Health
Long COVID could be the cause of your bad hangovers, study finds: 'Bad reaction'
Drinking too much is often a recipe for a morning-after disaster.
But for long COVID patients, hangover symptoms might be much worse, according to research.
A small study by Stanford University, which was published in the journal Cureus, examined alcohol sensitivity in four people with post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC), or long COVID.
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Two patients reported worse headaches after drinking the same amount of alcohol they would have consumed prior to having COVID.
One patient, a 40-year-old woman with a history of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome type III, asthma, anemia, hypotension and migraines, claimed that she could tolerate seven mixed drinks containing hard liquor in one night before long COVID struck.
For long COVID patients, hangover symptoms might be much worse, according to new research from Stanford University. (iStock)
But ever since getting COVID, the woman reported that her hangovers feel like she “suffers from alcohol poisoning after drinking even small amounts of alcohol and feels ‘terrible’ for several days after consumption,” the study reported.
The woman noted that her tolerance had decreased so significantly that one beer would result in a “severe hangover, along with exacerbation of PASC symptoms for three days thereafter.”
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Another patient, a 49-year-old woman with a history of type 1 diabetes, celiac disease controlled by diet, and breast cancer — who consumes several drinks per week — said she noticed a decreased alcohol tolerance after her COVID infection.
After drinking just one glass of wine, she reported experiencing “such a bad reaction that she felt she could not move,” the researchers noted.
Some patients reported having worse headaches after drinking the same amount of alcohol they would have consumed prior to having COVID. (iStock)
The woman described her symptoms as “similar to a bad hangover, with a headache, grogginess and ‘overwhelming’ fatigue the next day.”
The research concluded that new-onset alcohol reactions and sensitivity can occur after COVID-19 infection in patients with PASC.
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“Clinicians assessing PASC patients should inquire about alcohol consumption and tolerance in their social history, as this information can provide insights into potential triggers for worsening symptoms and help guide lifestyle management strategies,” the study suggested.
Stanford Internal Medicine director and study co-author Linda Geng noted how “the clinical observations from this paper raise important questions about the link between long COVID and alcohol sensitivity,” as provided in a statement sent to Fox News Digital.
The research concluded that new-onset alcohol reactions and sensitivity can occur after COVID-19 infection in patients with PASC. (iStock)
“Studying this further might provide insights about the mechanism(s) of long COVID and other post-viral syndromes,” she said.
“Additionally, patients with long COVID should be cautious about the use of alcohol, and some may feel better if they avoid it altogether.”
“Alcohol can worsen the post-COVID symptoms.”
Fox News medical contributor Dr. Marc Siegel, who was not involved in the study, noted that although this research surveyed only four patients, he also has recognized an increased sensitivity to alcohol in some of his own PASC patients.
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“[This study] builds on previous research that in the case of post-viral syndromes (including mononucleosis), sensitivity to alcohol can increase,” Siegel said via email to Fox News Digital.
“I have seen this in some of my patients with post-COVID syndromes,” he went on. “The symptoms are similar: headache, nausea, fatigue, body aches. And alcohol can worsen the post-COVID symptoms.”
Siegel explained that both post-COVID symptoms and alcohol can “lead to inflammation and affect the immune system.”
“And recent research shows that COVID can lead to some leakiness in the blood brain barrier so that inflammatory chemicals (including those from alcohol) can get into the brain at least temporarily, causing headache, nausea and dizziness,” he said.
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Bala Munipalli, M.D., an internist at Mayo Clinic in Florida, also weighed in on this study, noting to Fox News Digital that post-viral persistence of symptoms is “not unique to COVID-19.”
Munipalli was also not involved in the study.
“We have seen this occurring since the 1918 Spanish flu, and saw it with SARS-CoV-1 in 2003 and with Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in 2012,” she said.
“Recent research shows that COVID can lead to some leakiness in the blood brain barrier so that inflammatory chemicals (including those from alcohol) can get into the brain at least temporarily, causing headache, nausea and dizziness,” a doctor said. (iStock)
“Individuals with PASC have shared symptoms with ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, mast cell activation syndrome, and dysautonomia: fatigue, brain fog, un-refreshing sleep, myalgias, and food and medication sensitivities,” Munipalli added.
In each of the syndromes mentioned, Munipalli detailed how the brain processes sensory input faster, causing the sensory signals to become “amplified and more widespread as more areas of the brain become activated.”
“This results in the central nervous system becoming sensitized,” she said. “And I suspect this is what is happening with patients who have PASC and demonstrate alcohol sensitivity.”
Anyone experiencing symptoms of alcohol use disorder should seek help from a doctor, therapist or counselor, experts recommend.
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As colorectal cancer (CRC) is now the leading cause of cancer death in adults under 50, a new report reveals some surprising shifts in the incidence of the disease.
Although rates of CRC have been declining among seniors, those 65 and under are facing a rise in diagnoses, according to a report titled Colorectal Cancer Statistics, 2026, from the American Cancer Society.
Adults 65 and younger comprise nearly half (45%) of all new colorectal cancer cases — a significant increase from 27% in 1995, states the report, which was published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.
The disease is rising fastest among adults 20 to 49 years old, at a rate of 3% per year.
Colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death in adults under 50. (iStock)
Among adults 50 and under, 75% of colorectal cancers are diagnosed at an advanced stage. Half of the diagnoses in that age range are made between the ages of 45 and 49. Although that age group is eligible to receive routine screenings, just 37% do so.
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The report also revealed that rectal cancer is on the rise, now accounting for about one-third (32%) of all CRC cases — an increase from 27% in the mid-2000s.
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“After decades of progress, the risk of dying from colorectal cancer is climbing in younger generations of men and women, confirming a real uptick in disease because of something we’re doing or some other exposure,” said Rebecca Siegel, senior scientific director, surveillance research at the American Cancer Society and lead author of the report, in a press release.
Among adults 50 and under, 75% of colorectal cancers are diagnosed at an advanced stage. Half of the diagnoses in that age range are made between the ages of 45 and 49. (iStock)
“We need to redouble research efforts to understand the cause, but also circumvent deaths through earlier detection by educating clinicians and the general public about symptoms and increasing screening in people 45-54 years.”
It is projected that 158,850 new cases of colorectal cancer will be diagnosed this year, and that the disease will cause 55,230 deaths, per the report.
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More than half of CRC cases can be linked to high-risk behaviors, the researchers said. Those include lack of nutrition, high alcohol consumption, smoking, lack of exercise and obesity.
“These findings further underscore that colorectal cancer is worsening among younger generations and highlight the immediate need for eligible adults to begin screening at the recommended age of 45,” said Dr. William Dahut, chief scientific officer at the American Cancer Society.
When the disease is caught at a local (early) stage, the five-year survival rate is 95%. (iStock)
“The report also shines a light on the crucial importance of continued funding for research to help discover new therapies to treat the disease and advance patient care.”
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When the disease is caught at a local (early) stage, the five-year survival rate is 95%, the report stated.
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A new study suggests that middle-aged men may be more vulnerable to faster biological aging, potentially linked to exposure to “forever chemicals.”
The research, published in the journal Frontiers in Aging, examined how perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, more commonly known as PFAS, could impact aging at the cellular level.
PFAS are synthetic chemicals commonly used in nonstick cookware, food packaging, water-resistant fabrics and other consumer products, the study noted.
Their chemical structure makes them highly resistant to breaking down, allowing them to accumulate in water, soil and the human body.
Chinese researchers analyzed blood samples from 326 adults enrolled in the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 1999 and 2000.
A new study suggests that middle-aged men could face accelerated biological aging at the cellular level due to exposure to PFAS. (iStock)
The researchers measured levels of 11 PFAS compounds in participants’ blood and used DNA-based “epigenetic clocks” — tools that analyze chemical changes to DNA to estimate biological age — to determine how quickly their bodies were aging at the cellular level, the study stated.
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Two compounds, perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and perfluorooctanesulfonamide (PFOSA), were detected in 95% of participants.
Higher concentrations of those chemicals were associated with faster biological aging in men of certain age groups, but not in women.
“People should not panic.”
The compounds most strongly linked to accelerated aging were not the PFAS chemicals that typically receive the most public attention, the researchers noted.
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“The associations were strongest in adults aged 50 to 64, particularly in men,” Dr. Xiangwei Li, professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine and the study’s corresponding author, told Fox News Digital.
“While this does not establish that PFAS cause aging, it suggests that these widely present ‘forever chemicals’ may be linked to molecular changes related to long-term health and aging.”
The study found that two of the compounds were detected in 95% of participants, and higher levels were linked to faster biological aging in men ages 50–64. (iStock)
Midlife may represent a more sensitive biological period, when the body becomes more vulnerable to age-related stressors, according to the researchers.
Lifestyle factors, such as smoking, may influence biological aging markers, potentially increasing vulnerability to environmental pollutants.
While Li said “people should not panic,” she does recommend looking for reasonable ways to reduce exposure.
That might mean checking local drinking water reports, using certified water filters designed to reduce PFAS, and limiting the use of stain- or grease-resistant products when alternatives are available.
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Meaningful reductions in PFAS exposure will likely depend on broader regulatory action and environmental cleanup efforts, Li added.
The researchers noted that midlife could be a particularly sensitive stage, when the body is more susceptible to stressors associated with aging. (iStock)
Study limitations
The researchers outlined several important limitations of the research, including that the findings show an association, but do not prove that PFAS directly causes accelerated aging.
“The study is cross-sectional, meaning exposure and aging markers were measured at the same time, so we cannot determine causality,” Li told Fox News Digital.
The study was also relatively small, limited to 326 adults age 50 or older, which means the findings may not apply to younger people or broader populations.
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Researchers measured PFAS levels using data collected between 1999 and 2000, and today’s exposure patterns may differ.
Li added that while PFAS is known to persist in the environment and the body, these results should be validated through larger, more recent studies that follow participants over time.
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