Summer is in full swing, and so is the temptation to enjoy some cocktails on your favorite patio.
But before one drink leads to three or four, it's important to be mindful of how the summer heat and sunshine can affect the body when mixed with alcohol.
Spending time in the heat for prolonged periods puts people at higher risk for dehydration, and adding alcohol heightens that risk. Alcohol is a diuretic, meaning it causes the body to remove fluids from the blood through the renal system at a faster rate than other liquids. It also reduces the release of vasopressin, a hormone that balances the body’s fluids, according to Cleveland Clinic.
"For every drink you have, have a glass of water," said Dr. Akhil Anand, a Cleveland Clinic addiction psychiatrist. "Try to drink lighter beers or lighter percentage wines, things below 4% [alcohol by volume]."
Anand also recommended eating before consuming any alcohol and taking between-drink breaks, which are a good time to have that glass of water.
"It slows down things so that you don't get too much quickly to your bloodstream," he explained.
Don't forget your sunscreen, either. Day drinking in the sunlight can put people at higher risk for sunburn due to a physiological mechanism, Anand said. Studies have found that alcohol consumption decreases the protection efficiency of the antioxidant network and increases the risk of sunburn in human skin.
Drinkers also may experience disruptions to their sleep schedule, especially if they're day drinking. Having alcohol in the bloodstream at bedtime makes people more likely to experience changes to how the body cycles through the four stages of sleep, according to the Sleep Foundation.
"Drinking makes you more sleepy, obviously, but it also impacts your sleep quality," Anand noted. "And so it could be if you're drinking a lot during the daytime, it could really mess up your sleep cycle at night."
Limiting drinks starts with identifying and avoiding triggers, Anand said. For example, some people may feel compelled to drink more in a social setting with friends.
"Alcohol is ingrained in our culture, and so is patio drinking or daytime drinking, drinking outdoors," Anand said. "Some patients I have talked to, it does trigger them because a lot of times, we drink in social settings and on a patio at a restaurant social setting, so they get enticed."
Anand recommended using a mobile app to track drinks, such as Sunnyside, which was developed with medical experts to help users monitor and visualize their drinking habits. Working with an addiction specialist or similar professional can also help manage drinking habits.
"Have a stop time," Anand added. "Another problem with day drinking is, often times if you're used to nighttime drinking, you can be drinking way too much, and it creeps up on you."
Overall, Anand recommended no more than two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women who don't have a diagnosed alcohol use disorder — the same guidelines that apply all year round.
Anand also emphasized that the effects of drinking stretch beyond a next-day hangover. Alcohol abuse is associated with more than 200 different medical diseases and conditions, including depression, anxiety, dementia, heart disease, liver disease, kidney disease and osteoporosis.
The long-term effects of alcohol abuse depend on a number of personal factors and other medical conditions, like metabolism, heart disease and age, Anand said.
"I never really give a timeline, but if you're drinking every single day and it's causing negative consequences in your life, that's when there's a moment where you probably need to reflect and do something about it," he said.
