During the carnival season, alcohol is simply part of the party. Whether it’s the welcome Prosecco to toast, the colorful schnapps during the carnival parade or the seductive cocktail at the carnival party in the evening. There’s always an opportunity for a sip or two when celebrating. But if you drink too much alcohol, the next day after partying you usually have a huge thirst for more, which is not exactly harmless.
Increased alcohol dries out
In the morning after partying, the mouth is dry and the tongue seems almost stuck to the palate. A vehement feeling of thirst sets in. The body has absorbed a lot of fluid the night before. However, if the drinks were alcoholic, this does not help the metabolism too much, because the alcohol it contains dries out the body from the inside, so to speak. And this is bad for your health. Alcohol has a dehydrating effect. Every alcoholic drink contributes to dehydration med.: Volumenmangel der extrazellulären Flüssigkeit, u.a. des Blutplasmas – dem Körper wird weniger Flüssigkeit zugef... of the body. The intensity of this can vary considerably. Factors such as physical condition, body weight and the alcohol content of the respective drinks play a role. The diuretic effect usually sets in after just a few drinks.
Inhibition of the antidiuretic hormone
Increased consumption of alcoholic beverages causes the body to increase the amount of urine it produces. Water and important minerals are also flushed out. The effect can be described as a hormonal process in the body. The so-called antidiuretic hormone (ADH) of the pituitary gland is inhibited by alcohol. This hormone is mainly released during sleep at night. Primary urine is continuously formed in the kidneys through normal metabolic processes. Water is recovered from this primary urine through the release of ADH. The hormone therefore influences the amount of urine excreted.
How the feeling of thirst arises
The antidiuretic hormone works during sleep. This means that people do not normally need to go to the toilet so often at night to urinate. Increased alcohol prevents the hormone from working as usual. This increases the amount of urine. The amount of fluid available to the body is reduced. This also has a direct effect on the reduction in blood volume. Perceptible headaches develop. The body tries to compensate for this – for it threatening – situation with a strong feeling of thirst, in the hope that the thirst will be quenched immediately.
Holiday heart syndrome due to increased alcohol consumption
Circulation can only be maintained in a body with a reduced blood volume by increasing the heart rate. In addition to the loss of water, the body also loses important minerals such as potassium and magnesium due to the increased amount of urine. If these losses are massive, additional beats of the heart can occur. Heart stumbling or atrial fibrillation are the result. Holiday heart syndrome is often reported after very heavy drinking. Anyone who has celebrated heavily with alcohol at the weekend and does not promptly and comprehensively compensate for the loss of water and minerals will usually still suffer from cardiac arrhythmia on Mondays. These usually normalize in a healthy adult after one to two days.
A tip for celebrating without regrets: If you don’t want to do without alcoholic drinks when partying, you should drink a glass of water with every glass of alcohol. It is best to choose a mineral water that is rich in potassium and magnesium. Apple juice spritzer, isotonic sports drinks or a warm broth containing minerals can also positively support the metabolism with water and minerals.
