For those who dislike socializing, every party or festive season inevitably ends with a hangover. However, for party enthusiasts, the atmosphere of drinking, accompanied by music and friends, is one of the charms of social gatherings, often more appealing than the bitter taste of alcohol. As the fun begins, alcohol enhances the night, filling it with joy due to its central nervous system depressant effects and muscle relaxant properties. A small amount can help one feel relaxed.

How Alcohol Affects Our Brain

Alcohol, chemically known as Ethanol or Ethyl Alcohol, is classified as a depressant. Once consumed, our body will do everything to eliminate it. However, the effects are not limited to just waiting for the liver to process it; while waiting, alcohol impacts the body in various ways.

When alcohol travels to the stomach and small intestine, it is absorbed into the bloodstream, prompting the pancreas to release insulin (a hormone that helps lower blood sugar levels by transporting glucose into cells). If we drink on an empty stomach, our blood sugar levels are already low. Consuming large amounts of alcohol will further decrease blood sugar levels, leading to symptoms similar to hypoglycemia, such as dizziness and confusion, and causing intoxication faster than if one had eaten beforehand.

Once alcohol circulates in the bloodstream, it reaches the brain, where it is absorbed in several areas, including:

  • Frontal Lobe: Responsible for decision-making, emotions, thoughts, intelligence, and personality. Excessive drinking can impair self-control, lead to poor decisions, and reveal unusual personality traits (e.g., a shy person may dance energetically). For alcoholics, damage to this area can hinder learning and social interactions.
  • Hippocampus: This area stores our dramatic and normal memories. If alcohol reaches this part, we may start to forget events from that day. Sometimes, hidden memories may resurface, causing uncontrollable emotional outbursts. Those who think drinking will help them forget certain things may not always be correct. For alcoholics, damage here can lead to memory loss and learning difficulties, making drinking before exams inadvisable.
  • Hypothalamus: This part regulates body temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, hunger, satiety, and sleep. Alcohol absorption can lead to increased hunger and thirst, erratic heart rates, and disrupted sleep quality.
  • Cerebellum: Controls body balance. Drinking excessively can lead to unsteady walking and bumping into others. Alcoholics often face balance issues.
  • Brain Stem: Manages the transmission of information from the brain to different body parts. High alcohol intake slows down perception and response times.
  • Medulla Oblongata: Controls involuntary functions like vomiting, breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure. Excessive drinking can easily induce nausea, and drinking beyond the body's capacity can lead to unconsciousness, shock, respiratory failure, and even death.

Thus, moderate drinking can help maintain some level of awareness and protect various brain functions. Hangover symptoms include headaches, muscle aches, thirst, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, restless sleep, lack of concentration, and rapid heartbeat. Severe hangovers that prevent one from performing daily activities may indicate alcohol poisoning, which is life-threatening and requires immediate medical attention.

How Does a Hangover Occur?

When alcohol enters the body, it converts into acetaldehyde through the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase. However, acetaldehyde is toxic to body cells, prompting the body to produce the enzyme acetaldehyde dehydrogenase to convert it into acetate, which is non-toxic and can be used for energy. Some individuals produce limited amounts of this enzyme, leading to the accumulation of acetaldehyde, which can disrupt the nervous system, brain function, digestion, nutrient absorption, and sleep.

Hangover Remedies

Numerous studies indicate that no medication can completely cure a hangover. The best approach is to drink in moderation. Common remedies for hangover symptoms include:

  • Drinking 1-2 glasses of water frequently to encourage urination, which helps eliminate alcohol residues. Some may also drink tea, which has mild diuretic properties.
  • Eating light foods like rice porridge, which may help alleviate hangover symptoms.
  • Consuming fruit and vegetable juices with a sweet and sour taste may help replenish lost vitamins and minerals due to alcohol consumption, which can lead to fatigue. Effervescent vitamin tablets dissolved in water can also be beneficial.
  • For those experiencing nausea, ginger tea or mint tea may help alleviate these symptoms.
  • Supplementing with vitamins such as B-complex, vitamin C, magnesium, and L-Cysteine may help relieve symptoms.
  • If headaches and fever are present, non-steroidal pain relievers like aspirin or ibuprofen can be taken. However, consult a pharmacist or doctor before purchasing to discuss any allergies.
  • Coffee may not improve hangover symptoms but can help keep you alert. However, if the body is still fatigued from lack of rest, the effects of caffeine may lead to greater exhaustion once it wears off.

How to Prepare to Avoid a Hangover

Before drinking, it’s crucial to prepare to avoid a hangover. If you know you are prone to hangovers, consider the following:

  • Don’t drink on an empty stomach. Have a light meal beforehand, as drinking on an empty stomach can lead to quicker intoxication and drops in blood sugar. If you haven’t eaten, order some snacks to have something in your stomach.
  • Avoid consuming large amounts or high concentrations of alcohol at once. It’s advisable to mix drinks with mixers and sip slowly.
  • Drink 1-2 glasses of water every hour to prevent high blood alcohol levels and replenish fluids lost through urination while drinking.
  • Taking multivitamins or L-Cysteine before drinking may help reduce liver inflammation caused by alcohol damage.

Excessive alcohol consumption not only affects the brain but also impacts the liver, increasing the risk of fatty liver disease and the accumulation of toxins in the liver. Frequent drinking can lead to hepatitis, liver fibrosis, and eventually cirrhosis. Therefore, good health can be maintained through mindful and moderate drinking.

SOURCE: www.samitivejhospitals.com