The Science Behind Hangovers

As fun as drinking can be, sometimes the booze flows a little too freely, and the morning after can be a curse on existence! Hangovers are no fun, and most people try to avoid them (unless they’re the ones with Bradley Cooper, in which case we understand why you like them). Since the first step to avoiding a problem is to know about it, today we learn about the science behind hangovers!

What Is A Hangover?

Photo Credit: Pinterest / dailymail.co.ukHad a little too much glug-glug last night? Do you feel pain and discomfort in places in your body you didn't know even existed? Congratulations, you have your very own hangover! No point in trying to avoid people now, when you should have been avoiding the second half of your drinking spree last night.A hangover is a package deal of pain, discomfort, and sickness that you experience after a night of heavy drinking. Note that you don’t get a hangover every time you drink, just the few times when the drinking gets a bit too out of control. Symptoms of hangover can include, but are not limited to:

• Nausea (it’s the “booze demon” trying to crawl out of you!)
• Headaches, muscular pain (+5 pain if you tried headbanging or show-off your strength)
• Dry throat (who knew an active drying agent would do that to you?)
• Sensitivity to bright lights, or loud sounds (had too much of that in the club anyway, didn’t you?)
• Sweating and shakiness (not the fun, “Shake it off” kind either!)
• Dizziness or lack of orientation (Alexa, play “Right Round” by Flo Rida!)
• Increased heart rate (it’s not love, it’s a hangover)

Since everyone and their dog wants to jump on the “bespoke” trend these days, hangovers figured they’d join the club too. These are not the only symptoms you could experience if you decided to irrigate your systems with booze. That’s right, you can get custom-made hangovers for the additional price of “ruined you day”!So, now you know what a hangover feels like, no thanks to us (you brought this one on yourself, buddy). Here’s a little peek into why, apart from drinking more than you can handle, hangovers happen.Also Read: Spice Route Cocktails: Infusing Indian Spices into Drinks

Why Does A Hangover Happen?

Photo Credit: Pinterest / tardokanatomy.ruThis might be a question you ask yourself on the morning of the hangover, plus with a little drama and whining. The obvious answers could be drinking on an empty stomach, drinking too much, not drinking water or staying hydrated while drinking. While drinking is the common denominator here, don’t blame the booze! These are the things you did to yourself. Here’s the reality of what the alcohol does to you that causes a hangover.

• Dehydration: It is commonly known that you hit the urinals more often when you drink, but have you ever wondered why? You see, drinking alcohol reduces the release of a chemical called vasopressin. Vasopressin is the messenger from your brain to your kidneys that tells them to hold the gates of your dam closed. Since alcohol reduces the amount of this messenger, you retain less water, pee more often, and as a result, end up being dehydrated. This dehydration is what causes the dry throat, headaches, and fatigue.
• Inflammation: Let’s take another trip to the human biochemistry lab, shall we? Since alcohol isn’t a regular visitor, your body’s immune system tries to fight the bin bulaye mehman. It does so by releasing a chemical called cytokines. Cytokines are also a type of messenger chemical in your body, and these messengers cause inflammation in your body. These inflammations are what cause the sick, feverish feeling that you get all over when you are hungover.
• Gastrointestinal Issues: Gastro… Whatever, we aren’t typing all that. GI issues can be simply read as “tummy feel bad”. Alcohol is a known drying agent, and as it reaches your intestines, the booze turns the plumbing of your stomach drier than the Sahara desert. This causes your intestines and your entire digestive tract to be irritated, and you feel nauseated throughout your hangover.
• Sleep Disruption: While a little nightcap may knock you out cold, drinking too much does more harm to your sleep than good. Despite falling asleep, as your body tries to process the excess alcohol in your body, it starts experiencing the above mentioned side effects, and more. So your quickly acquired sleep is also not a really good sleep. The fragmented or uneasy sleep ends up affecting you when you wake up, leaving you tired, unable to focus, and possibly with migraine-like sensitivity symptoms.
• Irregular Cardiac Activity: The alcohol that you drink gets processed by your body and it breaks down into a chemical called acetaldehyde, which interrupts your body’s ability to process proteins (this is an important function) in smaller amounts. Exposure to more acetaldehyde has more serious consequences, like increased heart beat, headaches, dizziness and more.

Although acetaldehyde is converted into a more stable chemical called acetate, there is a genetic factor that decides how long said conversion takes. If you are someone whose body converts acetaldehyde to acetate slowly,

• Withdrawals: Drinking alcohol leads to a state of euphoria, calmness, and relaxation, which is commonly referred to as “the buzz”. As your body processes the alcohol, it tries to get used to this new and altered state of mind. Once you stop drinking and the effects of the alcohol wear off, your body, now used to the previously mentioned altered but pleasant state, craves more alcohol.

These cravings and the lack of their fulfillment is what leads to the crankiness in the morning after a night of heavy drinking. No, the cure isn’t to drink more to fulfill these cravings, but in being prudent with your spirits the night before. Alas, you have no time machine, so maybe try again next time?Also Read: 7 Drinks To Order As A First-Time Drinker

Summing Up

Congratulations! You are now a step closer to defeating the great hangover, because as the Zen masters (and we in this article) said, the first step to defeating an enemy is to know the enemy. The best step to prevent hangovers is to drink in moderation, but in case you are more of a “drink first, ask questions later” sort, you might want to look into some more ways to prevent hangovers.

FAQs

What Is The Scientific Reason For A Hangover?Drinking excessive alcohol causes your body to break it down into chemicals that cause inflammation in or irritate your stomach. This leads to the sick and nauseating feeling that is called a hangover.What Is The Chemistry Behind A Hangover?The most common known chemical that causes the effects of a hangover is called acetaldehyde. In smaller doses, acetaldehyde interrupts the protein processing function of the body, and in larger amounts, it is a toxin that can lead to effects like increased heart beat, sweating and shakiness, and more.What Is The Biology Behind A Hangover?As your body processes the alcohol you consume, it breaks down into acetaldehyde, which causes problems like increased heart beat, sweating and shakiness, and more. On top of the exposure to acetaldehyde, your body’s immune system releases a large amount of cytokines in response to the foreign element of alcohol. Cytokines cause inflammation and lead to the feverish or sick feeling you get when hungover.Why Does A Hangover Happen?Drinking alcohol in excess leads to release of chemicals as the alcohol gets processed by your body. These chemicals cause a plethora of issues, like dizziness, nausea, headaches, and more, which are collectively called getting a hangover.What Is The True Cure To A Hangover?There is no “after the fact” cure that you can take to stop the effects of a hangover. The only real way to stop a hangover from ruining your day is to practice control when you consume alcohol.Is A Hangover Just Dehydration?Although dehydration is commonly paired with the symptoms of a hangover, it is not the only reason behind or the constituent of a hangover.Why Does Alcohol Cure A Hangover?Alcohol does not cure a hangover. The only reason “The Hair of the Dog” is seen as a cure because drinking alcohol returns the euphoric feeling that helps overpower the unease of a hangover. Once the buzz from the latest drink wears off, the hangover symptoms return.