The Science behind a Hangover

You will find thousands of articles on ‘how to cure a hangover’ but very few tell you about the science behind it. All of us love to crack a joke about hangovers, but there is something serious going on inside the human body. Yes, we’ve come across many games wherein people ask you about the craziest thing they have done after getting drunk. No matter how many jokes we make, the truth is they can lower your productivity level and also cause major disruption in your sleep cycle.

Before we get started with this article, let’s make it very clear: we experience withdrawal during hangovers. It can be life-threatening and unpleasant for a person who experiences it.

What happens to your body after drinking alcohol?

For starters, you have poisoned your body. Yes, you did some tequila shots and felt great about it for few minutes. But the next day your body will tell you that you erred.

The moment you drink, it goes into your bloodstream till the liver breaks it down. Once it goes into the bloodstream, it takes about five minutes to go into your brain. Effects start showing in thirty to ninety minutes.

Drinking leads to lethal impairment, also known as ‘acute alcohol exposure.’ The liver starts to break it down using enzymes. It metabolizes about ninety percent. Small amounts will be excreted through urine, sweat, and the lungs. That’s precisely why a breathalyzer test detects the level of alcohol.

Many of you may want to know how to cure a hangover. But it’s important to know how dangerous it can be. Drinking can have a dangerous impact on your kidney. If there is too much alcohol (more than three to four drinks), the kidney stops functioning properly. Since alcohol is a diuretic, it can make you dehydrated and cause massive weakness and dizziness.

The best hangover cure is to drink plenty of water, eat eggs, take a cup of strong coffee, or take an anti-inflammatory. Perhaps a good rehydration drink will also help you!

Where do the symptoms come from?

This is a valid question to ask, and there is a science behind it.

1. When you get hangovers, you are not able to bear sound or light. Alcohol is responsible for suppressing glutamate activity in the human brain.
2. You might experience a splitting headache during hangovers. Acetaldehyde is responsible for dilating the blood vessels inside the head. These release chemicals that cause massive irritation in the nerves and blood vessels. All this leads to a splitting headache.
3. Excessive drinking can irritate the stomach lining. It can make you feel nauseated and also leads to diarrhea.

Concluding Thoughts

Preventing hangovers is easy: don’t drink too much. If you have the choice, drink a non-alcoholic beverage and find another way to amuse yourself.

Dieticians also recommend drinking plenty of water with alcoholic drinks. Lastly, a drink or two is fine as long as you can handle it. If the idea is to have fun and drink, choose a clear spirit or something which is not as strong as hard liquor.

If it's too late and you are trying to find an answer to ‘how to cure a hangover try a rehydration drink because you would get dehydrated after too many tequila shots or pegs of whiskey.

Rehydrating is the best way to cure hangovers. So, go ahead and make sure you are properly hydrated so that your kidney and liver don’t get damaged.