A hangover occurs after consuming alcohol, and consists of one or more of the following symptoms:
- Headache
- Poor sense of overall well-being
- Sensitivity to light and sound
- Diarrhea
- Loss of appetite
- Trembling
- Nausea
- Fatigue
- Increased heart rate and blood pressure
- Dehydration (dry mouth/throat/eyes)
- Trouble concentrating
- Anxiety
- Difficulty sleeping
- Weakness
Also, the type of alcohol drank is a big factor in determining how bad your hangover will be, if you have one at all. Darker drinks, such as red wine, bourbon, tequila and the like have a higher amount of congeners, which are a toxin that is a byproduct of fermentation in some drinks. Another drink that might insure a hangover is beer, for the carbonation actually speeds up the absorption of the alcohol in the bloodstream, giving the body even less time to process the toxins. As a general study, people are much less likely to get hangovers from lighter liquids such as white wine, rum or vodka.
Anytime alcohol is consumed, it goes straight to your blood stream and causes a gland in your brain (the pituitary gland), to block the creation of vasopressin. Vasopressin is the antidiuretic hormone, or to put it simply, your body's way of making sure things don't "go straight through you" (having to use the bathroom frequently). Without this hormone, your kidneys send water directly to the bladder (do not pass go, do not collect $200) instead of absorbing the liquid. This is why people will frequently say "I don't want to break the seal!" when drinking - once you relieve yourself the first time, you will have to use the bathroom frequently for the rest of the night.
Drinking 250 mL of alcohol results in 800-1,000 mL expelled from the body - this means four times as much liquid is lost than gained. This process decreases as you stop drinking, because the alcohol in your bloodstream decreases, but this is what creates The Hangover.
The morning after, you wake up incredibly thirsty. This is your body telling you that you desperately need to replenish its water supply. Until you do, your organs will try to make up for their water loss by stealing water from the brain, which is why headaches occur from dehydration. Also, the constant urination rids your body of sodium and potassium levels, necessary for proper cell function, which results in the nausea, fatigue and incoordination we're all so familiar with.
There's much more to it, biologically, but I'd rather not bore you, considering you're probably just waiting for the good part where I cure your ailments. I'm not Jesus but I'm a big fan. First, I'm going to tell you what NOT to do. There's tons of remedy theories, but most of them actually hurt you, not help you.
- Some people love the "hair of the dog that bit you" theory, where waking up and cracking open one last beer supposedly gets rid of your symptoms, but in reality your body will just have that many more toxins to deal with, therefore, this one is stupid and don't do it. Save that beer for a good time at night. It's gross for breakfast.
- Theory number two is burnt toast: carbon can be a filter of the body, but it must be activated carbon (which means it's treated with something) for it to actually work.
- Number three? Black coffee. While it does cure fatigue with caffeine, it is also a diuretic, which makes you urinate more frequently, therefore just making the hangover worse.
- Four: over-the-counter miracle remedies: They don't actually work, they just take your time, gas and money with no result. Forget it! Miracles can't be bought!
- Number five is useful, but not in the way you'd think: fatty and fried foods. If you're looking for something to make you feel better the morning after, I'd go with a fruit smoothie or something to replenish electrolytes, but to be honest this myth is much better as a preventative than a remedy. Eating anything before drinking helps, but greasy, fried foods in particular are nice because the fat creates sort of a lining in your stomach, making it much harder for the alcohol to be absorbed into the bloodstream. Some Mediterraneans even have a spoonful of olive oil before drinking. Personally, I think that sounds quite disgusting, but to each their own.
Here's what you SHOULD be doing to cure the hangover the morning after:
- Eat eggs! They rid your fatigue and have a chemical called cysteine which break down the hangover-causing chemical acetaldehyde.
- Eat bananas! They give you the electrolytes your body needs to get rid of fatigue and also has tons of potassium, which the body loses a lot of during the urinary marathon your body goes through the night before.
- Drink water! As a preventative, drink a glass of water for every alcoholic beverage you consume. As a remedy, add a little sugar or salt to water and drink lots of it the morning after to rid yourself of the dehydration that causes a lot of hangover symptoms in the first place. Non-carbonated or caffeinated sports drinks work also.
- Have a glass of orange juice! Any fruit juice provides vitamins and fructose which relieve your body of some of the symptoms and give you a little more energy. Vitamin supplements for vitamin C and B work as well. Taking a multivitamin before bed actually can prevent many of the symptoms you would normally wake up with.
- Take painkillers! Excedrin is the best. Aspirin is second but if you have a sensitive stomach you could end up feeling worse than you did when you woke up.
- Give it some time! Overall, no matter what you do, the body simply needs time to rid itself of the toxins. Follow the above tips and go on with your day.
And for your picture of the day:
Don't drink and drive, Sara.
No comments:
Post a Comment