Hangover
When the party's over
Maybe you had one too many. Or a few too many. In any case, it's a new day and you know that the pounding in your head isn't due to music.
The excess consumption of alcohol causes hangovers. While most people have no unpleasant feelings after one or two drinks, overindulging in alcohol can cause headache, nausea, dizziness, and exhaustion the next morning. It's not only how much you drink, but what kind of alcohol you consume and how fast you drink that can affect your chance of waking up with a hangover.
While time is really the only cure for a hangover, many over-the-counter drugs and home remedies can alleviate some of the worst symptoms and help you make it through the day.
Detailed Description
Alcohol generally relaxes the blood vessels, which contributes to a feeling of warmth. If you drink too much alcohol, however, the blood vessels in the brain can open up too much. As blood vessels and the lining of the brain contain the brain's only pain fibers, this in turn can cause head pain or throbbing. Alcohol also affects other bodily systems and overconsumption can lead to nausea and/or vomiting which causes dehydration. In addition, alcohol is a diuretic and causes one to urinate more than other drinks, which can also lead to dehydration. Dehydration leads to a dry mouth, fatigue, and weakness. While alcohol may make you feel giddy when you drink it, it is actually a depressant. Its depressive effects on the central nervous system contribute to the fatigue and lethargy of a hangover.
The liver is responsible for metabolizing alcohol. Generally, it can only break down about one ounce of alcohol per hour-- roughly the amount found in one drink. If you have more than one drink an hour, byproducts from alcohol metabolism accumulate, increasing the chance of a hangover. Impurities and additives in alcohol, known as congeners, can also contribute to hangovers. Certain types of alcohol have more congeners than others; the general rule of thumb is that the darker the drink, the more congeners it contains. Red wine, bourbon, scotch, cognac, brandy, and whisky all contain a lot of congeners, while vodka, gin, and white wine have few.
Hangovers are 100% preventable by not drinking alcohol. Those who choose to drink, however, can take steps to prevent hangovers by drinking in moderation, consuming less than one drink an hour, alternating alcoholic beverages with nonalcoholic ones, and choosing drinks that are low in congeners. Drinking a lot of water, especially before going to sleep, will help prevent dehydration and lessen the intensity of a hangover. If a hangover does happen, the only real cure is time. Most hangovers disappear on their own within 24 hours, but many over-the-counter medications and home remedies can alleviate unpleasant symptoms.
Possible Underlying Causes
The effects of alcohol on a variety of bodily systems cause hangovers. While you may feel giddy after a few drinks, alcohol actually acts as a depressant on the central nervous system, leading to a general slowing effect and contributing to the exhaustion and lethargy commonly felt with hangovers. Alcohol also acts as a diuretic, increasing urination and leading to dehydration, which contributes to headaches. Alcohol can also irritate the stomach, leading to nausea and vomiting.
Triggers of Hangover
Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol triggers a hangover.
Diagnosing the Underlying Cause
If you wake up feeling under-the-weather after a night of heavy drinking, it is likely that you have a hangover. Most hangovers subside on their own within 24 hours. If you still feel ill after one day, consult your doctor. It is important to realize that tremors, stomach pain, or blood in your vomit are not part of a hangover. These may be serious effects of drinking that require your doctor's attention. If a hangover is more than a rare occurrence, you need to examine if you are excessively consuming alcohol on a regular basis or are an alcoholic. If you have blackouts (i.e., don't remember what you did when you were intoxicated last night), it is suggestive of alcoholism.
Goals of Treatment
The only real cure for a hangover is time. Most hangovers subside on their own within 24 hours. In the meantime, you can try an over-the-counter pain medication to relieve some of your morning-after aches and pains. Rest and rehydration can also go a long way in helping you feel better.
Treatment for Symptoms
Drugs most commonly used
A variety of over-the-counter medications can help relieve hangover symptoms. Pharmacists suggest treating symptoms individually -- for a headache, take an analgesic; for heartburn, try an antacid. Anti-inflammatory medications can irritate an already inflamed stomach, so avoid aspirin and ibuprofen. The following over-the-counter products may help:
- Analgesics, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol)
- Antacids, such as calcium carbonate (Alka Seltzer or Maalox)
Dietary modifications
If you wake up with a hangover, the foods you eat can help relieve some of your symptoms:
- Water is the best way to combat dehydration.
- Bouillon soup can help replace depleted salt and potassium.
- Fruit juice, tomato juice, and honey all contain fructose, which can help burn alcohol faster. Sports drinks such as Gatorade will replenish lost salts and provide energy.
- Caffeine can dehydrate you even more, so it might be best to forego your usual cup of coffee.
Supplements
Vitamin C: Some studies suggest that vitamin C supplementation may help by increasing the rate of alcohol breakdown in the body.
Herbs
Peppermint and chamomile: Drink teas made from either of these herbs. In addition to their rehydration value, they help soothe the stomach. [1]Last updated October 1999.
Source
1 Duke, J. The Green Pharmacy. Emmaus, PA: Rodale Press, 1997.
Preventing Hangovers
Hangovers are 100% preventable by not drinking alcohol. Those who choose to drink, however, can take steps to prevent hangovers by drinking sensibly. The following tips can help:
- Limit your alcohol intake to one drink an hour or less. Your liver can only metabolize one ounce of alcohol an hour. If you exceed this amount, toxic byproducts can contribute to hangovers.
- Alternate alcoholic drinks with nonalcoholic beverages to slow your alcohol consumption and to prevent alcohol-related dehydration.
- Choose noncarbonated mixers since carbonation speeds alcohol absorption.
- Avoid sweet drinks that make it difficult to gauge how much alcohol you are actually consuming.
- Choose drinks with low levels of congeners, the toxic chemicals that increase the risk of a hangover. Darker drinks such as scotch, whisky, brandy, and red wine all have many congeners, while clear beverages such as vodka, gin, and white wine have few.
- Don't drink on an empty stomach. Food can help slow alcohol absorption.
- Eat starchy foods while drinking to slow alcohol absorption.
- Drink plenty of water before going to bed to prevent dehydration.
Self-Care Measures
- Drink a lot of water. It won't prevent or cure a hangover, but it can help minimize the misery of alcohol-induced dehydration.
- Rest.
- Take acetaminophen to relieve headache pain. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is an effective headache remedy. Aspirin and ibuprofen (Advil, Nuprin) also relieve headache, but they are more likely to cause stomach upset, which only adds to hangover suffering.
- Use ice packs. Ice packs can help relieve headache pain. Wrap a few ice cubes in a plastic bag, then wrap the bag in a clean cloth and apply the ice pack to the forehead for 20 minutes, then remove it for 10 minutes before re-applying. You may use an ice substitute instead of ice cubes. Do not apply ice directly to the skin-- you might get frostbite.
- Think twice before drinking coffee. It irritates the stomachs of some people with hangovers, and it's a diuretic, which aggravates alcohol-induced dehydration.
- Don't take "the hair of the dog"-- that is, more alcohol. It simply compounds the problem.
- Try some soup. Bouillon soup can help replace depleted salt and potassium.
When to Call the Doctor
A hangover usually does not require medical care. If your symptoms last for more than a day, call your doctor.
Websites & Organizations
Alcoholics Anonymous
American Council on Alcoholism
2522 St. Paul Street
Baltimore, MD 21218
Phone: 410-889-0100 or 800-527-5344
American Liver Foundation
800-223-0179
National Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependence, Inc.
12 West 21 St.
New York, NY 10010
Phone: 212-206-6770
Fax: 212-645-1690 or 800-NCA-CALL (800-622-2255)
National Headache Foundation
5252 North Western Ave.
Chicago, IL 60625
Phone: 312-878-7715 or 800-843-2256
National Health Information Center
P.O. Box 1133
Washington, DC 20013-1133
Phone: 301-565-4167 or 800-336-4797
Fax: 301-984-4256
Email: nhicinfo@health.org
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
6000 Executive Boulevard - Willco Building
Bethesda, MD 20892-7003
Sources for This Article
Books
Duke, J., The Green Pharmacy. Emmaus, PA: Rodale Press, 1997.
Fauci, Anthony J. et. al. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, eds. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1998.
Noble, John. Primary Care Medicine ed. St. Louis: Mosby, 1996.
Physicians' Desk Reference. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Co., 1998.
Articles
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