Hangovers are very common in people who consume too much alcohol. In one study, researchers found that about 75% of people who drank excessively the night before reported hangover symptoms. The researchers concluded that 25% to 30% of people who drink may be resistant to hangovers. If you still feel light-headed, have diminished coordination, or if you have a rapid heart rate or a weak pulse, you should seek medical attention. Often, intravenous (IV) fluids can help alleviate the symptoms. But sometimes severe issues, such as vomiting or coughing blood need to be addressed with more intensive medical attention.

• A difference in a gene that affects the way the body breaks down alcohol may make some people flush, sweat or become ill after drinking even a small amount of alcohol.
• This could prevent a nasty hangover and allow you to ride the enjoyable wave of a good buzz all night long.
• But if inflammation is part of the reason hangovers happen, aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) might help.
• There are also the effects of your body metabolising those tinny ginnies.
• If you can remember to swig a glass of water post-sesh and pre-sleep, you’ll be setting yourself up for potentially significantly less hangover discomfort than if you go to bed on a belly full of booze.
• In the study, participants using red ginseng had lower concentrations of ethanol and increased acetaldehyde levels compared with placebo.

Staying Healthy

However, seek medical attention if your hangover lasts more than 48 hours and you experience severe symptoms or difficulty controlling your drinking. Your liver also has to work overtime to process alcohol. “The liver needs to first break down alcohol into acetaldehyde, which is toxic,” says Anne Boris, RD, LDN, of Northwestern Medicine Huntley Hospital. Typically, hangovers only last the morning (like, until you finally get around to eating breakfast)—at most 24 hours.

Packing your hurricane go bag? Make provisions for your health

‘When your blood-alcohol concentration starts to drop (aka a hangover), your brain experiences boomerang-like shifts in the levels of certain chemicals,’ Dr Aparna Iyer, a US-based psychiatrist, told WH. It’s possible to reduce hangover symptoms by eating food and drinking plenty of water while you’re consuming alcohol, but there’s only so much you can do to avoid one. Have you ever over-indulged, drinking four or even more alcoholic beverages in a short period of time. And then got up the next morning with a headache, nausea, and generally feeling run down the next morning? These symptoms are all quite common after a night of over-consumption.

What is included in our hangover IV?

Drinking in moderation is key if you how long does a hangover last want to avoid them. Some examples are kidney and liver disease as well as diabetes. If you’re in the throes of a monster hangover, relief can’t come soon enough. The Doctor Weighs In is a trusted source for quality evidence-based stories about health, healthcare, and innovation.

Fizzy drinks also worsen hangovers by increasing the absorption of alcohol into the body,’ Dr Tang advises. Escaping a hangover gets trickier with age, as you might well know. While the latest data shows that many are choosing to cut down on their alcohol intake during the pandemic – assumedly in a bid to nix the feelings of anxiety that it can cause – others are dialling it up. Around one in five people who drink report sipping more units in lockdown, per Alcohol Change UK. ‘Avoid darker drinks like rum and whiskey as they can especially irritate blood vessels and make a hangover worse. Fizzy drinks also worsen hangovers by increasing the absorption of alcohol into the body,’ Dr Tang advises.