Eddy M. Elmer: The "hangover"

The "hangover:" friend or foe?

Eddy Elmer, University of Toronto Student Health Outreach Program

University of Toronto Health Service: ShopTalk, January 1998

Regardless of the amount of alcohol we consume, we're frequently unaware of its influence on our bodies. Many of us know someone who can have numerous drinks and not appear or even feel the least bit affected. Unfortunately, even the smallest amount of alcohol can cause significant cognitive and motor impairment, which all too often becomes obvious only after we've gotten behind the wheel and had an accident. Alcohol can definitely play tricks on the mind.

If we consider that the effects of alcohol are often "hidden," we can see the "hangover" that many of us experience after drinking as a rare gift from nature. In this sense, those of us who experience a hangover after drinking should not aim simply to alleviate its associated discomfort only to return to more drinking on another occasion, but should take this unpleasant physiological response as one of very few warnings we get that we are drinking far more than our bodies can handle.

The hallmarks of hangover, including headaches, dizziness, nausea, fatigue, and depression, are caused by the breakdown of alcohol, and can continue even after the blood alcohol level has returned to 0. Body composition, alcohol consumption levels, and psychological expectations of symptoms all play a role in determining the extent of a hangover.

But regardless of the factors, we must pay attention to these symptoms and realise that we must alter our alcohol consumption patterns, even if this means drinking less than what most people would consider "in moderation." At the end of this article, there are a few tips on changing how we drink.

Those of us who must reduce our alcohol consumption should realise, more importantly, that even though hangovers may no longer occur, any alcohol we consume will still affect us in some negative way---which means that we should absolutely never drive or operate dangerous machinery during or after drinking (remember: even after blood alcohol levels have returned to 0, we all continue to experience some degree of potentially lethal impairment).

Some tips on changing how we drink

Easiest thing to do: don't drink at all and just have a glass of orange or tomato juice, tonic water or club soda with a slice of lemon or lime.
If you do want to drink, try to sip your drink slowly: enjoy the drink you've chosen and don't just "chug" everything in sight.
Dilute your drink with lots of juice or a mixer like soda water to make it last longer.
Never starve yourself before drinking. A stomach full of oily foods and carbohydrate foods, such as breads and potatoes, helps to slow the blood's absorption of alcohol.
Eat ice cream before and during partying! High blood sugar levels, coldness, and foods rich in proteins and fats can slow alcohol's way to your brain.
Don't eat cheeses like Stilton, Gorgonzola, and Roquefort, or pickled herring before or while drinking.
Avoid red wine and brandy: in addition to alcohol, they contain methanol (wood alcohol) which is even harder to break down.
Avoid Aspirin: it may interfere with the enzyme that breaks down alcohol.

Alcohol illusions

Booze is booze: 12 ounces of beer, 4 ounces of wine, 1.5 ounces of 80-proof spirits all contain same amount of alcohol.
Just because it's "Lite/Light," doesn't mean it's lower in alcohol.
A "cooler" is no different from any other drink: it can have the same amount, or even more alcohol than, say, a beer, except it is mixed with water, fruit juice, etc.
You can't reduce or null the effects of alcohol by sleeping, or by drinking coffee. Coffee is a diuretic that dehydrates you even more than alcohol does.
Hangover is not caused by "mixing drinks" or "cheap booze"---it's caused by drinking more than your body can handle.

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Eddy M. Elmer