Alcoholic drinks are capable of triggering a wide range of allergic and allergic-like responses, including rhinitis, itching, facial swelling, headache, cough and asthma.
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Makes your symptoms worse
Many common cold and flu symptoms are also symptoms of a hangover—a group of unpleasant signs and symptoms that can develop after drinking too much alcohol.5 Even drinking a moderate amount of alcohol can worsen these common cold and flu symptoms:5,6,7
- Headaches and body aches
- Nausea, vomiting, or stomach pain
- Fatigue and weakness
Alcohol can also cause dehydration. According to Dr. Segal, we risk becoming increasingly dehydrated when we consume alcohol, and “being dehydrated can make congestion worse.”
Should you drink alcohol if you’re sick?
Catching a cold can make you feel pretty lousy. The coughing, sneezing, congestion, and other symptoms associated with being sick can make even the simplest of tasks feel exhausting. Making sure to get enough rest, remembering to drink enough water, and taking it easy for a bit are all things that can help you feel better. One thing that may not? Alcohol. “You should not drink alcohol when you have a cold,” says Dr. Robert Segal, Co-Founder of LabFinder. “Your immune system is already weakened when you are sick. Adding alcohol to that equation can only prolong the process of getting better.”
Keep reading to find out why drinking alcohol while sick can prolong and worsen your symptoms.
Alcohol’s effect on your immune system is one reason to avoid drinking while sick. Drinking alcohol can weaken your body’s ability to fight off infection.1 A weakened immune system can make your body more susceptible to getting sick and slow down recovery.2
Another way that drinking alcohol while sick can prolong your recovery is by interrupting your sleep. Your body needs rest to recover from sickness.3 Getting enough sleep is important to feeling better, but drinking alcohol can impair your sleep in a number of ways.4 A glass of wine might help you fall asleep, but alcohol is disruptive to getting a good night’s rest. Alcohol disrupts REM sleep, the most restorative type of sleep, which can leave you feeling groggy in the morning.4 It also turns on a sleep pattern called alpha activity, which keeps your body from getting the deep sleep it needs.4 Not getting enough sleep can make your cold or flu symptoms worse while also prolonging the recovery process.
Is It Okay to Drink Alcohol When You Have a Cold?
FAQ
Why does whiskey make you cough?
Does alcohol make a cough worse?
Is whisky bad for your lungs?
Is whisky good for dry cough?
Is Whiskey Good for a cough?
It’s whiskey, and here’s why science says it’s good for your cough. A Carnegie Mellon study showed that moderate drinkers had increased resistence to viral infections. While booze won’t heal you, small amounts of liquor can help relieve the symptoms of sore throats, muscle pain, congestion and sleeplessness (duh).
What are the disadvantages of having whiskey?
Highest percentage of alcohol in whiskey makes people lose track while drinking it, which lead to alcohol poisoning, which can induce difficulties in breathing, acid reflux and elevated heart rate. People under the influence of alcohol often make rash, risky or illogical decisions that makes them impaired while judging things. Constant abuse of whiskey can lead to damage in metabolism. The prolonged intake of whiskey leads to cirrhosis of liver. Large intake during pregnancy cause spontaneous abortion and mental or physical disabilities for the fetus. Large and regular intake of whiskey can cause stroke, serious injuries of heart muscle, and in some cases death.
Does whiskey affect your throat?
While a glass of this potent drink may feel comforting to some, it can have detrimental effects on the throat as well. These range from relatively rapid changes that take place in the throat after drinking whiskey to gradual changes that take place over years and even decades. Whiskey is one of the strongest alcoholic drinks.
What happens if you drink whiskey?
This can lead to temporary throat dryness and soreness, and possibly a raspy or hoarse voice. Drinking whiskey or other alcoholic beverages can permanently damage the tissues of the mouth, throat, voice box and/or food pipe — or esophagus — over time. This damage sometimes progresses to cancer.