Why Do We Get A Hangover?

Question

asking because i have a bad one right now. the sound of me tapping the keys on the keyboard is killing me.

Answer 1

alcohol is poison

Answer 2

Alcohol is a diuretic, ie a drug that increases urination and flushes fluids from the body. Drinking coffee the next morning only increases this problem as coffee is also a diuretic. Complex organic molecules such as methanol and acetone are found in some drinks and are said to be responsible for hangovers rather than ethanol(alcohol). Brandy is worst for hangovers then in descending order are: red wine, rum, whisky, white wine, gin and vodka. Too much alcohol depletes the body of necessary substances required to stay healthy, these include blood sugar, vitamins and minerals.

Answer 3

Hangovers are multi-causal. Ethanol has a dehydrating effect (such substances are known as diuretics), which causes headaches, dry mouth, and lethargy. Dehydration causes the brain to shrink away from the skull slightly.

This can be mitigated by drinking water after consumption of alcohol. Alcohol's impact on the stomach lining can account for nausea. Due to the increased NADH production during metabolism of ethanol by alcohol and aldehyde dehydrogenases, excess NADH can build up and slow down gluconeogenesis in the liver, thus causing hypoglycemia.

Another factor contributing to a hangover is what results from the breakdown of ethanol via two chemical reactions, aided by enzymes produced by the cells of the liver.

Ethanol is converted to acetaldehyde by the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase, and then from acetaldehyde to acetic acid by the enzyme acetaldehyde dehydrogenase. Acetaldehyde is mildly toxic, contributing to the hangover.

Answer 4

Hangovers are nature's way of punishing you for injesting toxins
(alcohol) in a quantity that overloads your liver's capacity to clean
out and get your body back in flux again. It's sorta like the way your body shuts down your system when you get sick. Your
body interprets the large amount of alcohol in your system as a
poison, and you experience dizziness, a general awfulness,
the runs, and puking because your body as a whole is trying to
get rid of the toxin. Some people that die from alcohol overdoses
at frat parties and such don't ever get the chance to experience a hangover, as the body shuts down completely in that case, and
one experiences RIGOR MORTIS rather than dizziness.

Answer 5

Dehydration is the main reason, but also because alcohol makes you pee (feels like your brain has feels shriveled, dry mouth etc.) and you pee out a lot of minerals such as potassium. And also alcohol is a depressant, so when the drug is still in your system it just make you feel really down.

So drink lots of water, eat bananas + pain relief (consult doctor before taking) should help

Answer 6

Dehydration from consuming too much alcohol causes a constriction of the blood vessels in the brain. This condition is what we refer to as a hangover. Drink lots of water, it will help.

Answer 7

The majority of the time it comes down to dehydration. Alcohol causes more frequent urination and the loss of water. The loss of brain cells certainly plays a role as well.

Answer 8

well...alcohol is actually a toxic substance. you're, in essence, giving yourself food poisoning (hence the word intoxication) and one of the immediate effects of this is to feel drunk. this being the case, i think alcohol probably has some kind of effect on your body, the toxins, (like someone said) free radicals, floating around...

Answer 9

Dehydration. Drink lots of water when you drink alcohol (1 glass of water per drink).

Answer 10

Because you hare dehydrated, Try drinking water and or fresh orange juice before you go to sleep it will help.

Answer 11

Dehydration - drink a load of water with your advil!