With the arrival of the Spring Festival, various gatherings big and small follow one after another. Getting together with family, friends, colleagues, and acquaintances for meals and drinks has become an indispensable part of the occasion. Although everyone knows that "drinking is harmful to health," and the damage to the liver, stomach, brain, and other organs from getting drunk is particularly significant, major hospitals still see numerous patients with liver and stomach discomfort caused by excessive drinking every year after the festival. Their symptoms are mostly vomiting, pain in the upper right abdomen, poor appetite, fatigue, and weakness. These are often signs of diseases such as gastric bleeding, acute alcoholic liver disease, or alcohol poisoning. In severe cases, it can lead to liver tissue damage, chronic hepatitis, fatty liver, or cirrhosis. Therefore, experts remind readers to step out of the "drinking culture" misconception during the Spring Festival, drink in moderation, and know your limits.
Remember the "Five Don'ts" When Drinking
In addition to moderation, following the "five don'ts" when drinking can also reduce the harm alcohol does to your health.
First, don't drink alcohol with coffee. The main component of coffee is caffeine, which has stimulating, refreshing, and stomach-toning effects. When consumed with alcohol, it can dilate blood vessels, accelerate blood circulation, greatly increase the burden on the cardiovascular system, and even be life-threatening.
Second, people with a cold should avoid drinking. This is because, especially those with a severe cold, often have a fever of varying degrees. Once fever reducers and alcohol mix, the metabolites produced can cause serious damage to the liver.
Third, patients with acute hepatitis, fatty liver, cirrhosis, or liver disease accompanied by diabetes must absolutely avoid drinking.
Fourth, don't drink alcohol with tea. The reason is that about 80% of alcohol is broken down by the liver into water and carbon dioxide and excreted, which is the process of sobering up. This decomposition generally takes 2-4 hours. If you drink tea immediately after drinking, the acetaldehyde in the alcohol will be rapidly excreted through the kidneys, damaging them and reducing their function. Therefore, it's best not to drink tea after alcohol; eating fruits like pears or watermelon is a better choice.
Fifth, a special reminder: avoid taking medication after drinking! Taking medicine after drinking is very harmful.
How to Drink Without Hurting Your Stomach?
It is understood that taking medication after drinking can increase toxic side effects. For example, taking drugs like Furazolidone or Pargyline after alcohol can lead to arrhythmia and high blood pressure. Similarly, taking sedatives, anti-epileptic drugs, antihistamines, or antihypertensives after drinking can both increase the depressive effect on the brain and sharply increase the drug's potency, exceeding the body's normal tolerance and leading to danger.
1. Avoid drinking on an empty stomach: Before drinking, have a glass of milk or yogurt, or a few slices of bread, to avoid irritating the stomach lining.
2. Drink more water: When drinking liquor, drink more water to help the alcohol be excreted through urine more quickly. When drinking beer, go to the restroom frequently. It's best to add ice cubes to strong spirits.
3. Avoid binge drinking: Don't drink too fast or too forcefully. Drink slowly to give your body time to break down the ethanol. Being forced to drink several shots or downing a glass at once on the table can easily lead to intoxication.
4. Eat more green leafy vegetables: While drinking, eat more green leafy vegetables. The antioxidants and vitamins in them can protect the liver.
5. Eat more soy products: While drinking, eat more soy products. The lecithin in them has a protective effect on the liver.
The Great Harm of Long-Term Drinking: Don't Let Alcohol Become a Poison
Generally, drinking less is the best way to avoid harm from alcohol. For a person weighing 60 kg, the daily alcohol intake should be limited to less than 60 grams. People weighing less than 60 kg should reduce this amount accordingly, preferably to around 45 grams. Whether it's liquor, wine, beer, or any other alcoholic beverage, excessive amounts will damage the liver, heart, kidneys, and other organs.
Because different people have different sensitivities to alcohol, a safe dose is relative.
Studies have found that in terms of drinking habits, long-term heavy drinking causes more severe damage to the liver than occasional binge drinking, while the danger of a single binge drinking episode is greater than that of drinking small amounts throughout the day. Patients with acute hepatitis, fatty liver, cirrhosis, or liver disease accompanied by diabetes must absolutely avoid drinking.