Why do people vomit when they drink alcohol? The reason is 'threefold'.

Brain function to protect the body from alcohol

The primary reason for vomiting after excessive drinking is the body's attempt to expel toxic substances that have entered the system. This is one of the body's self-protection mechanisms. When drinking excessively, the levels of alcohol in the blood and the toxic substances (acetaldehyde) produced when alcohol is broken down in the liver increase. As a result, the body stimulates the brain area that controls the stomach and heart movements (the medulla oblongata) to expel these substances. More precisely, it stimulates the 'vomiting center,' which causes nausea.

②Duodenal narrowing causing food reflux

Alcohol can directly irritate the stomach. Alcohol narrows the space between the stomach and the duodenum, pressing on the stomach lining. As a result, food cannot pass properly through the stomach, and pressure causes it to reflux into the esophagus, triggering vomiting. Although rare, if vomited foreign material enters the esophagus and then passes through the bronchi into the lungs, it can cause inflammation and lead to aspiration pneumonia, so caution is necessary.

③ May be symptoms of alcoholic cirrhosis

Vomiting after excessive drinking can be a symptom of alcoholic cirrhosis. Alcoholic cirrhosis refers to a condition where persistent inflammation occurs in the liver tissue, causing the liver to become hardened. Long-term excessive drinking damages the liver, reducing its ability to detoxify alcohol, which results in the production of more toxic substances during the breakdown process. Therefore, patients with alcoholic cirrhosis experience more severe vomiting symptoms after drinking.

If you experience vomiting after excessive drinking, along with redness on your palms, abdominal distension due to ascites, or visible spider-web-like blood vessels on your chest, suspect alcoholic liver cirrhosis and undergo accurate testing.