Hangover: What you need to know

What is hangover?

A hangover is a condition in which a person experiences unpleasant physiological effects following heavy consumption of alcoholic beverages.  This often occurs often the morning after a night of heavy drinking.

What are the symptoms associated with hangover?

A hangover can come with a variety of symptoms including headache, nausea, sensitivity to light and noise, lethargy, dysphoria, diarrhea, and thirst.  It can also result in psychological symptoms such as depression and anxiety.

What causes a hangover?

High intake of alcohol is the fundamental cause for a hangover.  The more alcohol you drink, the worst you can feel.  Alcohol and its metabolites such as acetaldehyde can cause a series of physiological reactions including hypoglycemia, dehydration, acetaldehyde intoxication, glutamine rebound and vitamin B12 deficiency, which in turn cause hangover symptoms.

Could a hangover signal that a drinker has been affected by alcohol?

An estimated 25 to 30 percent of people are resistant to hangover symptoms, meaning they don't experience a the condition.  It is possible that they have the genes and enzymes that help metabolize alcohol so efficiently that the chemical does not impose much of any effect on the normal physiology in these people.

For those who are vulnerable, one most effective remedy is to control their intake of alcohol.  They should never drink more than they can handle.  Not all people can digest alcohol efficiently.  Alcohol may cause more damage in those people.

Is there any remedy that can be used to relieve a hangover?

Potentially useful remedies include cannabis, hair of the dog, food and water, oxygen, tolfenamic acid, vitamin B6, chlormethiazole, acetylcysteine and rosiglitazone among other things.

The article may contain some content from wikipedia.