After A Few Tequila Shots Beers Rum Cokes And Wine -Hangover Guide

“The most effective way to avoid the symptoms of alcohol induced hangover is to avoid drinking.” – British Medical Journal.

What usually follows 1 Tequila Shot, 2 Beers, 3 Rum and Cokes, and 4 glasses of Wine? Heaven, if you are well prepared. If not, the following:

Diarrhoea
Loss of Appetite
Trembling
Nausea
Fatigue
Anxiety
Sleeplessness
Increased Blood Pressure and Heart Beats
Weakness

The main reason for a hangover, morning after, is an empty stomach meeting high spirits.

Yes, pouring alcohol down on an empty stomach trigger many reactions in our body. Firstly, direct reaction of alcohol on the stomach lining causes nausea; Then, Ethanol in any alcoholic drink causes dehydration, because of excessive urination. This leads to dryness of the mouth and lethargy.

Another organ severely affected by alcohol consumption is the liver. Excessive alcohol reduces the liver’s capability to produce detoxifying agents that help in blood purification. Also, components in alcohol prevent liver to produce the blood glucose, required for the brain. Since glucose is the main source of energy for the brain, lack of it results in fatigue, weakness, mood swings and reduced attention and concentration.

Also, too much urination, leads to draining the body of Potassium, Magnesium and salts, crucially required for proper nerve, muscle and cell functioning.

In our brain, it stimulates the pituitary gland, to block the creation of vasopressin. This leads the kidneys to send water, directly to the bladder, instead of absorbing in the body. When too much water is released from the body, before it could be compensated, the body tries to absorb water from the brain tissues, causing headaches and anxiety.

Precautions

Before the drinks

A full meal before you start downing the alcohol goes a long way to make the morning after, much better. Having food with high-carbohydrate content before drinking, delays the absorption of alcohol, thus giving more time to the body to process it.

Understanding your drink is also important. During the fermentation of a drink, congeners are produced, which contribute to the color of the drink. Darker drinks have more congeners, therefore, give you a worse hangover. Opt for vodka, rather than bourbon.

During the drinks

Alternating drinks with a glass of water prevents dehydration. For more effective results, add salt and sugar to replenish lost sodium and glycogen to the frequent loo visits.

After the drinks

Keep an aspirin/ibuprofen handy and pop it with a full glass of water, before sleeping. It is suggested to decrease the severity of hangover.

Since time, there have been many breakfast remedies for a hangover, some as radical as raw owl’s eggs or fried canary, to raw egg yolk mixed with Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, salt and pepper. Other relics include Coco-Cola with milk, Tomato juice with beer, Equal parts Champagne with flat Guinness stout. Though, none have been authenticated, so we’ll stick to more normal, modern day recipes.

Eggs: contain cysteine, which helps break the hangover causing toxins.
Fruit Juice: has Fructose, which increases body energy levels.
Bananas: replenish lost Potassium, as well as electrolytes.
Wheatgrass Juice: is a natural detoxifier, cleanses the liver and assists with the elimination of body waste.

Avoid

Hair of the Dog: More alcohol will only postpone the hangover symptoms, not cure it.

Cold-Hot-Cold water bath: medically proven unsafe.

Caffeine: inhibits energy, hydration and rest, required by the body to recover from a hangover.

It is often said that hangovers grow worse as one age; production of the enzymes required to metabolized alcohol slows down with age, therefore, it’s better to limit the intake from what you thought was your threshold during college time. So prepare yourself for a hangover-free festive season, instead of alcohol-free festivities.

With the holiday and festive season around the corner, celebrations on a roll and the drinks flowing the likelihood of a morning-after hangover  scenario increases for many.

Follow some of these tips and you won’t be feeling like this the next the morning!