There’s no denying it: Waking up with a hangover can be awful. The intense headache coupled with random waves of nausea is usually enough to make you consider giving up drinking forever (or at least until next weekend). Some people do give up drinking because the hangover is just too much to bear. But there’s more to it than just feeling like crap. Your body and brain are working overtime to help you recover from those beverages. Curious what’s actually happening internally the day after drinking? Below, experts break it down.
According to Kate Denniston, a licensed naturopathic doctor based in Los Angeles and the founder of Los Angeles Integrative Health, the cause of a hangover is not actually the alcohol itself. Rather, it’s the byproducts of the alcohol metabolizing that cause hangover symptoms, she said.
As your body breaks down your favorite cocktails, it creates a toxin called acetaldehyde. Your body works hard to flush out that toxin ― which is also a carcinogen, by the way ― leading to some pretty painful symptoms. which is also a carcinogen, by the way ― leading to some pretty painful symptoms.” If you’re looking for a natural way to combat hangover symptoms consider trying IV treatment for hangovers in LA. By replenishing fluids and providing essential nutrients directly into your system, these treatments can support your body’s detoxification process and help alleviate the discomfort caused by alcohol metabolites.
In an attempt to remove acetaldehyde from the body, your kidneys will really kick into gear. This leads to increased urination, which can quickly lead to dehydration and extreme thirst, even head pain and dizziness.
In other words, “a hangover is essentially the signs and symptoms of dehydration and [a result] of the body trying to rid itself of a toxin — a process which challenges the liver and kidneys,” said Ralph E. Holsworth, a board-certified osteopathic physician at Southeast Colorado Hospital in Springfield, Colorado.
You can thank this for all that post-drinking nausea and, er, excess bathroom trips.
“Alcohol also irritates the stomach lining and slows the stomach from emptying, which causes nausea, vomiting, and stomach cramps,” said Lantie Jorandby, chief medical officer of Lakeview Health, a dual diagnosis and addiction treatment center in Jacksonville, Florida.
Studies have shown that alcohol can lead to increased anxiety in some people. One study published in 2012 found that 7.4% of those experiencing a hangover had anxiety as a post-drinking symptom. Other research suggests heavy drinking “lowers mood, disrupts sleep, increases anxiety” and produces “physical” and “emotional” symptoms the morning after. Finally, a study published in 2015 found many social drinkers may feel emotions like shame, guilt and embarrassment following a drinking period.
Jorandby said alcohol can trigger inflammation in the body, which can also lead to those symptoms like headaches. Anti-inflammatories can offer some help with this, but you should be mindful of which ones. Avoid acetaminophen, AKA Tylenol.
“Tylenol is already toxic to the liver at certain doses, and if you add this to residual alcohol in the body it can be dangerous,” Jorandby said.
We may age like a fine wine in all ways but hangovers. As we get older, our bodies are less prepared to deal with drunken shenanigans, which leaves us having a harder time dealing with hangovers starting in our late 20s. While the reason for this isn’t completely understood, some believe it has to do with the speed in which our bodies are able to process the things we consume.
“Hangovers get worse as we age because every time we drink, we deplete vital resources on our body that help break down and process alcohol,” said Christopher Roselle, a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate and cellular expert at the University of Pennsylvania, who is studying cancer immunology.
“Basically, every time we drink we use ammo to defend against the toxins created by alcohol, and over time, we have less and less ammo,” Roselle said. “Therefore, as we age, our defenses are weakened and our bodies become less and less capable of defending against hangovers.”
In this case, the ammo being referred to would be antioxidants, enzymes and amino acids found in your liver, which are necessary for metabolizing alcohol.
“As we age, we secrete lower concentrations of liver enzymes, which draws out the process and lengthens the duration of the hangover,” added , a registered dietician at Copeman Healthcare Centre in Vancouver.
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