All About The Hangover And How To Deal With It

December 8 is a nice holiday on which students, in addition to having fun, also indulge in drinking. Everyone drinks a lot ... Every year after the students' holiday in toxicology, dozens of young people with varying degrees of alcohol poisoning enter. Doctors explain that boys between the ages of 20 and 22 are most often admitted to the toxicology wards, but there are also a number of girls who have had too much alcohol.

Doctors warn that the most dangerous and often deadly is the combination of large amounts of alcohol with marijuana, synthetic drugs and other drugs.
 

Alcohol abuse can cause countless unpleasant accidents such as falling, self-injury, loss of control and fighting, and drunk driving can end up with far more unpleasant consequences than a fine and driver's license revocation.
 

Even if there are no serious consequences, excessive drinking certainly guarantees a terrible hangover the next morning.
 

A hangover is actually a combination of various unpleasant symptoms due to alcohol intoxication.
 

Complaints include headache and dizziness, muscle aches, fatigue, thirst, nausea or vomiting, red eyes, increased sensitivity to light and noise, poor sleep quality, reduced ability to work. Other symptoms may include fever, sweating, tremor, palpitations as an expression of increased sympathetic nervous system tone.
 

These symptoms can vary from person to person, as well as depending on the type and amount of alcohol consumed.
The first symptoms begin shortly after the blood alcohol level decreases - that is, when the initial toxic effect that dulls the senses passes. The unpleasant sensations can last from several hours to a whole day, and this also depends on the quantity and quality of the exam, as well as on the individual ability of the body to fight the toxic effects of alcohol.
 

What causes a hangover?
 

Dehydration
Alcohol is a powerful diuretic and is a major factor in frequent diuresis (urine output). The diuretic properties of alcoholic beverages are due to their indirect effect on the pituitary gland and hypothalamus, which release the hormone vasopressin. Vasopressin plays a central role in controlling the formation and excretion of urine and suppressing it leads to an increase in fluid excretion.

When the loss of fluid through the urine is not compensated by drinking enough water, the body becomes dehydrated, namely dehydration causes headaches, dizziness, intolerance to light and loud noise.
 

Inflammation of the gastric mucosa
Nausea and vomiting and abdominal pain are provoked by inflammation of the gastric mucosa caused by alcohol. Alcohol also slows the emptying of the stomach, which can also cause nausea and vomiting.
 

Low blood sugar
The metabolism of ethyl alcohol by enzymes successively produces acetaldehyde and acetic acid, which have a strong toxic effect and are a major factor in the manifestation of alcohol intoxication.

The breakdown of alcohol is a high-intensity process that blocks glucose production and increases lactic acid levels, causing acidosis. Because glucose is a major source of energy for the brain, low blood sugar causes fatigue, muscle weakness, fatigue, decreased ability to work, and inability to concentrate.
 

Insomnia
Alcohol causes drowsiness, but significantly impairs the quality of sleep. The individual phases of sleep change, which disrupts the body's normal recovery cycle.


How to prevent a hangover?

• The surest thing you can do to protect yourself from a hangover is just not to drink or drink slowly and moderately
• Do not mix different types of alcohol.
• Do not drink on an empty stomach. Eating, especially fatty foods, slows down the absorption of alcohol in the stomach and thus the body has a little more time to ensure the breakdown of alcohol.
• Drink fluids. Drinking plenty of water and fruit juices will reduce dehydration and maintain high blood glucose levels.

How to relieve a hangover?

Enough fluids. Intake of water, fruit juices, electrolyte-rich liquids, such as salted marinades, soups, broths restore the body's water balance.

Coffee does not help . Caffeine is also a diuretic and will increase dehydration.

Eat lighter foods. Rusks, plain biscuits, toasted slices, rice, bananas are preferable. It is good to avoid heavy and fatty and spicy foods that can irritate the stomach lining.

Analgesics. Some medications also help to deal with a hangover faster. Doctors warn that aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Aulin, Piroxicam), which further have an adverse effect on the gastric mucosa and disrupt the defense mechanisms against hydrochloric acid.

There is still no reliable remedy to prevent a hangover or fight its symptoms.

It should be remembered that severe alcohol intoxication is life-threatening and in such cases should seek medical attention in a timely manner.