Drinking alcohol in the heat can even lead to unconsciousness. A professor of addiction medicine tells you what to keep in mind if you drink alcohol in the heat.
11.6. 18:19•Updated 11.6. 18:47
Although the weather in Finland has been unstable in recent days, it has been hot in the southern European holiday destinations that are popular with Finns.
Finns’ alcohol consumption increases during the holidays.
We asked the professor of addiction medicine Solja from Niemelawhat kind of risks are associated with alcohol consumption in the heat.
Muscle cramps and risk of dehydration
Consuming alcohol in the heat can cause many risks, such as decreased appetite. This is what professor of addiction medicine Solja Niemelä says.
Consuming alcohol increases urine output. Alcohol therefore accelerates the removal of liquid from the body, which means that the risk of dehydration becomes greater.
At the same time, there are changes in the salt balance of the blood, which can lead to muscle cramps, for example.
Medications that remove fluids, for example blood pressure medication, increase the risk of dehydration, Niemelä points out. Alcohol also affects the body’s ability to regulate heat, i.e. sweating increases.
In the worst case, poor hydration can even cause loss of consciousness and severe cramps. Mild symptoms of poor hydration are, for example, headache and nausea, says Niemelä.
Consuming alcohol also has other effects. In the heat, a lot of time is spent by the water, for example swimming and boating.
Niemelä reminds us that the risk of drowning increases when intoxicated.
Consuming alcohol also affects the burning of the skin.
– Even if you don’t necessarily go out in the sun, but if you are in the sun a lot and drink alcohol repeatedly, the use of alcohol weakens the skin’s protective mechanisms. For example, the risk of melanoma is high in people who drink a lot of alcohol.
What do you have to keep in mind if you plan to drink alcohol in the heat?
According to Niemelä, the use of alcohol and warm weather can weaken the appetite.
In the heat, however, you should remember to eat while drinking alcohol, because food slows down the absorption of alcohol.
In the heat, you should enjoy non-alcoholic drinks. According to Niemelä, mineral water is a good drink for correcting the salt balance in the blood.
However, if you want to enjoy alcohol in warm weather, you should prefer low-percentage drinks, according to Niemelä.
– It’s not a good idea to rush to buy eight percent beers and other drinks, preferably low-alcohol drinks. It is worth making it a goal that every other drink should preferably be water.
According to Niemelä, it is individual how much alcohol should be consumed in the heat. This is affected by the size of the body and the medication in use.