Many people today cannot imagine the possibility of going to a bathhouse and not drinking alcohol there. The “tradition” of drinking alcohol in a bathhouse or sauna lives quite strongly in the popular consciousness. But all doctors are sounding the alarm about this - it is highly not recommended to drink alcohol while taking bath procedures. If your health worsens, it is recommended to immediately contact an alcoholism treatment service.
How can baths and saunas help with a hangover?
The next day, when drinking alcohol excessively, a person often experiences severe headache, nausea, dizziness, vomiting and general weakness. Alcohol in large quantities causes dehydration. Ethyl alcohol also has a negative effect on the kidneys and liver.
Due to alcohol poisoning, almost all body systems are affected. Ethanol tends to dilate blood vessels, however, after some time, they narrow. This reverse effect causes an increase in blood pressure (blood pressure) and heart rhythm disturbances.
While staying in a sauna or steam bath:
- metabolic processes are accelerated;
- blood circulation improves;
- fluid balance is normalized;
- sweating increases;
- swelling is eliminated;
- pores are cleaned;
- Excess lactic acid is removed.
Under the influence of steam, some types of harmful microorganisms die on the body. All processes that the procedure activates help remove toxins and normalize the general condition. The steam room also improves your mood. Its effects help both relax and tone muscles.
How long after a bath can you drink alcohol?
Bath procedures in their classic sense for Russian people are not only about washing. A bathhouse is, first of all, a steam room. Because of this, the load on the human body increases sharply.
Thus, the temperature in the steam room of a Russian bath reaches 70 degrees with a humidity of 90%, and for a Finnish sauna, with a humidity of 15%, 100 degrees is not the limit. Naturally, for the body such a regime is, albeit pleasant, but still a serious test.
Dilatation of blood vessels in the brain, work of internal organs in extreme mode - all the symptoms of heavy physical activity are evident.
If we draw an analogy between drinking after a bath and eating after active physical activity, the conclusion follows: you can drink alcohol one and a half to two hours after the bath, when the body has cooled down, the functioning of the internal organs has normalized, and the condition of the blood vessels has returned to normal.
How to properly deal with a hangover?
What a bath will do for a hangover: harm or benefit - depends only on whether you follow a list of simple rules.
It is advisable to get a good night's sleep, as the procedure will be harmful if you are intoxicated. 1-2 hours after waking up is the best time for a session.
During the anti-hangover procedure, it is necessary to choose the right place in the steam room and body position. In case of alcohol intoxication, it is better to place yourself on the shelf with the lowest temperature. It is advisable to take a horizontal position, which will reduce the load on the heart. The correct position will help relax the muscles.
With your legs down, you are likely to get heatstroke, since the temperature at the level of the lower extremities is 15-20 degrees lower than at the level of the head.
The steam room should be avoided by people who have been drinking for a long time.
In the bath
Before the procedure, you should take a contrast shower or simply douse yourself with warm and cold water alternately. The time spent in the bathhouse should be separated by breaks.
The following option is recommended:
- first entry – no more than 5 minutes;
- the second – about 10 minutes;
- the third is a quarter of an hour.
You should rest during breaks - forceful exercise and active movements can be harmful. In the intervals between steam rooms, herbal tea would be an ideal drink. You should drink more during this period. In addition to herbal compositions, fruit drinks, mineral water, various decoctions and citrus juices are also suitable.
After the procedure, you must eat. In order to enhance the healing effect of the steam room, you need to choose the right food. After the bath, the ideal option would be vegetable soup or light fish broth. It is best to choose fruit as a dessert. They will help make up for the losses caused by alcohol poisoning.
In sauna
Just as in the case of a bath, it is recommended to take a shower before starting the procedure. It is contraindicated to wet your head before the steam room, otherwise there is a high risk of overheating.
The procedure is performed according to the following scheme:
- The first run is 3-4 minutes. After this, you need to take a cool shower and rest for 15-20 minutes.
- Second run – 10 minutes. At the end of the session, you need to wash yourself again with cool water. Next, you need to take a break again for half an hour.
It is recommended to constantly listen to your condition. If desired, you can repeat several more cycles. After the steam room, you should wash your skin well. You can get dressed only after your body temperature has returned to normal.
The total time spent in the sauna should not exceed 3 hours.
Why is it not recommended to drink alcohol in a bathhouse?
“Where there is a bathhouse, there is vodka,” says an old Russian proverb. For some reason, no one drinks wine or vodka while washing in the shower. A normal person is unlikely to drink alcohol during a massage procedure.
But the bathhouse is practically synonymous with alcoholic drinks. Of course, a bathhouse is not a massage room, where you can get a reprimand about an alcoholic smell, albeit slight. However, there are objective reasons why you should not drink in a bathhouse:
- alcohol reduces attention and there is a danger of injury by slipping on a wet bath floor;
- Drinking alcohol increases your heart rate and increases your blood pressure. This state of the body when visiting a steam room with a high temperature can lead to sad, even fatal consequences.
If the bathhouse is public and not private, then drinking alcohol in it is generally prohibited - a fine for drinking alcohol may be added to alcohol intoxication.
Contraindications
There are several contraindications to the steam room. In some cases, high temperature can have a detrimental effect on a person's condition.
Therefore, a bath or sauna is not recommended for:
- high blood pressure (above 140/90);
- increased heart rate (more than 110 beats per minute);
- pathologies of the heart muscle and circulatory system;
- alcohol addiction.
If your condition worsens during the procedure, you should immediately go to a room with a normal temperature. After 30-45 minutes, the general condition should return to normal. If there is no improvement, you should definitely consult a doctor.
Carbonated water is a taboo for a bath
Mineral water with gas, “colored soda” and store-bought kvass - this is not the entire list of products that are also not recommended for relaxing in a steam room. All of them are saturated with carbon dioxide, and in the bathhouse, as you know, there is an acute lack of oxygen.
It turns out that the body is exposed to an excess of carbon dioxide. The brain sends signals to get more oxygen. And in order for the blood to supply oxygen to the organs, increased work of the heart is necessary. The result is a rapid pulse, active heartbeat, loss of strength, and fainting.
Kvass purchased in stores is not recommended for use in a steam room for the same reason - increased carbon dioxide content can provoke negative consequences. And fermentation products can have a negative impact on the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
What alcohol should you not drink in the bathhouse?
The first rule: you cannot start drinking immediately after leaving the steam room - the body must cool down.
You should not drink really strong alcoholic drinks: rum, Armagnac or whiskey. Strong alcohol, 45% or more, will continue the process of dehydration of the body started in the bathhouse.
There is no need to drink champagne - you will not quench your thirst, and the alcohol carried by the gas bubbles will be instantly absorbed into the blood.
It is not recommended to drink very cold, ice-cold drinks - they increase the load on the cardiovascular system.
When can you drink beer?
When visiting a bathhouse, beer is not harmful, but useful as an inhalation agent. A drink diluted with water and splashed onto the stones instantly spreads the aroma of freshly baked bread. The hop bitterness of beer will calm the nerves, quench pain, and relieve colds. The vapors from the drink prevent the growth of bacteria and are an antiseptic.
When time passes and the body cools down, beer after a bath will bring special pleasure. An amber drink, rich in microelements, amino acids, vitamins B and P, activates metabolism and rejuvenates skin cells. After a bath, drinking a glass of beer is useful for people suffering from gastritis.
One glass (no more) will free the stomach from excess mucus and dry it out. It is useful to make a face mask from the cool foam of a live drink, which will improve blood flow, increase skin elasticity, and close pores. When you rinse your hair with beer, dandruff disappears, a natural shine and silkiness appear.
Your Narcologist: The basic principle of a healthy bath
The first chronicle of the ancient Slavs, “The Tale of Bygone Years,” established the purpose of a healthy bath: to cleanse the body of dirt and the head of bad thoughts. Nine centuries have passed, but the basic principles have not changed. The bath is needed for relaxation and cleansing. It eliminates harmful toxins and waste, normalizes blood circulation, enhances metabolic processes, and improves skin condition. The nervous system will calm down, fatigue will go away, and peace of mind will return.
Bath procedures help improve health and relieve stress. The healing properties and healing effect disappear when drinking alcohol before or after the bath. Replacing alcohol with healthy drinks based on natural ingredients will fill the body with health, lightness and satisfaction.
How to visit a health bath
Ideally, visiting such places is done in order to relieve the tension accumulated over the week, to cleanse the body not only from the outside, but also from the inside. Hot steam helps cleanse the body of waste and toxins, this happens due to increased sweating.
This process must occur without the influence of alcohol. Alcohol can mix up all processes and put increased stress on internal organs. Alcohol itself is a toxic poison for humans, and the steam-enhanced detoxification process overloads the liver and kidneys.
If you really really want to go to the bathhouse and have a drink, it is advisable to space these events out as far apart as possible. In this case, the steam room should come first, and drinking alcohol should come second.
Allowed drinks in the steam room
In the sauna itself you can drink several types of liquid. At the same time, it is not forbidden to combine it for a better therapeutic effect.
Black and green teas
According to doctors' recommendations, one of the best options for quenching thirst and restoring water balance is tea. You can drink it at any stage of the procedure without fear of harming your body. You can drink black and green teas, it all depends on what effect you want to achieve.
- Regular black tea invigorates well, relieves drowsiness and increases sweating. Moreover, even with heart disease, it does not have a negative effect on blood vessels.
- To cool down a little, it is better to drink tea at room temperature. If you want to speed up the elimination of waste and toxins, then a warm drink will do. A single serving should not exceed 200-250 ml of liquid.
Green tea lovers can also indulge in the pleasure of enjoying a cup of the drink between trips to the steam room. This product is especially useful for removing harmful substances, as it significantly increases lymph flow and sweating.
At the same time, an anti-inflammatory effect will be provided, the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, and central nervous system will improve.
If you want to relax more, you can add a little honey to the bowl. It will not only have a calming effect, but will also enhance the beneficial effects of green tea.
To increase strength and vigor, and improve immunity, adding a small piece of ginger root to the drink is an excellent option. In addition, such a product will be an excellent prevention of colds.
To enhance the release of toxins from the body, add a small slice of lemon. But it is better to drink such a drink only if there are no problems with the gastrointestinal tract.
Attention! Green tea in a steam room should not be consumed by people suffering from heart disease and arterial hypertension. Taking it leads to a rapid increase in blood pressure.
Herbal infusions and decoctions
This type of drink is considered one of the healthiest, although not so popular among lovers of hot steam.
Herbal infusions and decoctions are several times superior in their benefits to ordinary black and green teas, and additionally have a healing effect. At the same time, the biochemical balance is restored, the functioning of internal organs improves, sweating and the removal of toxic substances increase.
Attention! To get the maximum vitamins and benefits from medicinal herbs and berries, it is better to give preference to infusions. In them, products are less processed and retain most of the vitamins and minerals.
An ideal option would be to use decoctions and infusions made from chamomile, mint, thyme, linden, viburnum, and rose hips. They can be combined or steamed separately. Each component will have its own effect.
For a tonic effect, it is better to brew blueberry, lingonberry and rosehip leaves. It is also allowed to add their fruits. Additionally, your immunity will increase, your mood and physical condition will improve.
For a calming effect and restoration of the nervous system, it is better to drink decoctions based on chamomile, lemon balm and St. John's wort. These herbs also reduce muscle pain, normalize blood pressure, and eliminate inflammation.
If you are prone to colds or for their prevention, breastfeeding is perfect. They are prepared on the basis of coltsfoot leaves or licorice root.
To enhance the release of sweat, diaphoretic infusions are used. To do this, infuse or boil the leaves and inflorescences of raspberries, linden, and blackberries.
Attention! Diaphoretic teas also strengthen the urinary system. This should be taken into account in case of kidney and bladder diseases.
Berry fruit drinks and compotes
A universal option that will suit almost anyone, including children. It is recommended to prepare fruit drinks and compotes from wild berries: lingonberries, cranberries, blueberries or blueberries. They perfectly quench the feeling of thirst, tone up, give vigor, and also saturate the body with useful microelements, which also come out with sweat.
Compote made from sweet and sour apples and gooseberries will also quench your thirst perfectly and will not harm the body. But such drinks can cause fermentation processes at high temperatures if there is a history of gastrointestinal diseases.
Attention! The undoubted benefit of cranberry and lingonberry fruit drinks is the presence of flavonoids in them. They are natural antioxidants that can protect against the appearance of malignant tumors.
Plain water
This product is always needed by the body and is the most natural for it; moreover, it is suitable for adults, children and those suffering from diseases of the heart and gastrointestinal tract. Pure water instantly restores the necessary balance of minerals and salts, invigorates and completely quenches thirst.
At the same time, waste and toxins are removed, and the functioning of all organs improves. So, if mineral water should not be drunk for diseases of the genitourinary system, then ordinary water in this sense will not harm, but will only improve the condition of the affected system.
Expert opinion
Yaremchuk Svetlana Sergeevna
The owner of a SPA salon knows everything about beauty treatments
Under no circumstances should you simply drink distilled water. It will only do harm by accelerating the removal of salts, minerals and beneficial microelements!
The cardiovascular system
Let's start with the vessels. Their walls are elastic. Depending on the situation, the diameter of the vessel can increase or decrease. When warm, blood vessels dilate. This means that the total volume increases, and the greater the volume, the harder the heart must work to deliver blood to the organs and tissues. This means that your heart rate also increases. The load is there, right? Now we need to remember that alcohol acts
on blood vessels in such a way that after the phase of their expansion, a phase of their narrowing necessarily begins. The bath expands the blood vessels, alcohol narrows them. The body does not really understand what needs to be done and may become “offended.”
What happens to the nervous system
Due to the fact that the volume of oxygen in the steam room gradually decreases, the supply of this element to the brain deteriorates, and it begins to work much more slowly than under normal conditions. In this case, the central nervous system begins to experience increased stress, trying to ensure the normal functioning of the body, regardless of external conditions.
Alcohol, which inhibits the central nervous system, further aggravates the current situation. What happens to the urinary system? A long stay in a steam room is fraught with a decrease in blood flow to the kidneys and a decrease in urine formation. Just a third of an hour in the steam room is enough for the kidneys to stop urine production, and the duration of this effect can be about 6 hours.
Thus, the level of ethyl aldehyde, formed after the breakdown of alcohol, increases, which leads to headaches and other symptoms of a hangover.
