SOME CAUSES

When your body ingests alcohol, it becomes dehydrated and filled with toxins (perhaps that’s why we describe the condition as intoxication). You experience a myriad of sensations, including sensitivity to loud sounds, light, headache, nausea, and thirst. In addition to physiological symptoms, alcohol is believed to induce psychological effects such as anxiety and depression. Spirit Gin has a reputation (deserved or not) for making some people feel “low in spirit” or depressed.

Although the precise causes of the psychological symptoms of what we know as a hangover are not yet known, in general terms we can safely say that it is probably due to toxins that are quickly introduced into the system. This leads to vitamin B12 deficiency, dehydration, and acetaldehyde poisoning (the liver that breaks down alcohol creates acetate and acetaldehyde as waste products), hence the toxic effect of alcohol on the system.

Beverages that are high in fermentation chemicals (red wine) are more likely to cause a bad hangover than, say, white wine. Whatever the causes, you are likely to experience a hangover that lasts for several days, depending on your metabolic rate, your physical constitution (endo form or ecto form), your weight, age, and whether you are male or female, all depending on the amount and quality of the alcohol consumed in relation to these qualifying conditions.

So, let’s take a look at some tips to help ease that throbbing head and queasy stomach. For some this will work; for others, well… cut back on alcohol!

· Try to drink plenty of water before you get caught up in your drinking, and again afterwards – this will help you stay hydrated and prevent you from getting a hangover!
Some vitamin B12 capsules can help: Bovril, Marmite, and Promite have varying amounts of B vitamins as well
Drink plenty of pure water and fresh fruit juice containing vitamin C; orange juice is an example.
A glass of tomato juice
Dry toast: It may be the lack of sugar that makes you feel wobbly in the legs.
Take a hot and cold shower alternately – it will wake you up if nothing else
A can of sardines or sardines (rich in minerals) if the stomach holds.
Exercise: ‘walking’ has long been on the list of hangover pain relievers
· Go to sleep – getting enough sleep can be the best hangover cure, and you won’t be wandering the streets looking stupid!

Finally, and NOT on the list is coffee; it is a fallacy that coffee makes you sober. With coffee comes caffeine and it is the caffeine that dehydrates. Since you’re already dehydrated (which is what caused the ‘hangover’ condition in the first place), it’s the last thing you need.