Can A Hangover Cause A Fever?

The Causes And Symptoms of A Fever After Drinking Alcohol

Using alcohol comes with many surprising symptoms, but can a hangover cause a fever?

That’s a question you may have been asking yourself, and the answer is that hangovers and alcohol withdrawal will not directly cause a fever. However, hangover symptoms can be wide-ranging and long-lasting, so it’s important to know what is connected to drinking and what may be caused by something else going on with your health, and our resource will delve into all the details you need to know.

Of course, alcohol consumption can easily cross over into a dangerous area where it starts to have far more powerful impacts on your life than just hangover symptoms. If you have been concerned about your own drinking habits or are worried about a loved one, it’s always smart to reach out for help.

The team here at Purpose Healing Center can effectively treat alcohol use disorder with a range of therapy options based on your specific situation.

Take the first step toward recovery by calling for help today. You will talk with a friendly admissions coordinator who will get to know your needs, and we will build a custom treatment plan that is designed to lead you directly toward lasting recovery.

What are the Most Common Hangover Symptoms?

There are a number of common symptoms that come along with a hangover after consuming alcohol. Anyone who has consumed alcohol in the past will likely be familiar with some of these symptoms, or perhaps all of them.

• Headache and sensitivity to light or sound
• Fatigue and difficulty concentrating
• Nausea, vomiting, or stomach upset
• Increased thirst and dehydration
• Dizziness or shakiness
• Mood changes such as irritability or anxiety

A hangover is simply your body’s response to alcohol leaving your system. As the alcohol leaves, it creates toxic byproducts that lead to some of these uncomfortable symptoms. Generally, you don’t need to seek medical attention for a hangover, as it will clear up with time.

Drinking plenty of fluids to avoid severe dehydration is a good idea, and if any severe symptoms of alcohol withdrawal do come up, be sure to seek immediate medical attention.

So, Can a Hangover Cause a Fever?

As we touched on briefly above, a hangover does not cause a fever directly. A hangover on its own is usually not considered to be a cause of a fever. With a fever, the body’s temperature has risen above a normal level, and that usually happens in response to an infection or inflammation. So, a fever is not really something that is going to be triggered by a hangover alone.

With that said, these things can be indirectly related. If you do wind up experiencing a fever in the days after heavy drinking, it could be for one of the following reasons.

Alcohol Weakens the Immune System

Drinking alcohol reduces the power of your immune system significantly. It’s the job of your immune system to fight off disease, and when it is compromised, you will be more likely to pick up an illness. So, it might be that something like the flu is at the heart of your fever, but you could have gotten the flu because your drinking lowered the ability of your immune system to fight it off.

Many people who suffer from alcohol abuse often wind up getting sick because of this factor. Alcohol addiction treatment will not only improve your health by avoiding the harms of alcohol directly, but it will also allow your immune system to work as it should in the future.

Dehydration and Inflammation

When you drink alcohol, water is pulled out of your system. This leads to a state of dehydration. It’s a tricky thing, because people who have alcoholic drinks don’t feel like they are getting dehydrated along the way, but that’s exactly what’s happening. If it goes far enough, dehydration can even become a medical emergency.

Sometimes, there will be an inflammatory response associated with dehydration that leaves you feeling like you have a fever. These fever-like symptoms aren’t the same as what you’ll get with the flu or another illness, but they can be quite uncomfortable just the same. As mentioned above, you should seek medical attention if you are dehydrated to the point that it is causing seriously uncomfortable, concerning symptoms.

Alcohol Poisoning

It’s possible for an elevated body temperature to be associated with alcohol poisoning. This isn’t likely to be the case after moderate drinking, but it’s certainly possible after heavy drinking for an extended period. If you are facing this situation after consuming many alcoholic drinks, you are in an emergency and need to get help right away.

The fever that can come with alcohol poisoning may also present with confusion, vomiting, and a fast heartbeat. When alcohol intake leads to these symptoms, it can become life-threatening. Specifically, persistent vomiting can lead to a dangerous level of dehydration, and you may be experiencing dramatic blood sugar fluctuations, as well.

Coexisting Conditions

You should also be aware that your fever after drinking alcohol might be a little more than a coincidence. For example, you may already have a viral infection that led to the fever, and it just so happened that you drank and became hungover at the same time. That illness can intensify hangover symptoms and make you feel even worse than you would have otherwise.

Regardless of your specific situation, you never want to ignore fever symptoms. Whatever the root cause may be, an elevated body temperature is dangerous, especially if it gets particularly high or stays high for a long time. In this state, stop consuming any alcoholic beverages and make sure to get help if your condition continues to decline.

Why You Might Feel Hot After Drinking Alcohol

Feeling hot is not the same thing as having a fever. When blood alcohol levels rise, blood vessels near the surface of the skin will be dilated. That can lead to the sensation of warmth, even though it isn’t a true fever and your core body temperature isn’t really rising in any notable way.

You’ll also notice that your body isn’t as good at regulating its temperature when you have been drinking alcohol. Sometimes, you might feel warm in a cold room, or you might feel cold in a warn place. The alcohol has simply messed with your body’s ability to control itself as it would normally, so you can’t really “trust” what you are feeling in terms of being a true indication of a fever.

Should You Worry About a Fever After Drinking?

In many cases, yes. While feeling slightly warm after drinking is normal and not really a true fever, it’s possible that you could be quite sick and in need of medical attention. It’s always better to get help too early than wait around only to find that you become very ill later and are in need of emergency care.

Some of the signs that something serious is going on and you need to get assistance are listed below.

• A fever above 101°F that doesn’t resolve itself and start to go down with rest or fluids
• Severe nausea and vomiting that prevent you from getting hydrated
• Chest pain, shortness of breath, or a racing heartbeat
• Fever combined with abdominal pain, which could point to liver inflammation or an infection

You should trust your gut instinct in this situation and get help if something just doesn’t seem right. Most likely, this isn’t the first time you’ve been hungover, so if it seems noticeably different from how it did in the past, that’s reason enough to call a doctor or visit an emergency room.

Once you have been treated for the symptoms that are most urgent, you can then take a step back to think about the situation and figure out if your relationship with alcohol needs to change.

When a Hangover is a Warning Sign of a Drinking Problem

Many people drink occasionally and wind up with a hangover the next morning. As an isolated event, that’s not necessarily a big deal, and might not be anything to worry about in the bigger picture. It’s possible, however, that your hangovers could be pointing to a greater pattern that needs to be acknowledged and addressed as soon as possible.

For one thing, if your hangovers are lasting more than 24 hours, that’s a worrisome sign. It likely means that you are drinking very heavily, and it is taking a long time for that alcohol to work its way out of your system. Also, if you have blackouts or memory gaps from a night of drinking alcohol, that’s another indication that your drinking may need to be addressed in the form of professional treatment.

One other warning sign of a drinking problem is when you continue to drink extensively while enduring negative consequences. This is when you might hear people talk of drinking going from being a fun activity to a genuine problem. If you are drinking despite it doing harm to your finances, relationships, or overall physical health, consider reaching out for treatment right away.

Don’t Ignore Alcohol Hangover Symptoms

Your hangover is trying to tell you something. It’s your body rebelling against the way it has been treated. Instead of seeing a hangover as something to just deal with, you can view it as a sign of alcohol addiction and a reason to reach out and get help.

The right partner can make all the difference in this journey. Purpose Healing Center is a medical detox facility that is JCAHO-accredited and staffed by a team of understanding, experienced professionals. You won’t be alone in this battle any longer when you reach out to us for help. Make today the day that you turn over a new page and take your life in an exciting direction, free from worries about hangovers!