrated while consuming alcohol.
- In addition to these situations, research has found that athletes, people who are ill, and infants may not have an adequate sense of thirst to replete their fluid needs.
- Essentially, expelling much-needed fluids that your body wouldn’t normally waste.
- If a person does not get enough hydration alongside their alcohol intake, the alcohol may cause dehydration.
- They generally contain high levels of caffeine and sugar and may contain other added ingredients that stimulate the kidneys and act as a diuretic.
- Drinking alcohol can dehydrate you, and it’s one of the main reasons you can get a hangover.
Long-Term Effects of Alcohol Dehydration
There’s less air pressure, so alcohol enters your bloodstream even more rapidly. If you’re drinking at altitude, you should probably start out with less alcohol than usual. Remember to listen to your body, prep with hydration minerals (aka electrolytes), and never drink on an empty stomach. A bottle of whiskey on the mountain after a full day of skiing and snowboarding sounds like a dream. If you’re drinking at altitude (and you’re not used to it!) remember that dehydration is a much bigger concern. Above 5,000 feet elevation, your body can lose fluids almost twice as fast as it can at sea level.
Eat Plenty of Food Before Drinking
If you binge drink, you’ll likely lose 500 to 1,000 mL of fluids, causing dehydration. Some cocktails can take a toll on your hydration because of additional ingredients. “If you pair alcohol with another diuretic substance such as caffeine, you may naturally urinate more and become even more dehydrated,” does alcohol dehydrate you Dr. Alexa Mieses Malchuk, M.D., a family physician, tells Bustle. So that espresso martini or Irish coffee might end up making you need the bathroom. Rapid volume repletion may cause a rapid rise in sodium in patients with dehydration and severe hyponatremia, which can cause central pontine myelinolysis.
Why Does Alcohol Make You Thirsty?
Certain health conditions can affect your body’s ability to move and balance electrolytes. When fluid compartments have too many or too few electrolytes, you have an electrolyte imbalance. For example, marathon runners water should drink more than a nonmobile person.
The effects of dehydration, moderate alcohol consumption, and rehydration on cognitive functions. That’s because as you get older, your kidneys aren’t as good at holding onto water. Older people have a lower thirst drive, meaning they don’t feel thirst as strongly, which normally signals you to drink.
What are the symptoms of alcohol dehydration?
Drink Responsibly At Altitude
- The process is called diuresis, which on its own causes dehydration [1].
- Melody is here to help as you adjust to a life with less (or no) alcohol.
- Excess fluid administration to correct dehydration may cause peripheral edema and pulmonary edema.