High fever and alcohol. Warms or weakens

The generally accepted myth about the benefits and healing properties of alcoholic beverages is a delusion. Various sources consider the antiseptic properties of alcohol, the ability of the drink to warm, and the beneficial composition of certain types of booze to be the cause of the delusion. However, when answering the question of whether it is possible to drink alcohol at elevated temperatures, a number of nuances should be taken into account.

Effect of alcohol on temperature

The main argument that supporters of this method of treating temperature operate on is the warming effect of strong drinks. In order to refute or confirm such a hypothesis, it is necessary to analyze in detail the mechanism of action of alcohol when it enters the body.

Getting into the blood, alcohol affects the vascular center of the brain, which causes the expansion of blood vessels. This phenomenon is permanent, there is a rush of blood to the skin. The patient feels warm, a false impression is created that the drunk raises body temperature. However, contrary to the sensations, only the skin is warmed up, while the basal temperature remains the same. Taking large doses of alcohol leads to paralysis of heat-regulating centers.

Then, after less than 3 minutes after consumption, there is a significant loss of heat, which negatively affects the state of the patient's body. Moreover, the degree of temperature decrease depends on the dosage of the drink and the strength of alcohol. The process of falling temperature occurs simultaneously with intoxication. The danger of this condition lies in the fact that against the background of a false perceived heat, it is lost, and hypothermia aggravates the course of a cold.

Why you shouldn't drink at high temperatures

High body temperature is recognized from 38.5 degrees, which requires the use of antipyretic drugs. Any alcohol-containing drink has a toxic effect on the body due to the content of ethyl alcohol. After it enters the body, forces are mobilized to protect against poison. Thus, there is an expenditure of protective forces on counteracting alcohol, when at the same time the fight against the disease is carried out, the production of antibodies to the causative agents of the common cold. Such stress for the body can cause a sharp rise in temperature.

In addition, drinking alcohol at elevated temperatures is dangerous for the following reasons:

1. The heart is already under increased stress due to high temperature, with the intake of alcohol, the pulse quickens and there is a risk of increased pressure.
2. High temperature is accompanied by fluid loss, and drinking, especially strong drinks (vodka, cognac, alcohol), contributes to dehydration.

Alcohol for colds and weakened immunity

Because of the well-known antiseptic properties of ethyl alcohol, there is an opinion that alcohol-containing booze warms, and is also capable of destroying germs and viruses. There are also many recipes of traditional medicine based on alcoholic products. However, pathogens are resistant to alcohol. Moreover, the course of the disease weakens the immune functions of the body, alcohol also contributes to a decrease in immunity, worsening the general condition of the patient. Alcoholism provokes an increase in the number of pathogenic organisms, which, with a cold, can lead to a more severe form of the disease, dangerous complications. Beer and folk recipes based on it do not have an antimicrobial effect and, despite the low percentage of alcohol in it, are not recommended during a cold.

Compatibility with antipyretics

In the instructions for many drugs, a contraindication for use is called taking it together with alcoholic products. Antipyretic drugs are no exception. However, the situation when the patient was treated with strong drinks, and after the onset of deterioration decided to resort to medications, is quite real.

Most antipyretic drugs contain one of two active substances in their composition:

• paracetamol;
• ibuprofen.

Paracetamol puts a heavy strain on the liver. Alcohol also primarily affects the kidneys and liver. The simultaneous use of the latter leads to the formation of substances toxic to the liver.

In medicine, there is a scale for the compatibility of alcohol and drugs. Each medicine has a certain hazard class.

There are five such classes in total, and the fifth corresponds to the highest probability of dangerous consequences when consumed with alcohol. Paracetamol has a 4th class.

The interaction of alcohol with drugs based on paracetamol can have dangerous consequences. This combination can provoke toxic hepatitis, after which cirrhosis of the liver often occurs, pathologies of the blood supply to internal organs, heart pathologies, etc.

It is worth paying attention to the composition of antipyretic drugs, as they often contain paracetamol, which is not reflected in the name of the drug. These are the well-known Panadol, Fervex, Coldrex, etc.

The combination of alcohol and drugs based on ibuprofen most often leads to the neutralization of the action of the latter. There is a situation when the accepted dose of the drug is ineffective, the temperature remains at the same level or rises. There is a need for additional medication, which is unsafe without respecting the time interval between doses, or the use of a drug based on paracetamol, the possible consequences of which are described above in combination with alcohol.

The mechanism of interaction lies in the following. Alcohol and ibuprofen contain xenobiotics that speed up biochemical reactions in the body. Therefore, their joint intake leads to a sharp increase in the level of xenobiotics, which contributes to a rapid metabolism and a decrease in the effectiveness of the drug.

Such a consequence is not the most dangerous. Alcohol and ibuprofen can lead to liver detoxification, damage to the gastric mucosa and the appearance of peptic ulcer, and increased side effects of the drug.

In what cases can

The use of alcoholic beverages internally for therapeutic purposes is permissible only as an exception and at a body temperature not exceeding 37.5. For medicinal purposes, you can use pre-warmed red wine. In the process of heating, it practically loses its strength, while retaining its beneficial properties. On the basis of wine, you can prepare mulled wine. In a glass of warm wine, add cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, lemon juice.

A small dosage of strong drinks promotes sound sleep, which is important in diseases accompanied by high fever. Sleep contributes to the restoration of the body's strength and recovery. Therefore, 30-40 ml of alcohol before bedtime in an exceptional case can have a positive effect. However, given the property of alcohol to provoke heat transfer, the patient should be warmly dressed, and after that it is recommended to drink warm tea.

Is it possible to drink alcohol at a temperature if you have a cold, a sore throat, a runny nose and other symptoms? Or, if there is a temperature, as a reaction to the inflammatory process in the body is not a cold?

Drinking alcohol with fever

When the thermometer shows 37 degrees Celsius, this does not mean that the person is sick. Such a temperature for many people, generally speaking, is the norm. In women, during ovulation, which happens every month, the body temperature rises even above the mark of 37 degrees - and this is the norm. This is the body's response to hormonal changes in the reproductive system.

As for men, an increase in temperature may be associated with stress, with high physical activity, with the intake of sports nutrition or other drugs. Therefore, it is not necessary to unambiguously talk about the benefits or harms of alcohol in such cases. A slightly elevated temperature and alcohol are quite compatible if a person knows the reason for such changes in his body.

How alcohol affects body temperature:

• Ethanol thins the blood, causing it to run faster through the vessels. That is why they say that the vessels should be expanded with the help of cognac, for example, when they want to relieve stress. In the Soviet past, high-ranking figures always had cognac in their offices. It's better to drink another shot than to call an ambulance and go to the hospital with a heart attack. And this fact is confirmed by doctors.
• Alcohol increases blood pressure, dilates blood vessels, increases heart rate. All this affects the body like stress. Body temperature may well rise, but slightly and not for long. During the feast, if strong alcoholic drinks are drunk, people get hot, perspiration appears on the forehead, a person takes off his clothes as much as possible.
• Weak alcoholic beverages such as wine, beer, cocktails do not affect body temperature, regardless of the drink. A critical situation can only arise in the event of an overdose, when the concentration of ethanol in the blood approaches the critical one, the body experiences intoxication and tries to cope with the problem.
• With alcohol intoxication, the body temperature rises, but slightly. The liver produces enzymes that break down ethanol in order to remove decay products. For the body, intoxication is both stress and poisoning. That is a critical situation that should be dealt with. The capabilities of the body are accumulated to fight, which is what caused the increase in both temperature and pressure.

At a temperature of 37 and above before the start of alcohol intake, the situation can worsen significantly if a lot of ethanol enters the body. An increase in the indicator indicates some kind of unusual process. If this is the beginning of a cold or a reaction to inflammatory processes, then the body can react quite unpredictably.

In the presence of temperature and inflammatory processes in the body, it is not recommended to drink alcohol

During SARS, acute respiratory infections, influenza, viruses, infections, unknown strains enter the body, with which the immune system tries to cope. Alcohol will increase the load on all organs and systems, taking away strength, suppressing the immune system. Therefore, if the body temperature is higher than 37.5 degrees, drinking alcohol is unreasonable and risky.

If there are no signs of colds, such as: headache, aching joints, starting runny nose, cough or sore throat, but the body temperature has risen, it means that incomprehensible inflammation processes are taking place in the body. The reason may be in chronic diseases, inflammatory processes of internal organs, the body's response to an undiagnosed disease, up to malignant tumors.

Since the cause is unknown to a person, one should not risk health and abuse alcohol. It is necessary to consult a doctor and find out the cause, and then draw conclusions.

Alcohol as a cure for the common cold

Traditional medicine is replete with recipes using strong alcohol to treat colds at the initial stage.

Vodka with pepper as a cure for a cold

If the spouse came home and feels weak, then the woman prepares him a simple drink, which, according to the experience of so many, really helps. So, 100-250 grams of vodka is heated in a water bath. Black and red pepper are added to the glass. A person should drink this mixture in one gulp, eating garlic or a whole lemon.

After that, they necessarily lie down in bed under several layers of blankets. Vodka in such quantity, and even warm, sharply raises body temperature and increases pressure. A person begins to sweat, losing moisture, from which, after 1–3 hours, the temperature drops and normalizes. In this case, ethanol, pepper and antioxidants that are contained in the lemon act as a medicine.

Such a complex is really able to fight the initial stages of colds. Is it possible to drink vodka at a temperature? Only as a medicine, and not at the table with a warm company of friends or relatives. It is also important to understand that the indicator should not exceed 37.3 degrees Celsius. If the value is greater, then any alcohol will only worsen the situation.

Wine and its healing properties

Natural red wine is considered a medicine. One glass at the initial stages of a cold will not save. Mulled wine is being prepared. Red wine is heated over a fire, but boiling is not allowed. Add citrus: lemon, lime, orange; cinnamon, cloves, pepper, spices, honey. This mixture is drunk hot.

Mulled wine helps cure colds

Red wine has powerful antioxidant properties. After alcohol in wine, body temperature rises. In addition, ethanol entered the bloodstream in a heated form, which accelerates all the processes that it causes. Antioxidants in citrus fruits and spices fight viruses. After such a drink, it is better to go to bed and sleep. If you drink mulled wine, as a medicine for the onset of a cold, in a single serving, then the drink can really cure the disease. Body temperature will first rise, and then fall to normal.

Cough beer at a temperature

The recipe for hot beer for cough is known to many. An ordinary can of beer or a store is kept on a battery or heated closed in a water bath. The drink becomes warm, almost hot. It instantly dilates blood vessels, increases the heartbeat, raises body temperature, causing a person to sweat.

It is permissible to drink beer at a temperature not exceeding 37.2 degrees. As a medicine, it promotes the expectoration of phlegm from the lungs, relieving coughs. Warming up the body, the drink increases sweating, which ultimately leads to the normalization of temperature.

Is it possible to drink beer if the indicator is above 37.5 degrees? No, beer is not allowed in this case. And you can not drink it even as a medicine. Alcohol at a high temperature is generally unacceptable. Ethanol enhances the work of the liver and kidneys, pancreas, gallbladder.

Temperature always speaks of increased work of the immune system and bone marrow. Increasing the load also with alcohol, a person risks earning unpleasant consequences.

Consequences of high temperature and alcohol:

• Renal failure. Kidneys in conditions of high temperature perform their work to the limit. If they have to excrete ethanol and liquid, and every alcoholic drink has diuretic properties, the kidneys may not be able to stand it. First, one will shut down, and then the other may stop working. Ultimately, a person can spend his whole life on regular dialysis if he drank alcohol at a high temperature.
• Liver failure. The liver is an organ that itself has a temperature above 37 degrees all the time. If a person has a fever, then the liver heats up to 40 degrees. This indicator is critical, because after that liver failure will begin, as the blood will begin to clot right in the small vessels of the organ. Increasing the load of alcohol, a person literally dooms himself to cirrhosis, hepatitis, liver failure.
• Whether there are colds or not, the organs of the digestive system also become very sensitive to increased stress if the value exceeds 37.5. The stomach is simply unable to properly process ethanol, which lingers in the mucous membranes longer than usual, leading to ulcers and gastritis. The pancreas and gallbladder produce their own enzymes to a greater or lesser extent. This leads to attacks of pancreatitis, which can lead to instant death, depending on the capabilities of the body of a particular person.

The use of alcohol-based cold remedies for children is strictly prohibited.

If a person has alcoholism, then his body temperature rarely rises at all. His brain is no longer able to control the correct functioning of all organs. And even if a virus enters the body, the immune system simply does not recognize it. Some suggest that the body of an alcoholic is so alcoholized that the viruses die there immediately. This is wrong. To disinfect the body, you need to drink much more than a person can bear. Therefore, such a theory is an absolute myth.

Alcoholic beverages are acceptable as a medicine at a body temperature not exceeding 37.3 degrees, which is caused by a cold. If we are talking about inflammatory processes, then alcohol should be excluded and consult a doctor. Above 37.5, ethanol is absolutely unacceptable. Drinking alcohol can lead to kidney, liver failure, attacks of pancreatitis, cirrhosis of the liver.

Is it possible to drink alcohol at a temperature? Medical practice shows what to do categorically not worth it. A temperature indicator of 37-38 degrees clearly indicates that an inflammatory process occurs in the human body, and in this case alcohol contraindicated. If this prohibition is not taken into account, the temperature may rise, and the course of the disease will worsen significantly. You should not use folk advice, there are appropriate medications for the treatment of any inflammatory diseases. In severe cases, you should consult a doctor.

Many folk tips say that if you have a cold, vodka will help you. There are many recommendations, and among the drinks that supposedly help to cope with diseases, you can name such:

• honey tinctures,
• peppers,
• Just wine or vodka.

However, it’s worth pointing out right away that any alcohol has a bad effect on a person’s immunity, reducing it, and if you take alcohol at a temperature of 37 at the first sign of a cold, you will simply create a gap through which harmful microorganisms can enter the body and multiply even more intensively. If the degree of alcohol is lower, if it is beer, for example, the body will also not perceive it as a medicine, rather the opposite.

Why is there this visible effect of relief? Alcohol has an analgesic effect, under its influence, health problems are more easily tolerated. But this is only an appearance - the harm from such a tool is only more. In addition, if you have a cold, you will probably take medicine. And they incompatible with alcohol.

Alcohol tends to raise the temperature even more, and in some people the body works in such a way that it rises high even with a hangover, without illness. And therefore it is worth drawing appropriate conclusions.

Alcohol at temperature and diseases in detail: the opinion of doctors

Is it possible to drink alcohol at a temperature of 37.5, and will it help with a cold? Doctors do not agree with the opinion put forward by traditional medicine, and negative effect confirmed by research. When taking even small doses, immunity is weakened for the next 8 hours - a day, and this gives a great odds for the disease. In addition, it is worth remembering about other nuances:

• You can not take drugs and alcohol either at the same time or with a short period of time. You risk serious consequences for the kidneys, liver,
• Alcohol will delay the disease, giving a gap in the immune system, and if we are talking about taking antibiotics at the same time as alcohol, then the consequences can be completely disastrous,
• Drinking alcohol during illness is fraught with relapses of chronic diseases.

It is for these reasons that you should not drink alcohol at a time when you have a cold, or are experiencing other health problems. If you would like to drink, you should at least wait for recovery, and ideally it would be better to wait a few weeks after the illness, until the body fully recovers.

Thus, alcohol cannot become an assistant in the treatment of diseases - inflammatory, and any others. A weakened body needs help and strengthens the immune system, while alcohol in any dose only causes harm. In order to get rid of a cold, from any inflammatory or other disease, you must consult a doctor, use the medicines prescribed by him and adhere to bed rest - which in any case excludes the intake of alcoholic beverages.

Since ancient times, traditional medicine has often used alcohol in its recipes; alcohol-based healing elixirs are widely used, especially for colds. But often the disease is accompanied by an increase in body temperature, which, however, makes few think about the benefits of such self-treatment. So is it possible to drink alcohol at a high temperature, which is more in such folk methods: harm or benefit?

Alcohol and temperature

Elevated body temperature is not for everyone the reason for refusing to drink alcohol. Someone remains faithful to the old-fashioned methods of treating various kinds of diseases, someone cannot deny themselves the pleasure of "missing" a glass in the company of their loved ones, and some do not even think about the consequences of drinking alcohol.

A thermometer scale that has stepped over 36.6 ° C is not necessarily a cause for concern. For example, doctors do not advise to bring down the temperature until it reaches 38 degrees. Before that, the body must cope with the infection on its own, and by taking antipyretic drugs, we will only interfere with it. But this does not mean that until the mercury line on the thermometer reaches the 38° division, we should not help the body in the fight against the disease. Moreover, the body should not be prevented from fighting a virus or infection. And drinking alcohol at a high temperature, we will harm our health, and possibly increase the duration of the disease.

Why You Shouldn't Drink at High Temperatures

Like it or not, alcohol is a poison for the human body. Of course, like many other types of poison, alcohol can be beneficial in tiny doses, the problem is that most often exceed the allowable rate. And alcohol, even in small quantities, entering the body of a person who is feverish, forces the immune system to wage a double struggle: against the cause of the onset of fever, and against the "alcoholic" poison.

When the temperature is caused by a cold, we probably take medications. Alcohol is incompatible with most drugs. In most drugs, the instructions for use say in black and white not to combine with alcohol. But even if such information is not provided, the combination of alcohol and drugs can lead to unpredictable consequences.

If the body temperature rises, the body experiences severe dehydration, drinking plenty of fluids is simply necessary for a fever. Only this does not apply to alcohol! Alcohol, like high temperature, dehydrates the human body, delaying and complicating the course of the disease. The proof of the effect is the very “dry” known to most lovers of “having a good time”. Moreover, this phenomenon does not depend on the type of alcohol, nor its brand or cost. It is better to resist the temptation to indulge in a glass of "red" or a glass of "little white", and throw all your strength into recovery.

Quite often, alcohol intake at a temperature of 37°, 37.5° 38° provokes an additional increase in it. Moreover, at first the temperature may drop for a while, and then become even higher than it was before drinking alcohol. In general, the reaction of the body with a high body temperature to the intake of alcohol is unpredictable. That, however, does not prevent many lovers from self-medicating with alcohol.

Alcohol also affects a woman's basal body temperature. It can change temperature readings even with a small amount drunk, which will most likely lead to incorrect basal temperature readings.

In addition, the temperature rises not only with colds, a number of dangerous diseases and infectious lesions can cause fever. In this case, taking alcohol is even more dangerous than at a temperature caused by the usual SARS. It is necessary to forget about self-treatment and consult a specialist even if the mark of 39 ° lasts longer than one day.

Sometimes alcohol is used for rubbing at high temperatures. In some cases, alcohol can be harmful even in this form, and it is better to do rubbing with table vinegar.

In what cases can you drink alcohol with a temperature

Yes, sometimes alcohol can benefit a patient with a slightly elevated temperature. It can be used in a certain form and only if the thermometer scale is kept at a division not higher than 37.5 °. At the same time, you must be sure that a small increase is associated with a common cold and is not accompanied by complications.

Beer and cognac at temperature

The situation is similar with the foamy drink. Sometimes you can drink beer with a temperature, but the drink must be very hot so that the alcohol evaporates as much as possible. Beer contains many useful substances, including B vitamins and vitamin C, which is so necessary for our body to fight the disease. Beer, like mulled wine, is heated with spices, and the drink is consumed at the rate of 70 grams per day. If you “use” a liter of foam at a time when the body has thrown all its strength into fighting the virus, the consequences can be extremely unpleasant. A little (40 grams) of cognac added to tea is sometimes allowed to drink at a not very high temperature - up to 37 °.

Sometimes alcohol is taken in microscopic doses during colds to avoid illness and fever.