{"id":2129,"date":"2022-07-15T15:43:48","date_gmt":"2022-07-15T15:43:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.tcysapc.org\/?p=2129"},"modified":"2022-07-15T15:43:48","modified_gmt":"2022-07-15T15:43:48","slug":"its-hot-outside-the-risk-of-mixing-alcohol-and-summer-heat-can-be-deadly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tcysapc.org\/?p=2129","title":{"rendered":"It’s HOT outside …. The risk of mixing alcohol and Summer heat can be deadly"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"TWGMixing alcohol with the blaze of intense Southern heat can be a dangerous combo. <\/span>Warm weather makes people want to be outside, congregate with friends and grab an adult beverage from the cooler as a refreshment. But paired with the extreme Texas heat and humidity, excessive alcohol intake can lead to significant health concerns, like severe dehydration and even hospitalization if not monitored.<\/p>\n

University of Alabama at Birmingham<\/a> experts provide tips on how to stay aware, safe and hydrated when attending major sporting events in our area, particularly concerning the consumption of alcohol when outdoors under the strong July sun.<\/p>\n

Hydration with alcohol = dehydration<\/h4>\n

\"TheTo combat the potential harms of alcohol consumption and hot temperatures, drinking enough fluids is one of the most important things one can do to prevent heat-related illness and dehydration<\/strong>, according to Ksenia Blinnikova<\/a>,\u00a0M.D., an assistant professor in the UAB Department of Family and Community Medicine<\/a>. She notes that an easy way to continue to alternate and include water in one\u2019s routine in the heat is to\u00a0carry a bottle of water with them everywhere they go.<\/p>\n

\u201cAn easy rule of thumb is to drink 1 milliliter of fluids for every calorie consumed,\u201d Blinnikova said. \u201cIn other words, if you eat 2,000 calories per day, then you should drink 2,000 milliliters of fluids per day, which equals 68 ounces. To help you determine the exact amount you should be drinking per day, I recommend talking with your primary care provider.\u201d \u00a0 For those who do not enjoy drinking plain water, Blinnikova says drinking flavored or sparkling water with flavoring additives is also a way to stay hydrated.<\/p>\n

Just like alternating alcoholic drinks with water to maintain hydration, Blinnikova notes that it is important to steer from caffeinated beverages and beverages with added sugar that only add extra dehydration risks to the mix.<\/p>\n

The Summertime can be hot and humid. Grabbing a cold beer or making a cold alcoholic beverage may make a person feel as though they are hydrating; but that false sense of security could actually dehydrate a person instead<\/strong>, which can lead to negative effects like alcohol poisoning or becoming unconscious.<\/p>\n

As people feel thirstier, they may reach for another alcoholic drink rather than alternating with a hydrating drink like plain water. What is more, continuous consumption of alcoholic beverages can make someone feel fuller faster without supplementing food and\/or water to actually keep them nourished.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlcohol notoriously can make someone feel full, but we really caution people to not mistake feeling full and having fun with signs of dehydration and eating proper filling meals,\u201d Nafziger urged.<\/p>\n

Per the\u00a0National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism<\/a>, binge drinking is categorized by four drinks in two hours for women and five drinks in two hours for men; a standard drink is a 12-ounce beer, 8 ounces of malt liquor, a 5-ounce glass of wine or a 1.5-ounce shot of liquor.<\/p>\n

If a person finds themselves drinking in excess, alcohol poisoning could occur. Signs of alcohol poisoning include:<\/p>\n