Hangovers

A hangover is a set of unpleasant feelings that sometimes follow drinking too much alcohol. These feelings can range from a headache and nausea to general discomfort. Beyond the immediate discomfort, frequent hangovers can also lead to problems at home, school, or work, like lower productivity and arguments.

Typically, the more alcohol a person consumes, the greater the chance of a hangover the next day. Unfortunately, there isn't a precise formula to determine how much alcohol a person can safely drink without experiencing a hangover. Everyone's body reacts differently to alcohol.

While unpleasant, most hangovers will improve on their own. The symptoms usually subside within about a day. If you choose to drink alcohol, responsible consumption is key to minimizing the risk of a hangover. This means understanding your limits and pacing yourself when drinking.

A hangover typically starts when your blood alcohol level drops back to zero after drinking heavily. The symptoms usually peak the morning after a large amount of alcohol consumption. These symptoms can vary depending on what and how much you drank, but common symptoms include:

• Extreme fatigue and weakness: Feeling very tired and lacking energy.
• Thirst and dry mouth: Your body loses fluids while you're drinking, leading to dehydration.
• Headache and muscle aches: Alcohol can cause inflammation and dehydration, resulting in pain.
• Nausea, vomiting, or stomach pain: Alcohol irritates the digestive system.
• Trouble sleeping: Alcohol disrupts normal sleep patterns.
• Sensitivity to light and sound: This is common due to the overall body discomfort.
• Dizziness or feeling like the room is spinning: This is a sign of dehydration and the body's response to alcohol.
• Shakiness and sweating: Your body is trying to regulate itself after the alcohol's effects.
• Difficulty concentrating or thinking clearly: Alcohol affects brain function.
• Changes in mood: Feeling depressed, anxious, or irritable.
• Fast heartbeat: Your heart works harder to compensate for the alcohol's effects.

Hangovers usually go away on their own. However, if you frequently drink heavily, talk to a doctor to discuss potential long-term health concerns.

Alcohol Poisoning:

Drinking a lot of alcohol very quickly can be dangerous. This is called alcohol poisoning, a serious and potentially life-threatening condition. Alcohol poisoning happens when the body is overwhelmed by alcohol, affecting vital functions like:

• Breathing: Alcohol slows down breathing, making it shallower and slower.
• Heart rate: It can significantly slow the heart rate.
• Body temperature: Alcohol lowers body temperature.
• Gag reflex: The body's natural protection against choking is suppressed.

Alcohol poisoning can lead to a coma and even death. Seek immediate medical attention (call 911 or your local emergency number) if you or someone you know is showing signs of alcohol poisoning, which include:

• Confusion: Disoriented or unable to think clearly.
• Vomiting: Repeated or uncontrolled vomiting.
• Seizures: Uncontrolled muscle contractions.
• Slow breathing (less than 8 breaths per minute): Noticeably slow and shallow breathing.
• Irregular breathing (more than 10 seconds between breaths): Breathing that isn't consistent or rhythmic.
• Damp or sweaty skin: The body's attempt to cool down.
• Pale or bluish/grayish skin: A sign of low oxygen levels. (Skin color changes may be more difficult to detect in people with darker skin tones.)
• Slow heart rate: A significantly slower pulse than normal.
• Low body temperature: Feeling very cold.
• Unconsciousness: Inability to be awakened.

If you suspect alcohol poisoning, even if you don't see all the symptoms, seek immediate medical help. A person who can't be awakened is at extreme risk.

A single night of drinking usually leads to a hangover that goes away on its own. However, if you regularly drink heavily, talk to your doctor. Heavy drinking can cause serious health problems, including alcohol withdrawal.

Drinking too much alcohol, too quickly, can be very dangerous. This is called alcohol poisoning, and it's a serious medical emergency. When you drink a lot of alcohol in a short time, it can affect your body in several ways. It can slow down your breathing, heart rate, and body temperature. It can also affect your gag reflex, which is your body's natural way of keeping things out of your lungs. If these functions are impaired, it can lead to a coma and death.

If you or someone you know has been drinking and shows any of these serious signs, call 911 or your local emergency number immediately:

• Confusion: Difficulty thinking clearly or understanding what's going on.
• Vomiting: Throwing up repeatedly.
• Seizures: Sudden, uncontrolled muscle contractions.
• Slow breathing: Fewer than 8 breaths per minute.
• Irregular breathing: Long pauses (more than 10 seconds) between breaths.
• Damp or sweaty skin: Skin that feels wet or clammy.
• Changes in skin color: Blue or gray skin color, especially around the lips and fingernails, which may be hard to see depending on a person's natural skin tone, can mean a lack of oxygen.
• Slow heart rate: A heart rate that's slower than normal.
• Low body temperature: Feeling unusually cold.
• Difficulty staying awake: Unable to stay alert or focused.
• Passing out and not waking up: This is a critical sign.

If someone is unresponsive and won't wake up, they are in serious danger of dying. If you think someone might have alcohol poisoning, even if you don't see all the symptoms, call for help right away.

Hangovers happen when you drink too much alcohol. Some people get a hangover after just one drink, while others can drink a lot and not experience one. Several things contribute to this unpleasant feeling:

1. Dehydration: Alcohol makes your body produce more urine, meaning you lose more fluids than usual. This dehydration can cause symptoms like extreme thirst, tiredness, headaches, dizziness, and lightheadedness. Think of it like your body is trying to get rid of the alcohol, and it's taking water with it.

2. Inflammation: Alcohol triggers your immune system to react. Your body releases substances to fight what it perceives as an invader (the alcohol). This inflammatory response often leads to physical symptoms that make you feel sick. These symptoms can include trouble concentrating or remembering things, a decreased appetite, and a lack of interest in your usual activities. It's like your body is having a minor "fight or flight" response.

3. Stomach Irritation: Alcohol can irritate the lining of your stomach. It also increases the amount of stomach acid. This can lead to stomach pain, nausea, and even vomiting. Imagine rubbing sandpaper on your stomach lining – that's a bit like what alcohol does.

4. Low Blood Sugar: Alcohol can cause your blood sugar to drop. When this happens, you might feel unusually tired, weak, shaky, experience mood swings, and in extreme cases, even seizures. Your body needs sugar for energy.

5. Sleep Disturbances: Alcohol might make you feel sleepy, but it interferes with the deep, restorative sleep your body needs. Alcohol often disrupts your sleep cycle, making you wake up frequently during the night or too early in the morning. This lack of quality sleep leaves you feeling groggy and tired.

6. Congeners: Alcoholic drinks contain substances called congeners. These give drinks their flavor and aroma. Darker liquors like brandy and bourbon have more congeners than lighter liquors like vodka and gin. These congeners can contribute to or worsen hangovers. Essentially, the more congeners, the more likely you are to experience a hangover. However, even clear liquors can still cause hangovers if you drink too much.

Hangovers are common after drinking alcohol, but some people are more prone to them than others. This difference might be due to a gene that controls how the body processes alcohol. Some people experience flushing, sweating, or illness after even small amounts of alcohol because their bodies break it down differently.

Several factors can make a hangover more likely or severe:

• Empty Stomach: When you drink on an empty stomach, alcohol enters your bloodstream faster and at a higher rate. This can lead to a quicker and more intense hangover. Having food in your stomach helps slow down alcohol absorption.

• Mixing Alcohol with Other Substances: Combining alcohol with other substances like nicotine (cigarettes) can significantly increase the chances of a hangover. The effects of the different substances combine and can make the hangover worse.

• Lack of Sleep: Not getting enough sleep after drinking can worsen hangover symptoms. Alcohol interferes with sleep patterns, leading to poor-quality sleep and sleep deprivation, which can exacerbate the symptoms of a hangover.

• Family History of Alcohol Problems: If close family members have struggled with alcohol use disorder, you might be more susceptible to hangovers. This could indicate a predisposition in how your body handles alcohol.

• Darker Alcoholic Drinks: Darker alcoholic beverages often contain more congeners (chemical compounds). Some research suggests these congeners might contribute to more severe hangovers.

Some people experience headaches a few hours after drinking wine, especially red wine. The reason for these headaches isn't fully understood. These headaches are distinct from hangovers, which may or may not include a headache. It's possible that certain chemicals in wine and how the body reacts to them trigger the headaches. More research is needed to pinpoint the exact cause of wine headaches.

A hangover can significantly affect your daily life. When you have a hangover, your brain and body function less well, making it harder to:

• Think clearly and remember things. This includes concentrating and recalling details.
• Pay attention and focus. It's harder to stay on task and concentrate on what you're doing.
• Control your movements. Activities that need steady hands and good coordination, like writing or operating machinery, become more challenging.

This temporary loss of mental and physical sharpness can lead to problems in various areas of life:

• Missed appointments and deadlines. You might be late or even miss important events altogether.
• Incomplete tasks. It can be tough to finish projects or assignments.
• Increased chances of arguments with others. Difficulties with communication and focus can lead to conflict.
• Falling asleep during work or school. The reduced alertness can cause drowsiness in these settings.
• Problems with driving and operating machinery. Your reaction time and coordination are impaired, posing a serious safety risk.
• Higher risk of accidents and injuries at work. If your job requires precise movements, a hangover can increase the danger of mistakes and injuries.

Some companies try to trick you into thinking their products can stop hangovers. The truth is, the only sure way to avoid a hangover is to not drink alcohol at all.

However, if you do choose to drink, do it responsibly. For healthy adults, responsible drinking means:

• Women: No more than one drink a day.
• Men: No more than two drinks a day.

The less alcohol you consume, the less likely you are to get a hangover. Here are some tips to help:

• Eat: Alcohol gets absorbed faster on an empty stomach. Eating before and while you drink can slow down how quickly your body absorbs the alcohol. This can help reduce the severity of a hangover.
• Choose wisely (but don't be fooled): Some alcoholic drinks have fewer harmful ingredients (called congeners) than others. While drinks with fewer congeners might slightly reduce your chances of a hangover, all alcohol can cause hangovers. Don't rely on this as a major factor.
• Stay hydrated: Drink a full glass of water after each alcoholic drink. This helps your body stay hydrated, which is important for overall health, and you'll likely drink less alcohol overall.
• Pace yourself: Don't have more than one drink per hour. Know your limits and stop drinking when you're feeling it.

Some people take pain relievers to ease hangover symptoms. It's crucial to talk to your doctor first. They can tell you if these medicines are safe for you and the right dosage. Mixing different medicines, especially pain relievers, can have unexpected effects and potentially harm you.

For example, aspirin and ibuprofen can increase stomach acid, which can irritate your stomach lining. Acetaminophen (like Tylenol) can be harmful to your liver if taken with too much alcohol. Always consult your doctor before taking any medicine, especially if you're drinking alcohol.

Hangovers are usually something you recognize on your own. You'll likely know you have one based on how you feel the morning after drinking alcohol. Common signs include feeling tired, having a dry mouth, a headache, feeling sick to your stomach, trouble concentrating, and being sensitive to light and noise.

If you often get hangovers that make it hard to enjoy your life – maybe they're hurting your friendships, your grades, or your job – it's important to talk to a doctor. There are many ways to get help if you're having problems with alcohol. Treatment is available and accessible.