Hangover
Definition:
A hangover is a group of unpleasant signs and symptoms that can develop after drinking too much alcohol. As if feeling awful weren’t bad enough, frequent hangovers are also associated with poor performance and conflict at work.
Signs & Symptoms:
Hangover symptoms typically begin when your blood alcohol drops significantly and is at or near zero. They’re usually in full effect the morning after a night of heavy drinking. Depending on what and how much you drank, you may notice:
Fatigue and weakness
Thirst
Headaches and muscle aches
Nausea, vomiting or stomach pain
Poor or decreased sleep
Increased sensitivity to light and sound
Dizziness or a sense of the room spinning
Shakiness
Decreased ability to concentrate
Mood disturbances, such as depression, anxiety and irritability
Rapid heartbeat
Cause:
Hangovers are caused by drinking too much alcohol. A single alcoholic drink is enough to trigger a hangover for some people, while others may drink heavily and escape a hangover entirely.
Various factors may contribute to a hangover. For example:
Alcohol causes your body to produce more urine. In turn, urinating more than usual can lead to dehydration often indicated by thirst, dizziness and lightheadedness.
Alcohol triggers an inflammatory response from your immune system. Your immune system may trigger certain agents that commonly produce physical symptoms, such as an inability to concentrate, memory problems, decreased appetite and loss of interest in usual activities.
Alcohol irritates the lining of your stomach. Alcohol increases the production of stomach acid and delays stomach emptying. Any of these factors can cause abdominal pain, nausea or vomiting.
Alcohol can cause your blood sugar to fall. If your blood sugar dips too low, you may experience fatigue, weakness, shakiness, mood disturbances and even seizures.
Alcohol causes your blood vessels to expand, which can lead to headaches.
Alcohol can make you sleepy, but your quality of sleep will decrease. This may leave you groggy and tired.
Alcoholic beverages contain ingredients called congeners, which give many types of alcoholic beverages their flavor and can contribute to hangovers. Congeners are found in larger amounts in dark liquors, such as brandy and whiskey, than in clear liquors, such as vodka and gin.
How To Cure:
- Water
Drinking water is the best way to get rid of hangover symptoms. Alcohol depletes water from the body and you need to rehydrate your body by drinking water at regular intervals. Also, water dilutes the impurities left in your stomach.
Aim to drink at least eight to 10 glasses of water throughout the day. Along with water, you can drink a few glasses of electrolyte-replenishing sports drinks.
Note: Dont drink caffeinated beverages, as they contribute to dehydration.
- Lemon
Lemon can help get rid of the after-effects of excessive drinking like queasiness, dizziness, sensitivity to light and sound, and muscle pain. Lemon helps rebalance the body, by controlling the blood sugar level and altering the pH level.
Add two teaspoons of fresh lemon juice and one teaspoon of honey to a glass of warm water.
Stir well and drink it down slowly.
Do this as soon as you wake up, as well as two or three times more throughout the day.
- Banana
Due to excessive drinking, lots of potassium gets drained from your body. To help replenish potassium as well as lost electrolytes, one simple solution is to eat bananas. They are a very good source of potassium. Also, bananas help calm the stomach and boost your energy level.
Eat one or two bananas with your breakfast after a night of heavy drinking to alleviate hangover symptoms.
You can also opt to prepare a banana milkshake sweetened with honey.
