Can you drink alcohol when you have heatstroke?

Under normal circumstances, one must not drink alcohol when suffering from heatstroke. Alcohol can worsen heatstroke symptoms and may lead to more serious health problems such as dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. The detailed explanation is as follows:

Alcohol has a diuretic effect, accelerating the body's fluid loss. When experiencing heatstroke, the body is already dehydrated due to excessive sweating; drinking alcohol further exacerbates dehydration, intensifying symptoms such as dry mouth, dizziness, and fatigue, and may even trigger shock. Moreover, alcohol causes blood vessel dilation. Although this might initially create a sensation of reduced body heat, it subsequently leads to excessive heat loss, disrupting the body’s normal temperature regulation mechanism, causing abnormal fluctuations in core body temperature, and increasing the burden on the heart. During heatstroke, the heart is already under stress, and vasodilation further increases the strain on cardiac blood supply.

In addition, alcohol impairs nervous system function, potentially masking severe symptoms of heatstroke—such as confusion and impaired judgment—leading patients to overlook their condition and delay medical treatment. It may also worsen accompanying symptoms like nausea and vomiting, making recovery more difficult.

Therefore, upon experiencing heatstroke, one should immediately move to a cool environment, rehydrate with lukewarm water or light saline solution to restore fluids and electrolytes, and seek medical attention if necessary. Alcohol consumption should also be avoided during the recovery period to promote full recovery.