Because drinking alcohol and being hungover can lead to digestive upset, headaches, mood changes, and difficulty thinking clearly — all symptoms of long COVID — it may worsen these symptoms. For example, some research suggests that poor sleep can make long COVID worse, and difficulty sleeping is a common side effect of drinking alcohol. Though the researchers couldn’t sun rocks marijuana answer exactly why alcohol consumption was so high among the US adults surveyed, Lee has a few hypotheses. New research, led by Lee and published Nov. 12 in the Annals of Internal Medicine, found that a spike in alcohol consumption among people in the U.S. in 2020 continued to rise slightly in 2021 and 2022.
Don’t Get Too Comfy: Sitting Too Much Can Lead to Heart Disease
COVID-19 can cause a range of long-term effects, including fatigue, shortnessof breath, joint pain, and cognitive difficulties. It’s important to follow upwith your healthcare provider if you experience any of these symptoms afterrecovering from COVID-19. But because of that increase during the first year, researchers from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) wanted to know whether there was a corresponding increase in alcohol-related deaths in 2020.
- Although some people turn to alcohol, there are many other ways of coping with feelings of depression and anxiety.
- The study used data from the National Health Interview Survey, administered by the U.S.
- Finally, some jurisdictions loosened alcohol restrictions during the pandemic.
- COVID-19 has changed the way we live our lives, and many people are wonderingif they can still enjoy a drink while infected.
Health Challenges
Additionally, participants reported perceived increases in their current alcohol intake compared to pre-COVID-19. To put the first aim in context, according to data from the 2018 NSDUH 19, U.S. adults in 2018 consumed alcohol on an average of 4.8 days and 12.0 alcohol drinks over the past 30 days. Almost a third (31.8%) reported engaging in binge drinking and 3.7% reported engaging in extreme binge drinking. From a preliminary comparison, it appears that participants are consuming more alcohol during COVID-19 than in 2019, but more research is warranted.
Alcohol use increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. A new study shows that it’s still high
This research suggests that these issues are reflected in deaths related to alcohol use. Future research can focus on addressing the mental health needs of people with alcoholism or substance use disorders and people prone to it, especially during very stressful events. Many people struggled with their mental health during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Around 20% of people with a social anxiety disorder experience alcohol use disorder. Some evidence suggests that post-COVID-19 fatigue syndrome may share characteristics with ME/CFS, a condition where approximately 4 out of 5 people exhibit alcohol intolerance. However, the 2021 study mentioned above suggests that people who drink alcohol often are more likely to develop acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) during COVID-19 hospitalization.
If you don’t have a physical dependency on alcohol, and you drink lightly or moderately, consider stopping while you have COVID-19.
However, the public health data are conclusive that when states increase availability and access to alcohol, e.g., by adding more stores or extending days and hours of sale, then alcohol consumption and related harm also increase 34,35. This study demonstrates that over a third of participants reported that their alcohol consumption had increased due to increased availability of alcohol during COVID-19. States should consider such data when making decisions about the strength and severity of their alcohol laws during future public heath emergencies. “Increasing stress and burnout in society exacerbate this tendency,” he said.
For example, antidepressants can treat the symptoms of depression in some people. Excessive alcohol use can lead to or worsen existing mental health problems. During the COVID-19 pandemic, people may experience higher levels of stress, depression, and anxiety. This may cause some people to consume more alcohol than they usually would.
