As the weather warms and the days get longer, many of us head to the nearest body of water and reach for booze when we get there.
There's nothing quite like relaxing in the sun with a beer, seltzer, a hot shot of whiskey, or a poolside margarita. But experts warn that summer fun comes with significant risks.
Ways to stay safe while drinking include avoiding swimming or boating, making sure you're properly hydrated, and monitoring how much you drink.
Avoid water when wetting the whistle with alcohol
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that accidental drownings are on the rise in the United States, so you should be especially careful when drinking water near water sources, especially if you plan on boating or swimming. It's essential.
Dr. Shoshana Ungerleider tells Yahoo Life, “Alcohol impairs judgment, coordination, and reaction speed…Drinking significantly increases the risk of drowning because it impairs your ability to assess your swimming ability, depth, and current. ” he said.
Ungerleider advises sun seekers to avoid swimming after drinking. You should also be especially careful when drinking alcohol on board, as inebriated passengers are more likely to be injured or drown.
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reports that alcohol may be involved in 60% of fatal boating accidents.
Experts say you should never boat with anyone who is under the influence. According to the Coast Guard, boat operators with blood alcohol levels above 0.10 percent are 10 times more likely to die in a boating accident than sober captains.
Hydrate to rule, snack to survive
Alcohol is a diuretic, and as anyone who has ever “broken the seal” can attest, alcohol causes our bodies to drain water faster, causing dehydration.
Combining these diuretic effects with intense sunlight creates a double threat that can easily send us into heat exhaustion and heatstroke territory. These symptoms include dizziness, fainting, and headaches.
Dr. David Dayhimy, an addiction medicine expert and anesthesiologist, provided Yahoo Life with several strategies for dealing with dehydration and sunstroke.
He recommends hydrating with non-alcoholic beverages before consuming alcohol, eating a large meal before drinking, and applying sunscreen before going out.
After your first sip, protect your health by staying in the shade, diluting alcoholic drinks with juice or water, snacking throughout the day to slow your body's absorption of alcohol, and alternating between boozy and NA drinks. can do.
continue to monitor tnipple
The CDC advises that men limit alcoholic beverages to two drinks a day, and women should drink no more than one drink.
Furthermore, binge drinking is defined as drinking 5 or more standard drinks (for men) or 4 or more (for women) within a 2-hour period.
It's always hard to stay within your limit, but especially when drinking during the day in the summer, it's important to keep track of your intake as you'll be pouring drinks from pitchers and replacing half-empty warm beers with cold beers. becomes difficult.
By being aware of how far back you are, you can protect yourself from soul-crushing hangovers in the near future and serious health risks in the long term.