Here is a fun fact... Did you know that the formal name for a hangover is veisalgia, from the Norwegian word for "uneasiness following debauchery" (kveis) and the Greek word for "pain" (algia) Seems a fitting title considering the uncomfortable symptoms experienced by the average drinker.
However it does not to be so daunting, everyone likes to go out and have fun with friends and enjoy the occassional drink, so how can we make it easier on ourselves?
How can we address some of these ever so popular symptoms among drinkers everywhere the morning after.
Poor sense of overall well-being
Headache
Sensitivity to light and sound
Diarrhea
Loss of appetite
Trembling
Nausea
Fatigue
Increased heart rate and blood pressure
Dehydration(dry mouth, extreme thirst, dry eyes)
Trouble concentrating
Anxiety
Difficulty sleeping
Weakness
Which foods will help me face the day after drinking?
One of the hardest things we have all found about having a few drinks...is the morning after a night out....Here are a few tips that will help get you out of that hungover morning feeling and back on your feet to face another day!
Eggs... scrambled- why?, the cysteine in eggs helps to break down the hangover-causing toxin acetaldehyde in the liver's easily depleted glutathione. Therefore, eggs can potentially help mop up the left-over toxins.
Bananas- these have potassium in which provides those depleted electrolytes, and also has a good source of potassium which have been lost to alcohol's diuretic effects, other foods that are high in potassium are kiwi's.
Water- of course it is to no surprise that water can help hydrate the body. But did you know that it also helps to dilute the leftover byproducts in the stomach. Adding salt and sugar to water helps replace the sodium and glycogen lost the night before. The body can only process about three-quarters of an ounce of alcohol in an hour, so drinking water can help this process run more smoothly. Adding a small amount of salt to your water can also help replenish these electrolytes and help muscle and cell function.
Fried foods- Eating anything BEFORE you go out is always a good idea, the stomach can process the alchol easier if it has some sort of lining to it. The grease and fat from a fry up of some sort will help stick to the stomach to help aid in breaking down the alcohol.
Are there any drinks which are easier on the body than others?
Drink the higher priced wine and alcohol if you can, or at least see it this way, clear alcohol contains less congeners. Different types of alcohol can result in different hangover symptoms. This is because some types of alcoholic drinks have a higher concentration of congeners, byproducts of fermentation in some alcohol. unfortunately for you wino's, red wine is the highest in concentration, and dark liquors such as bourbon, brandy, whiskey and tequila. White wine and clear liquors such as rum, vodka and gin have fewer congeners and therefore cause less frequent and less severe hangovers. I would say those of you who prefer the darker colours in drink would be best to drink a glass of water alongside each glass of alcohol in order to aid in the break down of these toxins.
I would suggest you stick to a drink the whole night since mixing your drinks can have a particuarly devastating effect on next days hangover. Ironically though having said that additionally, the carbonation in beer actually speeds up the absorption of alcohol. As a result, following beer with liquor gives the body even less time than usual to process.
What effects does drinking have on the body in a biological sense? Why do I feel the way I do after drinking?
When you drink, alohol enters the blood stream which sends signals to the pituitary gland in the brain to block the creation of a hormone known as the antidiuretic hormone. Without this chemical, the kidneys send water directly to the bladder instead of reabsorbing it into the body. This is why people who drink alcohol have to make frequent trips to the toilet after drinking. Remember this is the diuretic effect that I said was replenished with water and potassium from bananas. Now im not saying to eat bananas when you drink, but the water is a good aid in preventing this hangover.
Not only are you expelling water when you urinate, you are also expelling potassium and salts which are essential in providing cell and muscle function.
The body then sends a desperate message to replenish its water supply - usually manifested in the form of an extremely dry mouth. Headaches result from this body's dehydration because the body's organs try to make up for their own water loss by stealing water from the brain, causing the brain to decrease in size and pull on the membranes that connect the brain to the skull, resulting in pain. I like to think of the brain as a sponge, just as the brain soaks up knowledge and wisdom, it also soaks up the water and nutrients needed to function properly, drinking causes this sponge to then become very dry and brittle if it is not kept hydrated.
Sleep!- Time- we need time....
When we drink we are depleting the bodies source of glutamine, alcohol inhibits glutamine, this is one of the body's natural stimulants. When the drinker stops drinking, the body tries to make up for lost time by producing more glutamine than it needs. The increase in glutamine levels stimulate the brain when you are trying to go to sleep, this prevents you from reaching the deep, healing levels of sleep which is why you awake feeling fatigued, anxious, restless and increased blood pressure.
