Fact: While this may temporarily minimize some symptoms, it could contribute to and prolong discomfort and other hangover symptoms. Alcoholic beverages contain ingredients called congeners, which can add flavor to many types of alcoholic beverages and contribute to hangovers. Congeners are found in greater quantities in dark liquors such as brandy and bourbon than in light liquors such as vodka and gin. A powerful congener is methanol. It forms naturally in small amounts during fermentation and can be accidentally concentrated by inappropriate distillation techniques. The metabolism of methanol produces extremely toxic compounds such as formaldehyde and formic acid, which may play a role in the severity of the hangover. Ethanol slows down the conversion of methanol to its toxic metabolites, so most methanol can be safely excreted in breath and urine without forming its toxic metabolites. This may explain the temporary change in reported symptoms into the usual ways of drinking more alcohol to relieve hangover symptoms. [8][25] Since methanol metabolism is effectively inhibited by alcohol consumption, methanol accumulates during consumption and does not begin to be metabolized until ethanol has been eliminated. This delayed effect makes it an attractive candidate explanation for delayed post-intoxication symptoms and correlations between methanol concentrations and the presence of hangover symptoms found in studies. [3] Anyone who drinks alcohol may have a hangover, but some people are more sensitive to hangovers than others. A genetic variation that affects how alcohol is metabolized can cause some people to blush, sweat or get sick after drinking even a small amount of alcohol. Psychological research on the hangover of alcohol is developing rapidly.
[Citation needed] The Alcohol Hangover Research Group held its inaugural meeting in June 2010 as part of the 33rd Annual Scientific Meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism (RSA) in San Antonio, Texas, USA. [Citation needed] Our armpit smell may well be an “evolutionary hangover” of our ancient ancestors. A hangover refers to a number of symptoms that occur as a result of excessive alcohol consumption. Typical symptoms include fatigue, weakness, thirst, headache, muscle pain, nausea, abdominal pain, dizziness, sensitivity to light and sound, anxiety, irritability, sweating, and increased blood pressure. A hangover can vary from person to person. Some people take over-the-counter painkillers (often paracetamol) before bed to minimize hangovers. It is important to realize that the combination of alcohol and paracetamol can be toxic to the liver. Like alcohol, some over-the-counter painkillers, including aspirin and ibuprofen, can increase acid release and irritate the lining of the stomach. Proceed with caution if you take these medications before or after consuming alcohol. The less alcohol you drink, the less likely you are to have a hangover. This can help: “hangover”.
Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hangover. Retrieved 11 October 2022. As of 2019, the South Korean market for “hangover hardening products,” available in various formulations such as beverages, pills, and jelly, is a 250 billion won ($213 million) industry. [60] Congeners are more likely to produce a hangover or increase the severity of a hangover. But if you drink too much alcohol of any color, you can still feel bad the next morning. Despite various over-the-counter pills and tablets that claim to prevent hangovers, the only guaranteed way to prevent a hangover is to avoid alcohol. If you decide to drink, do so in moderation. He didn`t speak English and my high school German was inadequate, especially accompanied by a successful hangover. Hangover is barely understood from a medical point of view. [33] Health professionals prefer to study alcohol use disorders from a treatment and prevention perspective, and there is a view that hangovers are a useful, natural and intrinsic deterrent to excessive alcohol consumption.
[34] Various factors can contribute to a hangover. For example: If you have a hangover, you`ll likely have problems with: Myth: Certain actions, like drinking coffee or taking a shower, can prevent or cure a hangover. It is known that several factors that in themselves do not cause the hangover of alcohol affect its severity. These factors include personality, genetics, health status, age, gender, related activities during alcohol use such as smoking, use of other drugs, physical activity such as dancing, and sleep quality and duration. [3] The tradition has endured ever since and is considered a great natural hangover remedy worldwide. Definition of the name hangover from the Oxford Advanced Learner`s Dictionary Although the causes of a hangover are still poorly understood[2], several factors are known, including acetaldehyde accumulation, changes in the immune system and glucose metabolism, dehydration, metabolic acidosis, impaired prostaglandin synthesis, increased cardiac output, vasodilation, sleep deprivation and malnutrition. The beverage-specific effect of additives or by-products such as congeners in alcoholic beverages also plays an important role. [1] Symptoms usually appear after the intoxicating effect of alcohol has subsided, usually in the morning after a night of heavy drinking. [3] “The Hangover of Brexit begins now,” says Nicholas Bloom, an economist at Stanford who studied the economic impact of the 2016 referendum. Although many possible remedies and folk remedies have been suggested, there is no convincing evidence that some are effective in preventing or treating hangovers.
[4] Avoiding alcohol or drinking in moderation are the most effective ways to avoid hangovers. [4] The socio-economic consequences of hangovers include absenteeism from work, poor work outcomes, reduced productivity and poor academic performance. A hangover can also affect performance during potentially dangerous daily activities such as driving or operating heavy machinery. [5] A hangover is the experience of various unpleasant physiological and psychological effects that typically follow the consumption of alcohol such as wine, beer, and distilled spirits. The hangover can last several hours or more than 24 hours. Typical hangover symptoms may include headache, drowsiness, concentration problems, dry mouth, dizziness, fatigue, gastrointestinal discomfort (e.g., vomiting, diarrhea), lack of hunger, sensitivity to light, depression, sweating, nausea, hyperexcitability, irritability, and anxiety. [1] Ultimately, the only surefire cure for a hangover is to avoid one by drinking in moderation or choosing not to drink. Some sources suggest that there is no evidence that hangover treatments are effective. [4][35] The hangover disappears on its own after a single night of drinking. Talk to your doctor if you are concerned that frequent and excessive alcohol consumption could lead to severe alcohol withdrawal, or if a regular hangover is affecting your quality of life, including your personal relationships or performance at work. Treatment of alcohol problems is widespread. The effects of hangovers have been dragging on for ages.
However, the word itself has only fermented since the end of the 19th century. Originally, hangovers described someone or something who simply remained or survived, but it was later distilled into common usage as a word for the effects of excessive alcohol or drug use. Nowadays, a hangover can also indicate emotional disappointment or an unwanted extension of notes or sounds from a speaker. Several studies have looked at whether certain types of alcohol cause a worse hangover. [21][22][23][24] The four studies concluded that darker liquors that have higher congeners caused a more severe hangover. One of them even showed that hangovers were worse and more common on darker minds. [21] In a 2006 study, an average of 14 standard beverages (330 ml each) of beer were needed to produce a hangover, but only 7 to 8 beverages were needed for wine or alcohol (note that a standard beverage contains the same amount of alcohol regardless of the type). [24] Another study classified several beverages according to their ability to cause a hangover as follows (from low to high): distilled ethanol diluted with fruit juice, beer, vodka, gin, white wine, whiskey, rum, red wine and brandy. [23][24] The processes that lead to hangovers are still poorly understood.
[2] Several pathophysiological changes can lead to an alcohol hangover, including increased acetaldehyde levels, hormonal changes in cytokine pathways, and decreased glucose availability.
