Description

A hangover is a group of unpleasant symptoms that can occur after drinking too much alcohol. As if feeling awful weren't bad enough, frequent hangovers are also associated with poor performance and conflict in the home, school and work.

Generally, the more alcohol you drink, the more likely you are to have a hangover the next day. But there's no easy way of knowing how much you can safely drink and still avoid a hangover.

However unpleasant, most hangovers go away on its own, although it can take up to 24 hours. If you choose to drink alcohol, do so responsibly can help you stay away from the hangovers.

Symptoms

The hangover of the symptoms often begin when your blood alcohol content falls and is at or near zero. The symptoms are usually in full force and effect the morning after a night of drinking in excess. Depending on what and how the amount of alcohol you drank, you may notice:

  • Extreme tiredness and weakness.
  • The thirst and dry mouth.
  • Headache and muscle aches.
  • Nausea, vomiting, or abdominal pain.
  • The lack of sleep or not enough sleep.
  • Low tolerance for light and sound.
  • Dizziness or a sensation of the room spinning.
  • Tremors and sweating.
  • Trouble concentrating or thinking clearly.
  • Changes in mood, such as depression, anxiety, and irritability.
  • Fast heartbeat.

When to see a doctor

The hangover after a night of drinking to go away on their own. Talk with your health care professional if you are concerned that the frequency of excessive consumption of alcohol can lead to serious problems, such as abstinence from alcohol.

When it is an emergency

More severe symptoms of excessive consumption of alcohol can be a sign of alcohol poisoning — an emergency that threatens the life. Alcohol poisoning is a serious and sometimes fatal result of drinking large amounts of alcohol in a short period of time. Drinking too much too quickly can affect your breathing, heart rate, body temperature and gag reflex. In some cases, this can lead to coma and death.

Call 911 or the local emergency number if a person who has been drinking is showing symptoms of:

  • Confusion.
  • Vomiting.
  • Seizures.
  • Slow breathing (fewer than eight breaths a minute.
  • Irregular breathing — a gap of more than 10 seconds between breaths.
  • Moisture or sweat from the skin.
  • Blue or gray color of the skin due to low oxygen levels. Depending on the color of the skin, these changes may be difficult to see.
  • A slow heart rate.
  • Low body temperature.
  • Difficulty staying conscious.
  • Pass and not be able to be awakened.

A person cannot be awakened, and is at risk of dying. If you suspect that someone has alcohol poisoning — even if you don't see the classic symptoms — get immediate medical help.

Causes

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 not have a hangover.

Several problems can contribute to a hangover. For example:

  • The Alcohol causes the body to produce more urine. You lose extra fluid from the body by urinating more than usual. This can lead to dehydration. Symptoms of dehydration include thirst, tiredness, headache, dizziness and lightheadedness.
  • Alcohol triggers an inflammatory response of the immune system. The immune system can cause certain substances connected with the defense system of the body. This tends to cause physical symptoms that make you feel as if you are sick. Symptoms can also include problems with thinking clearly and remember, lack of appetite and loss of interest in usual activities.
  • Alcohol irritates the lining of the stomach. Alcohol can irritate the stomach. Alcohol also causes your stomach to make more acid. This can cause abdominal pain, nausea, or vomiting.
  • Alcohol can cause blood sugar levels to fall. If your blood sugar dips too low, you may feel very tired, weak, and shaky. You may also have mood swings, and even seizures.
  • The Alcohol prevents restful sleep. You may feel sleepy, but the alcohol prevents you from getting the kind of sleep that helps you feel rested. Alcohol also often causes you to wake up in the middle of the night or very early in the morning. You don't get a good quality of sleep can leave you groggy and tired.

Congeners

Alcoholic drinks contain ingredients that are called congeners. These are many types of alcoholic beverages, their taste and smell. You can also play a role in hangovers. Congeners are found in large amounts in dark liquors, such as brandy and whisky, to clear spirits such as vodka and gin.

Congeners are more likely to cause a hangover, or make a hangover worse. But drinking too much alcohol of any color can make you feel bad the next morning.

Risk factors

Any person who drinks alcohol may have a hangover. But some people are more prone to hangovers than others. A difference in a gene that affects the way the body breaks down the alcohol can make some people blush, sweat, or sick after drinking even a small amount of alcohol.

Problems that can cause a hangover is more likely or worse include:

  • Drinking on an empty stomach. Not having food in the stomach, with speeds of up to how much and how fast the alcohol enters the body.
  • The use of other drugs, such as nicotine, along with the alcohol. Smoking along with the consumption of alcohol seems to increase the likelihood of a hangover.
  • Not sleeping well or enough time after drinking. Some researchers believe that certain hangover symptoms are often due, at least in part, to how much sleep after a night of drinking. The poor quality of sleep and not getting enough sleep, in general, follows the consumption of alcohol.
  • Having a family history of alcohol use disorder. Having close family members with a history of alcohol use disorder may suggest an inherited problem with the way your body processes the alcohol.
  • Drinking darker-colored alcoholic beverages. Darker colored drinks often contain a high level of congeners and may be more likely to cause a hangover.

Wine headache

Some people have a headache a few hours after you drink the wine, especially red wine. The cause of the headache is not clear. But it is different from a hangover, which may or may not include a headache. It is possible that some chemicals in the wine and how the body responds to them could result in a headache after drinking wine. More research is needed to find the exact cause of a wine headache.

Complications

When you have a hangover, it is likely that you have problems with:

  • Clarity of thought and memory.
  • Attention and focus.
  • Tasks that require constant of the hands and the coordination of the body.

It is not surprising that, in the short-term dulling of their skills, increases the risk of problems in the home, school and work, such as:

  • Problems of time, or does not appear at all.
  • Trouble finishing tasks.
  • The conflict with others.
  • Falling asleep in school or at work.
  • Problems to drive a car or operate machinery.
  • The injuries on the job.

Prevention

Some companies use misleading advertising to the claim that their products can prevent hangovers. But the only guaranteed way to prevent a hangover is to not drink alcohol.

If you choose to drink alcohol, do so in moderation. Moderate alcohol use for healthy adults means:

  • Up to one drink a day for women.
  • Up to two drinks per day for men.

The less alcohol you drink, the less likely you are to have a hangover. This may help:

  • Eat before and while drinking. The Alcohol enters the body more quickly if your stomach is empty. This can help to get something to eat before drinking alcohol, and during the time that you are drinking.
  • Choose carefully. Drinks with fewer congeners are slightly less likely to cause a hangover of the drinks with more congeners. But remember that all types of alcohol can cause a hangover.
  • Drink water between alcoholic drinks. Drink a full glass of water after each alcoholic drink will help you stay hydrated. We will also help you drink less alcohol.
  • Know your limits and only drink in moderation. Decide ahead of time how many drinks you are going to have — and stick to it. Don't feel pressured to drink.
  • Take things slowly. Have No more than one alcoholic beverage at a time. Stop drinking completely when you have reached your limit — or before then.

Some people taking pain medicines to prevent symptoms of the hangover. But ask your health care provider if it is safe for you and how much it is the best medication for you. These medications may not work well together with other medicines that you take.

Aspirin and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) can cause your stomach to make more acid, which can irritate the stomach. And acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) can cause serious liver damage if taken with too much alcohol.

Diagnosis

People do not usually go to a health care professional to get a diagnosis or treatment of a hangover. Most likely, you will know if you have a hangover on the basis of their symptoms in the morning after drinking alcohol. Common symptoms include fatigue, dry mouth, headache, nausea, trouble thinking clearly, and the low tolerance for light and sound.

Talk with your health care professional for regular hangovers affect your quality of life, including personal relationships, or your performance in school or at work. The treatment of the problems with alcohol is widely available.

Treatment

Time is the only cure for the hangover. The symptoms can last up to 24 hours. In the meantime, here are some things you can do to help yourself feel better:

  • Fill in your water bottle. Drink water or fruit juice to prevent dehydration. Resist any temptation to treat a hangover with more alcohol. Will only make you feel worse.
  • Have a snack. The soft food, such as toast and crackers, you can increase the sugar in the blood and settle the stomach. The broth of the soup can help replace the loss of salt and potassium.
  • Take a pain reliever. A standard dose of a pain reliever that you can buy without a prescription, can relieve a headache. But be careful in the use of these medications with alcohol. Aspirin and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) may irritate the stomach. The combination of alcohol and acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) can cause serious liver damage.
  • Go back to bed. If you sleep enough, your hangover may have disappeared when you wake up.

Alternative medicine

Many alternative remedies are marketed for hangovers. But studies have found natural remedies that regularly or effectively improve the symptoms of the hangover.

Talk with your health care professional before attempting any alternative medicine. Please note that natural does not always mean security. Your health care professional can help you understand possible risks and benefits before you try a treatment.

Symptoms and treatment of Hangover