Cheers
May 18, 2024
Minutes To Read: 2

Alcoholic Beverages May Be More Effective Than Some Pain-Relieving Drugs

Do you know when you wake up after a night with a few sips and find that your body is full of mysterious purple marks that you don't know where they came from? If you suspect that you didn't even feel the blows because you were a little altered, know that you are probably right.

This may not be new to those who always have their glass in hand, but the fact is that a UK survey last year showed that there is indeed a relationship between alcohol consumption and pain relief.

However, we warn you now: overdoing drinks to treat any kind of pain will do more harm than good, combined?

Is beer better than acetaminophen? Not quite

The study led by Dr. Trevor Thompson looked at 18 previous surveys of 404 participants and found that there is strong evidence that alcohol raises the pain threshold and decreases the perception of pain intensity, making us more tolerant to this sensation.

According to Dr. Thompson's statements to the University of Greenwich, a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08%? result of consuming about 1 liter of beer or two average glasses of wine? would lead to a 24% reduction in pain.

Also read: Does wine help you lose weight: myth or truth?

This effect appears to be similar to that of opioid drugs (morphine derivatives), such as codeine, and superior to paracetamol, as the researcher commented to The Sun. However, Dr. Thomson himself points out that a direct comparison is not yet possible. between alcohol and analgesic drugs due to the limitations of available studies.

Another aspect about this effect of alcohol that is not yet fully understood is its mechanism of action. One hypothesis is that it acts on the same receptors activated by substances as ketamine, a drug used to treat chronic pain and as an anesthetic, which may cause hallucinations in the latter case. Another hypothesis is that alcohol relieves pain simply because it reduces anxiety.

No use of pain to justify drunkenness

As you well know, alcohol has a number of detrimental effects on the health of the person who consumes it and the well-being of the society around it. Thus, the purpose of the research is not to legitimize alcohol ingestion as a form of pain treatment.

Instead, scientists hope that in the future it will be possible to isolate key analgesic components to produce even more powerful pain-relieving new drugs, but without causing the toxic and harmful effects of alcohol.

Also, as Dr. Thompson himself explains, the volume of alcohol needed to relieve this sensation steadily over the long term is already sufficient to compromise the patient's health. This is because this amount of alcohol exceeds the values established by WHO for a moderate consumption (about 660 ml of beer or 200 ml of wine a day, maximum 5 times a week).

Also read: 7 Alcoholic Drinks That Are Bad for the Skin

The study also hypothesizes that the analgesic effect of alcohol may explain the increased risk of addiction among people suffering from chronic pain, drawing attention to the need to offer less health-damaging treatment alternatives.

So, if your idea was to ask for another caipirinha because you have any kind of pain, know that the best option is still to seek medical help to find a solution to the problem without so many side effects.