Being able to start our day with a cup of coffee can easily give us a boost to get through our morning. We almost feel lifeless without a good cuppa at the start of our working day, and even though a good caffeinated beverage feels beneficial to how we feel, would it still benefit us for our recovery after surgery?

Surgeons tend to advise patients to avoid drinking caffeine shortly after surgery for health benefit reasons. The reason being, it can hinder your recovery period due to the diuretic qualities that caffeine has. This can make it rather difficult for drinkers who are regular coffee drinkers as you’ll need to hold off drinking it for at least 2-3 weeks.

Doctors won’t be striving you of caffeine for the sake of it and even though you may have the urge to consume your daily coffee, understanding the reasons you should avoid it after surgery can help you towards staying away from it during your surgery. 

Here are 3 important reasons why.

You can become dehydrated from drinking caffeine

Any form of liquid that contains caffeine increases the flow of urine in the body, which means your body is vulnerable to your body becoming dehydrated. This is why caffeine provides bursts of energy rather than being long-lasting throughout the day as you’ll gradually begin to lose fluids in your system.

It’s important to drink regular fluids throughout the day after surgical procedures as hydration helps the body to retain quality nutrients in the body to aid recovery. You need to be able to keep your wounds moist as dry wounds will take far longer to recover.

Prevents wounds from healing

Shortly after surgery, your scars and wounds will feel relatively sensitive, which means you’ll want them to recover as quickly as possible. However, caffeine can prolong your recovery period, due to the process of epithelialization. This is when the body produces new derma cells to cover over the wounds and create a new layer of skin.

Studies have suggested by having caffeine, this can actually hinder your recovery as fewer derma cells are produced in the body.

Increases blood pressure

Another characteristic that caffeine has on the body is the narrowing of the blood vessels, interrupting the flow of blood circulation. As a result, it causes high blood pressure in the body which is something that won’t be beneficial for surgical recovery.

Blood is required to circulate around the body so that it can be received by the wounds to heal. By increasing blood pressure in the body, it increases the risk of a heart attack or stroke.

When should you be allowed to drink caffeine again?

Whether you have a cosmetic tummy tuck surgery or require surgery due to injury, what advice you gain about caffeine is likely to be similar. It tends to be advised that at least 3 weeks should be left for your body to recover fully, which is the same period you should avoid having surgery.

It’s always best to consult with your doctor about when is the best time you can have coffee again.