A hangover (veisalgia) describes the sum of unpleasant physiological effects following heavy consumption of drugs, particularly alcoholic beverages. The most commonly reported characteristics of a hangover include headache, nausea, sensitivity to light and noise, lethargy, dysphoria and thirst.
Some researchers believe that a hangover is caused by a backlog of acetaldehyde waiting to be converted—particularly the queasy feeling and throbbing head. The rationale for this is well-founded. Firstly, an effective treatment for alcoholics is a substance called disulfiram or Antabuse, which disables aldehyde dehydrogenase, allowing acetaldehyde to build up the moment they imbibe. This causes headaches, vomiting and a nausea so horrendous that even the most hardened alcoholic shies away from the bottle.
Your body uses up lots of B vitamins when alcohol is consumed, which contributes to hangover symptoms. Take a quality brand vitamin B complex tablet containing at least 100 milligrams of each B vitamin when you first wake up. Also take a vitamin C tablet with at least 1000 milligrams. These are both effective hangover cures.
Modern technology has finally developed an all-natural, safe hangover treatment. Chaser caplets contain no aspirin, acetaminophen or caffeine. Two Chaser caplets, taken with your first drink, absorb the harmful elements in alcoholic beverages before they can cause symptoms. These elements are called congeners which are the byproducts of the fermentation process that give alcoholic beverages their flavor, aroma and color. When these elements reach your bloodstream, they trigger the various symptoms such as headaches, bloating, sweating, dizziness, dry mouth, nausea and fatigue.
It may be dangerous to drive or operate heavy machinery whilst hungover, even if your blood alcohol level is under the legal limit. The maximum blood alcohol level permitted by law when driving is 80mg per 100ml of blood, but it is safer to avoid alcohol at all if you intend to drive within the next 24 hours.
What causes symptoms of a hangover?
There are various factors that may contribute to hangover severity such as:
Alcohol increases urination. Needless to say, urinating more than usual can lead to dehydration. Dehydration from excessive urination is what causes thirst. In addition, dehydration is often characterized by dizziness and lightheadedness. Alcohol can irritate the lining of the stomach, increases stomach acid production and delays stomach emptying, which can cause nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
Causes
Various factors may contribute to the problem. For example:
Alcohol stimulates your body to produce more urine. In turn, urinating more than usual can lead to dehydration — often characterized by thirst, dizziness and lightheadedness.
Alcohol irritates the lining of your stomach, 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 and mood disturbances.
Treatment
Fill your water bottle. Sip water or fruit juice to prevent dehydration. Resist any temptation to treat your hangover with more alcohol. It'll only make you feel worse. Be careful with caffeinated beverages, too. Caffeine acts as a diuretic, which may increase dehydration. Additionally, caffeinated beverages may make you think you're alert when you're really not.
