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What all that booze
does to your body

The hangover is not new to modern times. There are descriptions of hangovers in the writings of ancient Egypt, Greece, and in the Old Testament. There can be little doubt that our most ancient pre-literate ancestors experienced hangovers soon after they discovered alcohol.

If Blake was prophetic, no one would ever over-imbibe more than once. But with our human predisposition for denial, the ability to forget discomfort, and in spite of our supposed intelligence, we forget. Then we find ourselves once again lamenting the previous evening's celebratory excesses.

If you woke up yesterday with an uncertain stomach, a killer headache, a washcloth tongue in a gross-tasting, fuzzy mouth, an aversion to light and loud sounds, and a guilty conscience, you probably were not wondering or caring much about what the alcohol actually did to your body.

By now you are probably feeling better, and resolving not to do it again next New Year's Eve.

In addition to the common symptoms, others range rom mild to severe: redness of the eyes, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, increased systolic blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, tremor, and sweating.

Mental symptoms can include dizziness, vertigo, decreased attention and concentration, irritability, anxiety, and depression.

No one knows for sure what actually causes a hangover. Equally uncertain is the degree to which a hangover affects thinking and motor functions, a question with serious implications for activities in the workplace and on the highways.

Nor is there general agreement about the effectiveness of remedies such as aspirin, coffee, tomato juice or the icepack. Different things work for different people at different times and the efficacy of remedies depends on the circumstances.

Often, nothing works but the slow passage of time.

Despite a slew of suggested remedies, few of the treatments commonly described for hangover have undergone scientific evaluation. Some researchers and clinicians questions whether it is even a good idea to research remedies for the hangover condition, given its potential as a self-deterrent.

Although hangovers are associated with heavy drinking, some people suffer after consuming only small amounts of alcohol while some heavy drinkers experience no symptoms at all.

Drinking lots of water along with the alcohol is one thing that is known to reduce the hangover symptoms. In addition to reducing the effects of dehydration, water also helps to limit the amount of alcoholic beverages consumed.

The quantity as well as the quality of the beverages being consumed are also factors. Hangover symptoms are thought to be caused by combinations of the direct physiological effects of alcohol on the brain and other organs, the physiological effects of alcohol's metabolites (especially acetaldehyde), as well as indirect factors.

Alcohol is carried in the blood to all parts of the body, affecting the brain by penetrating the blood-brain barrier that protects the brain from many toxic substances. It also taxes the liver and the kidneys.

One important indirect and unpredictable factor is the toxicity of many biologically active nonalcohol chemicals called congeners that are present in varying amounts in alcoholic beverages, many of which have not not even been identified.

Generally the cheaper the beverage the more congeners and also the greater the likliehood of small amounts of methanol, which is much more poisonous than ethanol.

Generally, white wines and clear distilled liquors such as vodka and gin contain fewer congeners than red wines and dark distilled liquors.

Some of the hangover symptoms may be a mild form of alcohol withdrawal, although withdrawal is typically associated with multiple and repeated bouts of intoxication.

Behaviors associated with the drinking such as the use of other drugs, nicotine, restricted food intake, disruption of sleep, and personal characteristics such as temperament, personality, and even family history of alcoholism and mood also contribute.

Many of the hangover symptoms are related to dehydration: thirst, weakness, dryness of mucous membranes, dizziness, and lightheadedness.

Dehydration occurs because alcohol is a diuretic. Drinking eight ounces of an alcoholic beverage causes the body to expel thirty ounces of water.

Alcohol promotes urine production by inhibiting the release of an antidiuretic hormone called vasopressin that is produced in the pituitary gland. Reduced levels of vasopressin prevent the kidneys from conserving water, which further increases urine production.

Urination also expels electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium that are necessary for proper nerve and muscle function. When sodium and potassium levels get too low, headaches, fatigue and nausea can result. Alcohol also breaks down the body's store of glycogen in the liver, converting it to glucose and expelling it in the urine.

Excessive alcohol consumption can thus result in low blood sugar levels, (hypoglycemia) and a buildup of lactic acid, which is a major cause of aching muscles.

Because glucose is the primary energy source of the brain, low blood glucose can contribute to hangover symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, and mood disturbances.

Sweating, vomiting, and diarrhea also commonly occur during a hangover, all of which result in additional fluid loss and electrolyte imbalances.

Alcohol irritates the stomach and intestines, causing gastritis and delayed stomach emptying, especially when the consumed beverages have alcohol concentration greater than 15 percent (30 proof).

Alcohol also increases the production of gastric acid, pancreatic and intestinal secretions. Any or all of these can result in the abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting experienced during a hangover.

High levels of alcohol consumption produces an accumulation of triglycerides in the liver, a form of fat that can build up in artery walls and may cause atherosclerosis.

Whatever your condition the morning after, or the precise reasons for it, like any substance moderation is the key to healthy enjoyment of alcohol, placing the least strain on the body's delicate biochemical balances.

For a good summary of the effects of intoxication and hangovers, go to health.howstuffworks.com/hangover.htm