In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theory, the human body is an organic whole, with all internal organs, meridians, and collaterals interconnected and working in concert. Alcohol is warm and hot in nature. Once it enters the body, it rapidly affects the flow of qi and blood as well as the functions of internal organs. When a person is drunk, the body’s balanced and harmonious state is disrupted. At this time, engaging in some inappropriate behaviors can easily cause harm to health. From the perspective of TCM health preservation, there are five things that are not recommended after getting drunk.
- Do not take a bath immediately
TCM believes that after getting drunk, qi and blood tend to rush to the head and face. As a result, there is relatively insufficient qi and blood on the body’s surface. Taking a bath at this time, whether it is a hot bath or a cold bath, is not good for health. When you take a hot bath, the warm water will further dilate the blood vessels on the body’s surface. More qi and blood will flow to the surface. This reduces the supply of qi and blood to vital organs like the brain and heart. It can easily lead to symptoms such as dizziness, palpitations, and even fainting. When taking a cold bath, the blood vessels on the body’s surface will suddenly constrict. This obstructs the normal flow of qi and blood, allowing cold pathogens to invade. Since cold is characterized by contraction, it can make the meridians tense. This may cause muscle soreness and joint pain. It can also affect the growth of yang qi and damage the body’s yang qi. Over time, your constitution may become weaker. - Avoid going to sleep immediately
Many people feel sleepy after getting drunk and want to go to sleep right away. However, from the perspective of TCM, it is not a good idea to fall asleep immediately after getting drunk. After alcohol enters the body, the spleen and stomach are responsible for digestion and absorption, while the liver is in charge of metabolism. When you are drunk, the functions of the spleen and stomach are inhibited, and your digestive ability weakens. If you go to sleep immediately, the body’s metabolism slows down. The rate of alcohol metabolism in the body also decreases. A large amount of alcohol and its metabolites will accumulate in the body. This increases the burden on the liver and the digestive and absorptive functions of the spleen and stomach. Moreover, vomiting is common after getting drunk. If you go to sleep immediately when you are unconscious, vomit can easily block the airway. This poses a risk of asphyxiation and endangers life safety. - Do not take hangover pills
Some hangover pills on the market aim to accelerate alcohol metabolism and relieve drunk symptoms. However, from the concept of TCM health preservation, most of these medications are cold in nature or contain irritating ingredients. After getting drunk, the spleen and stomach are already weakened. Taking hangover pills at this time makes the situation worse. Medications with a cold nature can damage the yang qi of the spleen and stomach. They affect the normal digestive and absorptive functions of the spleen and stomach, leading to deficiency-cold of the spleen and stomach. This causes symptoms such as abdominal pain and diarrhea. At the same time, these medications may interfere with the body’s own alcohol metabolism and regulation mechanism. They disrupt the body’s natural balance. Long-term reliance on hangover pills is not good for the body’s normal adaptation and regulation ability to alcohol. - Do not engage in strenuous exercise
TCM emphasizes that “movement generates yang.” But strenuous exercise is not suitable after getting drunk. After getting drunk, the flow of qi and blood is disordered. The functions of internal organs are out of balance, and the body is in an unstable state. During strenuous exercise, the heart rate increases, and blood pressure rises. This increases the burden on the heart and blood vessels. In addition, the body’s consumption during exercise increases. It further depletes the body’s vital qi and makes qi and blood weaker. What’s more, after getting drunk, the body’s sense of balance and coordination decreases. Strenuous exercise can easily lead to falls and injuries, causing direct harm to the body. - Do not drink a large amount of cold beverages
Alcohol is warm and hot in nature. After getting drunk, a large amount of heat accumulates in the body. Many people feel hot at this time and want to relieve the discomfort by drinking cold beverages. But from the perspective of TCM, this practice is very harmful. Cold beverages are cold in nature. Once they enter the body, they conflict with the internal heat, creating a situation of “intermingled cold and heat.” On one hand, cold beverages can damage the yang qi of the spleen and stomach. This leads to abnormal digestive and absorptive functions of the spleen and stomach, causing symptoms such as indigestion, stomach bloating, and stomachache. On the other hand, cold beverages can also stagnate the qi and blood in the body. They affect the normal circulation of qi and blood, resulting in blocked meridians. This can cause limb soreness, numbness, and other problems.
TCM health preservation focuses on conforming to nature, harmonizing yin and yang, and nourishing the vital qi. After getting drunk, the body’s internal environment changes, and we need to be more cautious. Avoiding the above-mentioned five things and giving the body enough time and space to restore balance and health is the correct way of health preservation.