On almost any table during the holidays, alcoholic beverages find their place. People allow themselves to “skip” a glass or two, not really thinking about the health consequences of “libations”.
Meanwhile, even a small amount of ethanol taken can lead to the occurrence of a hangover syndrome. The idea of a hangover existing in past years as the fate of complete alcoholics is erroneous.
Both alcoholics and those who take alcohol only on holidays suffer from a hangover.
When symptoms appear, and any noise is given in the head by a blow of a sledgehammer, a person seeks to quickly get rid of such an unpleasant pathological condition. The methods are very varied: someone consumes a large amount of water, others come from the diametrically opposite side and start the morning with alcohol, still others “eat up” the hangover with lemon and other foods rich in vitamin C.
According to the average person, a hangover is just a temporary unpleasant condition, gradually passing without a trace. It is worth taking a couple of pills, as the problem disappears.
Meanwhile, a hangover is far from being as harmless and simple as it might seem at first glance.
What is a hangover?
In narcological science, it is generally accepted that a hangover is a complex psychophysiological pathological condition of the body caused by the toxic effects of ethyl alcohol. This is how medical science answers the question "what is a hangover."
Often in the consciousness of the average layman there is an association of a hangover with the so-called "brittle" (withdrawal syndrome). However, this is fundamentally wrong. Withdrawal syndrome occurs in drug addicts, alcoholics, and people who abuse substance because of not receiving the next "dose" of the substance. The reason for this phenomenon lies in the development of a state of physiological dependence of the body on a psychoactive agent.
There is an inverse relationship: the person did not take alcohol, and he developed withdrawal symptoms.
A hangover, in turn, is a temporary phenomenon, and besides, it, unlike withdrawal symptoms, is caused by alcohol intake.
The hangover is especially pronounced the next morning after drinking alcohol, because at night the metabolic rate drops to a minimum. However, this does not mean that the hangover syndrome cannot occur at other times of the day. Usually from the time of taking alcohol to the onset of the first symptoms, 2 to 4 hours pass, depending on gender, body weight, health status, and a number of other factors.
Why does a hangover occur?
The main organ that takes the brunt of taking alcoholic beverages is the liver (quoting one of the domestic bards: “sadness beats the liver”). The alcohol digestion enzyme is responsible for the breakdown of alcohol. Under the influence of this substance, ethanol passes into acetaldehyde. Acetaldehyde, in turn, is quickly neutralized by the body with aldehyde dehydrogenase, since, like most aldehydes, acetaldehyde is highly toxic.
The result of the chemical reaction is acetic acid. As a result of further transformations, the acid decomposes to carbon dioxide and water. These reactions would not have been possible without another substance, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (abbreviated NAD), which is reduced during a chemical reaction from another chemical agent, NADH.
The main reason for the development of specific hangover symptoms lies precisely in the increase in the concentration of highly toxic acetaldehyde in the blood. Depending on the intensity of the liver and the individual characteristics of the metabolism, the described chemical reactions (mainly referring to the neutralization of a toxic substance) proceed at different rates.
If acetaldehyde is eliminated relatively quickly, its concentration in the blood does not have time to rise to high marks and the hangover syndrome may not appear at all, or it may appear minimally. People who are lucky (and possibly vice versa) to have the ability to quickly and safely process ethanol are highly resistant to alcohol. It is such people who can drink several bottles of alcohol, and at the same time not only stay alive, but even barely sway when walking.
Otherwise, if the decomposition reaction of acetaldehyde is slow, a high concentration of the substance in the blood will be achieved even with the minimum dose of alcohol. Such people get drunk faster and suffer from a severe hangover syndrome even after drinking a cap of vodka.
Based on this effect, one of the methods of narcological treatment of chronic alcoholism is built. A substance is introduced into the patient's body that slows down the metabolic process of toxin decomposition. As a result, each new dose of alcohol worsens the patient's condition. As a result, a steady aversion to alcohol is formed at a reflex level (it is worth recalling the experiments of academician Pavlov and his poor dogs).
However, acetaldehyde poisoning is not the only cause of unpleasant hangover symptoms. The answer to the question "why does a hangover occur?" lies deeper and includes a number of factors.
- Pseudo-dehydration. This is a violation of blood circulation. Blood actively rushes to the lower and upper limbs, but the brain suffers from a temporary lack of oxygen and nutrients. As a result, a pathological thirst is formed, although there is plenty of water in the body.
- Metabolic disorders. To combat ethanol, the body spends a lot of useful substances: trace elements, vitamins.
- Acidosis or instability of the acid-base balance of the body. Ethanol products are not so harmless (including acetic acid). All of them are acidic in nature and shift the ph values of body fluids towards an acidic environment.
- The destruction of brain cells. Alcohol and its processed products actively affect brain structures, destroying neurons and increasing the sensitivity of nerve fibers.
Symptoms of a Hangover
The symptoms of a hangover are generally the same for all people, but the intensity of their manifestation varies. Women, for example, suffer a more severe hangover due to the slower production of specific enzymes. For the same reasons, alcohol resistance in people of the Mongoloid race is reduced.
- Headache, as well as nausea and vomiting. Their reason is the general intoxication of the body with acetaldehyde. The substance is irritating to specific brain centers. All three manifestations are signals of danger to the body and the result of a kind of protective mechanism.
- Weakness, tremor. The reason is acidosis. Violation of the normal acid-base balance in the body leads to increased breathing, weakness and trembling in the limbs.
- Change in normal blood pressure. A hangover also manifests itself in cardiovascular disorders. The reason is a change in the nature of the blood circulation.
- Swelling of the upper and lower extremities. Blood is unevenly distributed.
- Hypersensitivity to sounds, smells, light. This is because alcohol and its decay products increase the excitability of nerve fibers in the brain.
- Bad taste. Otherwise - "fume". If an excessively large dose of alcohol was taken the day before, the body does not have time to process all the alcohol and all acetaldehyde. In exhaled air, particles of these substances remain. As you know, they have a specific smell (especially acetaldehyde, whose smell can be described as a mixture of sauerkraut with garlic).
- Violations of normal sleep. Alcohol intake reduces the activity of some parts of the brain, while increasing the activity of other parts. As a result, the REM sleep phase is disturbed (during which the person dreams). Without this phase, rest is impossible, because even after spending 10 hours in bed, a person feels overwhelmed, which further aggravates an already serious condition.
The symptoms of a hangover do not end there. If there is a long intake of alcohol, a hangover syndrome will only intensify from time to time. New symptoms will appear, such as:
- general malaise;
- weight loss.
They are caused by active "burning" of the body's internal resources.
Hangover diagnosis
The hangover syndrome, although it is a pathological condition, is still not a disease. Special diagnostic measures to establish a hangover syndrome are also not required. The result, as they say, is obvious.
The simplicity of the diagnosis (so to speak of a hangover) is so simple that even a person without a medical education can cope with it. The usual medical history is enough.
A completely different thing - determine the degree of pathology and the presence of danger to the health and life of the patient.
If there are sharp pressure drops, pressure at the critical level (below 90-100 and other figures, depending on the characteristic working pressure), confusion, the general serious condition of the patient - you should seek qualified help. Given that the patient is not able to get to the hospital, an ambulance call will be a reasonable solution.
Attending doctors: toxicologist, narcologist.
Hangover: what to do?
If a person is able to move independently and there are no peak states, you can try to cope with a hangover yourself. Remedies for a hangover at home are diverse:
1) The use of dairy products. Sour-milk products, especially milk, do an excellent job of removing toxins from the body (here it is worth recalling milk for its harmfulness). If alcohol was consumed the day before, you should drink 0.5-1 liter of warm milk. In cold form, it is absorbed worse, loading the digestive system. With this method, it is worth being careful for people suffering from gastritis with low acidity, reactive pancreatitis, and an allergy to milk.
2) If the body does not cope with toxins on its own, it needs help. One of absorbent preparations, for example, Enterosgel. Other sorbents, for example, activated carbon, act in the same way.
It is recommended to take coal at the rate of 1 tablet for every 10 kg of weight. The optimal dose for a hangover syndrome is 8-10 tablets. They will not cause harm, but the effect will be pronounced. For faster action, tablets should be crushed or cracked. Reception of sorbents is one of the main answers to the question "what to do with a hangover".
3) Sleep. According to specialized specialists, sleep is one of the most effective drugs for a hangover. During sleep, the body begins to cleanse itself, bringing all systems to a state of dynamic equilibrium (homeostasis). However, there is an important point.
If the state of intoxication has not yet passed, someone should watch the drunken person from the side. There are two reasons for this. First, in a dream, a drunken man risks choking on his own vomit. Secondly, with a long stay of the patient’s body in the same position, the so-called crash syndrome, in which alcohol breakdown products stagnate in muscle tissue and lead to the development of a shock state and acute renal failure. A drunken person in a helpless state must be turned over every 10-30 minutes.
4) Cleaning procedures. One of the most effective remedies for a hangover at home is self-washing of the stomach and intestines. The method is very simple. You need to drink up to 6-8 glasses of water and press on the root of the tongue to cause vomiting. Repeat the procedure until clean water (especially if on the eve of the patient drank with a tight snack). The denser the snack, the longer the decay products and unprocessed alcohol will remain in the body, as food masses inhibit fluid movement.
To cleanse the intestine, an enema in 5-10 liters of water is recommended. Excessive zeal, and putting an enema of 20 liters like a siphon, is not worth it. Enough specified volume. In severe poisoning, it is recommended to cleanse the intestines repeatedly (up to 5-7 times).
5) Water. To relieve a hangover syndrome, it is recommended to gradually use (within 3-4 hours) 1-2 liters of pure water (namely water, not tea, juice and other drinks). Due to this, the volume of circulating blood is normalized, toxins are eliminated faster. Drink all 2 liters at once should not. The body will react and give a signal to the kidneys to intensify the work. It is best to drink half a liter every 30 minutes.
6) Replenishment of salt. Hangover: how to get rid of at home? Remember the old grandfather way. Salts of electrolytes will serve well in getting rid of the hangover syndrome. Cabbage or cucumber pickle is best. However, it should be borne in mind that you need to drink a brine, not a pickle. The amount of brine is about one glass. No more. Otherwise, the symptoms will worsen.
7) Herbal tinctures. Moving from the "grandfather" recipe to the "grandmother". A person suffering from a hangover syndrome should drink a tincture of rowan berries or wild rose. In addition, you can drink a decoction of oats in milk.
8) Hearty breakfast. Allows you to restore blood sugar. If vomiting is observed, there is nothing worth it until the cessation of urge. If you don’t have enough strength for a hearty breakfast, you can eat high-calorie foods: bananas, dried fruits, boiled potatoes.
9) Lemon juice. Activates the Krebs cycle, eliminating the so-called "dried up".
10) Vitamin B, glycine.
11) Physical exercise. They accelerate metabolic processes, contributing to the elimination of toxins from the body. But with a general grave condition, jumping, running, lifting weights, etc., for obvious reasons, is quite difficult.
These are just the most popular hangover methods.
Hangover: how to get rid of at home? Precautionary measures
Recommendations for a hangover pain at home include a number of caveats.
1) After taking sorbent drugs, it is necessary as empty your bowels as soon as possible. The optimal time is 2-2.5 hours after taking the medicine. Otherwise, sorbents that enter the intestines will become an additional source of poisoning with ethanol and its decay products.
2) Do not get involved in alcohol, as a remedy for a hangover. Popular wisdom "wedge wedge wedge" does not work here. Drinking alcohol during a hangover can go binge. It is allowed to take one whole glass for therapeutic purposes to alleviate the condition. But after this, you should immediately begin therapeutic measures.
3) If it so coincided that a hangover coexists with a cold - in no case Do not take drugs that include paracetamol. It is hepatotoxic and will put additional strain on the liver. The result may be unpredictable.
4) Take lemon juice with caution. Persons with gastritis with high acidity, in particular.
5) Drinking water for therapeutic purposes is not worth it immediately after taking alcohol. This is a futile exercise.It will be removed from the body before intoxication occurs, and problems with blood circulation begin.
In what cases to see a doctor?
As already mentioned, if the patient is in serious condition, it is worth calling an ambulance. Toxic poisoning can lead to serious consequences, including death.
If the patient is an alcoholic with experience, or has individual characteristics of the body, in which the hangover does not go away within 2-4 days, you should also not postpone the visit to the specialist. Such a manifestation may indicate the onset of delirium tremens.
The hospital will perform gastric lavage, put a cleansing enema and a dropper with a nutrient solution and medications (saline, glucose, magnesia, etc.) to relieve specific symptoms.
Hangover Prevention
Paradoxically, the main way to prevent a hangover is to give up alcohol. But if the reception of alcohol-containing products nevertheless took place, and the next morning there was a trip to work or other important matters, there are several ways to save yourself from having to lay in bed all day in dark glasses and earplugs.
1) Immediately after drinking (wait 1-2 hours) drink 0.5-1 liter of warm milk.
2) Take sorbent preparations (activated carbon, etc.) before bedtime.
In addition, there are several recommendations on how to take alcohol:
1) It is possible to bite abundantly and tightly only if the amount of alcohol consumed is not more than 50-100 ml (subject to normal metabolism and a normal rate of processing of ethanol and acetaldehyde).
2) When taking alcohol-containing products, do not bite on foods rich in animal fats, for example, butter. They interfere with the absorption of alcohol into the blood. Under normal conditions, alcohol is absorbed gradually, intoxication develops progressively. In the case of the use of such a snack, alcohol will begin to be absorbed later, but in a huge dosage. Delayed intoxication will occur and the liver, with a high degree of probability, will not cope with such a load. As a result, most of the alcohol and decay products will remain unprocessed, and the hangover will be much harder.
3) Knowing the characteristics of your body, do not abuse alcohol. Everything is good in moderation.
In this way, a hangover is not a disease, but a pathological condition with its own symptomatic complex. The reason for the development of the hangover syndrome is the poisoning of the body with ethanol and its processed products: acetaldehyde and acetic acid. It is in this, mainly, that the whole set of symptoms of a hangover lies: dry mouth, headache, vomiting, nausea, etc.
The treatment is symptomatic. If the hangover is mild, you can take no action and wait for the body to cope with the consequences of taking alcohol. With a moderate severity of manifestations, the use of folk remedies in the fight against a hangover is permissible. But if the patient is in serious condition - it’s not worth the risk. It is better to seek qualified medical help.
