A hangover describes the sum of unpleasant physiological effects following heavy consumption of alcohol. Many will probably be suffering from a headache, nausea, sensitivity to light and noise, lethargy, dysphoria, diarrhoea and thirst.
In addition to the physical symptoms, a hangover may also induce psychological symptoms including heightened feelings of depression and anxiety.
Approximately 25-30% of drinkers may be resistant to hangover symptoms.
Where did it come from?
The term hangover was originally a 19th century expression describing unfinished business – something left over from a meeting – or “survival.” In 1904, the meaning “morning after-effect of drinking too much” first surfaced
A 2009 study provided evidence that darker-coloured liquors, such as bourbon, cause worse hangovers than lighter-coloured liquors, such as vodka. The higher amount of congeners found in darker liquors compared to lighter ones was indicated as the cause.
It is often said that hangovers grow worse as one ages; this is thought to be caused by declining supplies of alcohol dehydrogenase, the enzyme involved in metabolising alcohol.
Possible remedies
Hangovers are poorly understood from a medical point of view. Health care professionals prefer to study alcohol abuse from a standpoint of treatment and prevention, and there is a view that the hangover provides a useful, natural and intrinsic disincentive to excessive drinking.
Within the limited amount of serious study on the subject, there is debate about whether a hangover might be prevented or at least mitigated; additionally, there is a vast body of folk medicine and simple quackery. There is currently no empirically proven mechanism for prevention except reducing the amount of ethanol consumed, or for making oneself sobre other than waiting for the body to metabolise ingested alcohol, which occurs via oxidation through the liver before alcohol leaves the body. A four-page literature review in British Medical Journal concludes: “No compelling evidence exists to suggest that any conventional or complementary intervention is effective for preventing or treating alcohol hangover. The most effective way to avoid the symptoms of alcohol induced hangover is to avoid drinking.”
Ineffective or unproven remedies
Recommendations for foods, drinks and activities to relieve hangover symptoms abound. The ancient Romans, on the authority of Pliny the Elder, favoured raw owl’s eggs or fried canary. While the ‘Prairie Oyster’ restorative, introduced at the 1878 Paris World Exposition, calls for raw egg yolk mixed with Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, salt and pepper. By 1938, the Ritz-Carlton Hotel provided a hangover remedy in the form of a mixture of Coca-Cola and milk (Coca-Cola itself having been invented, by some accounts, as a hangover remedy). Alcoholic writer Ernest Hemingway relied on tomato juice and beer. Certain mixtures were developed specifically for the purpose. The ‘Black Velvet’ consists of equal parts champagne and flat Guinness Stout, A 1957 survey by a Wayne State University folklorist found widespread belief in the efficacy of heavy fried foods, tomato juice and sexual activity.
Activities said to be restorative include a shower – alternating very hot and very cold water, exercise, and steambath or sauna.
Source Wikipedia