Why do I sweat when I drink alcohol?

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Sweating when you drink is your temperature control being fooled. Alcohol dilates the blood vessels at the skin's surface, so warm blood floods outward, you feel hot and flushed, and your body responds the way it would to real overheating: it sweats. The NIAAA lists sweating among hangover symptoms, and it shows up both during drinking and in the clammy, sweaty night that follows, because alcohol metabolism, the dilated vessels, and the sleep disruption all push the same direction. A few things turn the dial up: drinking fast, hot rooms, spicy bar food, anxiety, and alcohol flush reaction, the genetic pattern where people, most often of East Asian descent, flush and feel hot even from small amounts. The practical moves: pace yourself, alternate with water, and stay cool, because sweating plus alcohol's diuretic effect is a dehydration double-team. Two patterns need more than pacing. Sweating and shakiness when you have not had a drink, in a daily drinker, can be withdrawal and deserves an honest GP conversation. And drenching night sweats without alcohol in the picture, especially with fever or weight loss, are a check-it symptom in their own right.

Why do I sweat when I drink alcohol?

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