The glamorous ladies of Sex and the City prefer cosmopolitans, James Bond wants his martini shaken and not stirred, and the bride and groom are toasted with champagne. Alcohol is a part of American culture and is often a part of holiday celebrations, such as St. Patrick’s Day. Who has not had a green beer to celebrate?
How does alcohol affect a person?
Alcohol is absorbed in the stomach and small intestines into the bloodstream. It is broken down by substances in the liver in a really slow process (about one drink per hour) leaving the majority of the alcohol to circulate through the body. Alcohol causes dizziness, talkativeness, slurred speech, impaired judgment and coordination, and memory loss. In large quantities, it can also cause nausea, vomiting, coma, and death.
Why does alcohol affect people differently?
Alcohol affects people differently and is influenced by a variety of factors such as: age, gender, race, weight, fitness level, food consumed, how quickly the alcohol was consumed, use of drugs or prescription medications, and family or previous history of alcohol problems.
What are the health benefits of moderate alcohol use?
When consumed in moderation, alcohol can have health benefits such as reduced risk of heart disease, heart attack, stroke, gallstones, and diabetes. Moderation is defined as one drink a day for women or two drinks a day for men. Drinking in excess can have the opposite effects. This is not a case where the more, the merrier.
What is a “hangover?”
A hangover is the unfortunate morning after-effect of drinking excessively. Symptoms include irritability, decreased concentration, anxiety, sensitivity to light and sound, sweating, headache, nausea, thirst, dizziness, vertigo, shakiness, rapid heartbeat, and fatigue. There are many factors that contribute to these symptoms including dehydration as alcohol is a diuretic. Also, alcohol triggers an inflammatory response, irritates the stomach lining, causes blood vessels to expand, causes blood sugar to fall, and is a depressant.
How do you treat a “hangover?”
Time is the only true cure for a hangover. However, there are things to help make it more comfortable in the meantime. Drink a lot of water or fruit juice and have a snack. Dry carbohydrates such as toast or crackers may boost blood sugar and settle the stomach. Soup can help replenish lost salt and potassium. Foods and drinks with sugar (fructose) may help to burn the alcohol faster. A low dose of an over-the-counter pain medication may help with the headache. However, pain relievers containing aspirin may irritate the stomach and those containing acetaminophen (Tylenol) may damage the liver if combined with large amounts of alcohol. Vitamins B and C have been thought to also help the symptoms. It may also help to eat first, take it slowly, choose alcohols with fewer congeners such as vodka or gin, and drink water between drinks.
What about greasy food or the “hair of the dog?”
Eating the big, greasy breakfast (or lunch by the time you wake up) does not really ease the hangover. As for the “hair of the dog,” it may slightly numb the pain but it is only really prolonging the inevitable. So, the moral of the story is if you have too much alcohol tonight, you will probably pay for it tomorrow! Make sure you stock up on water and crackers!