Here’s why you should avoid drinking alcohol before flying

Drinking while flying, migraine at the turn? With summer approaching, it’s not just jet lag that might make you dizzy if you’re about to take a plane. Contrary to what is still widely accepted, consuming alcohol before taking off on a long-haul flight absolutely does not help you calm down or get to sleep more easily. On the contrary, it would even present health risks, according to a study recently published in the scientific journal Thorax.

A drop in blood oxygen levels

The German researchers behind the study are even extremely vindictive with regard to this practice: “Do not drink alcohol on board planes!“, warns the lead author of the study Eva-Maria Elmenhorst, interviewed by CNN. Why this alert? Quite simply because drinking a glass of wine or a mignonette once the plane has taken off has now become commonplace. And this, across the entire planet.

But when cabins are pressurized and the plane is cruising, air pressure and oxygen levels are lower than on solid ground. Combine this with even light alcohol consumption and a nap, and blood oxygen levels can quickly drop, the researchers say.

Also read: How to know if you have a problem with alcohol

Danger looms over people with heart conditions

To carry out their experiment, the researchers created an atmospheric environment similar to that of an airplane cabin in flight. For two nights, 48 ​​healthy adults first slept for four hours without drinking a drop of alcohol, before repeating the experiment after consuming two glasses of wine or a can of beer.

Result: alcoholic nights were synonymous with a decrease in the quantity of oxygen in the blood and an increase in heart rate in the participants. These conditions represent “a considerable strain on the cardiac system“and could”worsen symptoms in patients with heart or lung disease“, note the researchers.

Beware of economy class syndrome!

There are other risks for alcoholics who fly. For example, there is an increased tendency to develop dry skin, which is admittedly caused more by the alcohol than by the flight itself. Nausea and vomiting are also to be expected if you want to combine the pleasure of flying with a touch of alcohol.

Flying also exposes you to the development of venous thrombosis, also called “economy class syndrome”. Thrombosis, or phlebitis, can appear in the lower limbs after a flight of several hours and is favored by alcohol consumption. A blood clot then forms when the passenger sits for too long and their venous circulation slows down. If it is not treated early enough, phlebitis can cause a pulmonary embolism responsible for 10 to 20,000 deaths each year in France, according to the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm).

Alcohol Does Not Guarantee Better Sleep

In the study published in the journal Thorax, the researchers also took advantage of their experiment to assess the quality of sleep of the participants. Not surprisingly, the time spent in REM sleep was shorter when alcohol had been previously consumed. While alcohol can indeed help you fall asleep, the quality of sleep is not as good as during a sober nap.

Finally, it is worth remembering that any alcohol consumption, even on dry land, is not without danger. In France, it is the cause of 49,000 deaths per year. Even in moderate doses, “the overall health risk is increased“, recalls the Ministry of Health and Prevention.
Public Health France recommends not to consume more than 10 glasses of alcohol per week, not more than two glasses per day and to have days without consumption in a week. In summary “For your health, alcohol is a maximum of two glasses a day and not every day.” notes the National Health Agency. On land as in the air!