Alcohol can be an insidious drug. We all love knocking back a few, but your body often does the opposite of what you think it's doing. The feelings you experience while under the influence are vastly different than alcohol's actual physiological effects. A popular misconception is that a glass of hard liquor restores warmth when consumed on a cold day. Here's a clear look at the reality.

Drinker's Perception

• Warmth
• Increased Pain Threshold
• Relaxation
• Increased Confidence
• Fully Hydrated
• Quick Thinking
• Fast Reflexes
• Accurate Perception

Drinker's Reality

• Increased Sweating
• High Blood Pressure
• Loss of Shivering (the body's method of warming itself)
• Decreased Core Temperature
• Poor Decision Making
• Loss of Coordination
• Dehydration
• Increased Infection Risk

Sources

Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine
www.usariem.army.mil

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
www.cdc.gov

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National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
www.niaaa.nih.gov

Written by JOhn Schwartze