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Curing the hangover blues

According to a survey by the makers of Alka-Seltzer, 75% of adults drink regularly and are not put off by a fortnightly hangover.

Christmas parties and overindulgence are likely to bring more frequent after-effects as people around the country wake up to regrets about the night before.

Hangovers are a mild version of the withdrawal symptoms suffered by alcoholics.

Alcohol relaxes the blood vessels allowing more blood to circulate around the body.

This makes people who drink feel warm, but, if they drink too much the blood vessels can open too wide, causing nerve activity and pain.

Dehydration

Alcohol also causes an increase in urination which can lead to dehydration.

And the toxins or congeners in alcohol can irritate the stomach, causing vomiting.

It may also cause a build-up of acids in the blood, leading to a feeling of fatigue and general unwellness.

Some types of alcohol are more likely to cause hangovers than others because they contain more congeners due to the way they are fermented.

For example, darker drinks such as red wine, brandy and port tend to have more congeners than white wine, gin and vodka.

Champagne is particularly risky as the bubbles speed up the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream.

Hangover tips

Alka-Seltzer has seven tips for Christmas drinking:

• Never drink on an empty stomach - food slows down the absorption of alcohol. Before you start drinking, line your stomach with something solid, like bread, and perhaps a non-acidic drink like milk;
• Cut down on cigarettes as smoking makes you thirsty;
• Pace yourself when you drink. Alternate some soft drinks with the alcoholic ones;
• Before going to bed drink plenty of water to help reduce the effects of dehydration. Keep a glass of fruit juice by your bed in case you wake in the night. Besides relieving thirst, it will boost vitaimin C levels;
• In the morning, if you do not feel like food, drink fruit juices and honey;
• avoid drinking coffee as this increases dehydration;
• avoid "hair of the dog" cures which involve drinking more alcohol. These may provide a temporary cure, but will make you feel worse in the long run.

Cures

Ever since alcohol was invented, people have been coming up with new ideas for curing hangovers.

Most current cures are linked to a vitamin C boost or a big fry-up. They include cocktails of tomato juice and other foods high in vitamins and minerals.

In Puerto Rico people rub lemon juice into their armpits in an effort to see off the hangover blues.

In China, one cure involves drinking fresh tangerine juice and eating strawberries.

This seems more appetising than the ancient Chinese cure - eating a small amount of horse brain the morning after a night of overindulgence.

The Ancient Egyptians swore by a drink made of cabbage water.

In the Middle Ages, people ate bitter almonds and raw eel to scare off hangovers while in the 19th century chimney sweeps drank warm milk with a teaspoon of soot.

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Alcohol's sad illusion (15 Oct 98 | Health)
Alcohol benefits begin at 33 (11 Sep 98 | Health)

Internet Links

Hangover page
Hangovers
Alcohol Concern

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