What Is a Hangover Fever? Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment

Headaches, nausea, fatigue, and sensitivity to light are common symptoms of an alcohol-induced hangover.

However, some people also experience fever-like symptoms such as chills, a slightly elevated body temperature, body aches, and digestive issues like constipation or diarrhea.

This condition is sometimes referred to as a “hangover fever” and is the body’s response to dehydration, inflammation, poor sleep, and the toxic byproducts produced as alcohol is broken down.

In this article, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about hangover fevers, including why they happen and how to prevent them.

Can You Get a Fever After Drinking Alcohol?

Though uncommon, it’s possible for people to develop a fever after binge drinking. This type of fever is commonly dubbed “hangover fever.”

Alcohol causes blood vessels to dilate, resulting in a temporary feeling of warmth. However, this warmth is mostly psychological as alcohol doesn’t directly affect a person’s body temperature. In fact, it usually lowers body temperature. This means that alcohol doesn’t directly cause fevers but rather contributes to circumstances leading to feverish symptoms.

Here’s why some people experience hangover fevers:

Immune System Response

Drinking takes a toll on the body’s immune system. It suppresses the immune system, causing the body’s pro-inflammatory cytokine levels to spike. This inflammatory response causes symptoms like migraines, headaches, nausea, and mild fever.

Dehydration

Alcohol is a diuretic, meaning that it causes a person to urinate more often. This happens because excessive alcohol inhibits the production of the hormone vasopressin, which helps the kidneys reabsorb water back into the bloodstream. Without vasopressin, the kidneys merely release the water they receive.

Dehydration causes dryness, weakness, lightheadedness, and fever-like symptoms due to reduced body fluids.

The loss of electrolytes from increased urination and vomiting also contributes to feelings of feverishness.

Increased Susceptibility to Infection

Alcohol weakens the immune system, making the body more vulnerable to infections that can develop or worsen during or after drinking. The fever may be the body’s response to letting you know you’ve contracted an infection.

Low Blood Sugar

Alcohol use can cause hypoglycemia, a condition wherein blood sugar levels drop below the healthy range. Low blood sugar can cause weakness, sweating, and shakiness, which can sometimes be perceived as a fever.

Low Body Temperature

Heavy drinking can decrease the body’s blood pressure levels, resulting in a drop in body temperature. In an attempt to generate heat, the body may start shivering.

Shivering isn’t a sign of fever but can be mistaken for one, especially when accompanied by common alcohol hangover symptoms like headaches, nausea, and dizziness.

Short-term Alcohol Withdrawal Effects

When a person stops drinking, they may experience alcohol withdrawal, which often accompanies fever-like symptoms like tremors, sweating, headaches, rapid heartbeat, and nausea.

These symptoms come from a physiological stress response to the sudden absence of the depressant effects of alcohol.

Withdrawal symptoms may start around 8 hours after the last alcoholic drink, and may intensify over the next 24 to 48 hours.

Those who suffer from alcohol dependency or alcohol use disorder may experience physical symptoms for as long as 2 weeks. Psychological symptoms, meanwhile, may last several months.

How Can You Prevent a Hangover Fever?

The best way to prevent a hangover fever—and hangovers, in general—is to drink in moderation.

The National Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention recommends that adult women drink no more than 1 drink per day and men no more than 2 drinks per day. Other ways to prevent hangover fevers include:

Drink Plenty of Water While Drinking

Since alcohol is a diuretic, it’s wise to drink water as you consume alcoholic beverages. Ideally, you want to drink about one glass of water per beverage. This reduces the risk of dehydration and the symptoms that lead to it.

Avoid Congener-Filled Drinks

Congeners are biologically active chemicals in some alcoholic beverages that can worsen the severity of a hangover.

These chemicals, which include methanol, acetone, tannins, and aldehydes, are more abundant in darker drinks like red wine, brandy, whiskey, and bourbon.

Avoiding drinks with congeners reduces the risk and severity of a hangover. Light-colored spirits like vodka, gin, or white wine are generally a better choice for those prone to hangover symptoms.

Drink More Slowly

Pacing your drinks gives your body time to break down the alcohol and remove harmful chemicals. It also prevents you from drinking too much at once, further reducing the risk of a hangover.

Don’t Drink On an Empty Stomach

Eat at least one hour before drinking, making sure the food is rich in fiber, protein, and healthy fats. It’s also a good idea to snack between drinks to keep your stomach full. Snacks include peanuts, chips and salsa, pretzels, hot dogs/hamburgers, popcorn, cheese, and lean protein. Having no food in your stomach speeds up the rate at which alcohol enters the body.

How to Cure a Hangover Fever

Here’s how to alleviate symptoms of a hangover fever:

Eat Bland Foods

Eat bland foods like toast, crackers, applesauce, and bananas to boost low blood sugar levels and reduce nausea. Avoid spicy, greasy, or rich foods as they can worsen hangover symptoms.

Get Enough Sleep

A full night’s sleep can help the body recover after a night of drinking. Poor sleep doesn’t cause hangover symptoms, but it may contribute to irritability and fatigue.

Take Aspirin or Other NSAIDs

Aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen or naproxen can help ease the aches and pains of a hangover. A standard dose of aspirin is 325 mg to 650 mg every 4 to 6 hours as needed.

Don’t take Tylenol (acetaminophen) because it can hurt your liver. Take the pills when you first wake up, not before bedtime.

When Does a Hangover Fever Subside?

A hangover fever can last up to 24 hours and sometimes longer, depending on factors like:

• The amount of alcohol taken
• Type of alcohol consumed
• Hydration levels
• Sleep quality
• Food intake
• Individual tolerance

When to Seek Medical Attention

Hangover symptoms peak when blood alcohol concentration returns to near zero.

If you experience a persistent or high fever lasting more than 24 hours, it may be a sign of a more serious condition like an infection or underlying medical issue. Consult a physician to rule out potential health risks.

Other scenarios that warrant medical intervention include:

• Severe dehydration: Dark urine, extreme thirst, or difficulty keeping fluids down indicate severe dehydration and warrant a visit to the hospital.
• Seizures: Seizures that occur after drinking may be a sign of significant changes in blood sugar levels, dehydration, or an electrolyte imbalance in the body. They can also occur during alcohol withdrawal, especially in people who drink heavily or regularly. These seizures are serious and require immediate medical attention.
• Chest pain: Chest pain can be a sign of heart-related issues and thus requires immediate medical intervention.
• Confusion or altered mental health: Disorientation, hallucinations, confusion, and other changes in mental state can indicate a more serious problem.
• Inability to wake someone: If a person is unresponsive or can’t be woken up after drinking, contact emergency services right away. Even if they’re breathing, unresponsiveness could be a sign of alcohol poisoning, which can lead to coma or even death if left untreated.

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