Symptoms of a hangover in men. Hangover syndrome

From a medical point of view, the question of what a hangover is can be answered as follows: a hangover syndrome is a human condition that occurs some time after alcohol intoxication and characterized by general intoxication of the body.

Hangover and withdrawal syndromes differ in that the first type of hangover is diagnosed not only in alcoholics, but also in any people who have consumed alcohol.

Hangover symptoms

A hangover occurs the morning after drinking, or in the evening or late afternoon after drinking alcohol during the day. Hangover syndrome manifests itself through the following symptoms:

• headache and dizziness;
• aversion to food;
• internal trembling throughout the body;
• nausea and vomiting;
• drying of the oral mucosa;
• blurred vision;
• stool disorder;
• increased heart rate;
• horse racing blood pressure;
• aches all over the body.

Important! Often the symptoms of a hangover include the desire to drink alcohol to drink such a condition (“to get hungover”). This should not be done under any circumstances, as it will continue drinking and the person will suffer from a hangover longer.

Why does a hangover occur?

The development of hangover syndrome is influenced by many factors. Narcologists found out why the hangover was bad and took him out following reasons hangover:

Other causes of hangover

In addition to the main reasons why hangover syndrome develops, there are also indirect ones. These include the type of alcohol consumed. A person will feel unwell when drinking alcoholic beverages with a high content of ethanol, dyes and sugar, because... these impurities have a negative effect on the liver. Such alcohol includes tequila, whiskey, etc. Any alcoholic cocktails will increase the severity of the hangover, because... The characteristic sweet taste and aroma affects the nerve impulses of the brain.

Moonshine, low-quality vodka, pasteurized beer also contain fusel and essential oils, technical alcohol and other components cause a long-term hangover syndrome.

Among other things, the severity of a hangover depends on heredity and age. In people over 40 years of age, the breakdown of ethanol occurs more slowly.

Duration of a hangover without treatment

To answer the question of how long a hangover lasts and how quickly it can go away, it is necessary to analyze all the factors influencing it.

How long a hangover lasts depends on the following factors:

• The degree of drink consumed. The higher the alcohol level, the longer person will suffer the next day. For example, vodka toxins take longer to be eliminated from the body than wine toxins.
• Amount of alcohol consumed. For example, one bottle of beer may not cause the syndrome, but after drinking a couple of liters of the drink, a hangover may last for a day.
• Having snacks when drinking alcohol. On an empty stomach, toxins are absorbed into the blood faster and are eliminated longer.
• Human weight. A person of large build does not get drunk longer, and his hangover is weaker than that of a thin person.
• Health status. In people with kidney and heart diseases, the hangover after drinking will be stronger and longer.
• Floor. In men, the process of removing toxins from the body is much faster than in women.
• Time during which alcohol was consumed. If several glasses of alcohol are drunk within 10-15 minutes, the liver will not have time to process the drink and will continue its work the next day. The hangover will be shorter if the same amount of alcohol consumed is consumed within three to four hours.

Important! The rate of removal of toxic compounds from the body is individual for each person. It is impossible to say how many days the syndrome will last. If hangover symptoms do not subside after five days, you should consult a narcologist for advice and begin drug treatment.

Average duration of hangover syndrome

On average, drug experts have established how long a hangover can last. Typically, the duration of a hangover after drinking depends on the strength of the alcohol consumed and takes the following amount of time:

• 4% beer from 36 to 20 minutes;
• 9% wine from 1 hour 17 minutes to 46 minutes;
• 11% champagne from 1 hour 35 minutes to 56 minutes;
• 30% liqueur from 4 hours 20 minutes to 2 hours 36 minutes;
• 40% vodka from 5 hours 50 minutes to 3 hours 30 minutes.

The calculation is taken when consuming 100 ml of alcoholic beverage.

It is impossible to say exactly how long the signs of a hangover last. Some people may suffer for up to two weeks, especially if this is their first time drinking.

If we consider the use of alcohol from a neutral side, without affecting alcoholism, then we can safely say that strong drinks can socialize people. For example, at noisy and large-scale celebrations such as weddings or anniversaries, numerous companies gather, in which many do not yet know each other. In society strangers It is usually difficult to communicate casually, and alcohol liberates and makes communication freer. Therefore, sometimes it’s impossible not to drink at all. However, after excessive consumption of alcohol, as a rule, the body is in a terrible state, which is popularly called a hangover, and in medicine – withdrawal syndrome.

Hangover syndrome

Hangover syndrome, in essence, is a state of organic intoxication with ethanol breakdown products. A hangover occurs a few hours after drinking alcohol. This condition is short-lived and goes away after a few hours.

Narcologists classify hangover syndrome into two types:

• , characteristic of long-term drinking bouts and;
• Alcohol intoxication resulting from excessive drinking.

These types of hangover syndrome have different development mechanisms, so there is no need to confuse them. In the case of ordinary alcohol intoxication, the patient develops a persistent aversion to alcohol, but if abstinence occurs, then the alcoholic needs to drink alcohol to improve his well-being.

In the case of withdrawal symptoms, the need for alcohol arises due to the fact that ethanol drinking man becomes an essential element of material exchange processes. With a normal hangover alcohol syndrome, there are signs of intoxication in the body and nothing more, while abstinence is accompanied by disturbances in intraorganic activity caused by alcoholism.

Causes

A hangover occurs due to several factors:

• Alcohol in the body breaks down to acetaldehyde, and then to acetic acid. The breakdown stage to acetic acid lasts a certain time, which is enough for acetaldehyde to poison the body and cause a hangover.
• Metabolic disorders. After drinking alcohol (due to its diuretic effect), a person massively loses microelements and vitamins, and this has a very negative impact on metabolic processes and endocrine activity.
• Fluid imbalance. Under the influence of the diuretic effect of alcohol, dehydration occurs; blood volumes in the vessels are noticeably reduced, although in other tissues there may be much more fluid than expected. Swelling during a hangover is a fairly typical phenomenon.
• The type of alcohol consumed also has an important influence on the hangover syndrome. Strong drinks with a high content of fusel oils, sweeteners, flavor enhancers and aromas, dyes and other additives cause a more severe hangover than regular vodka. Such drinks include bourbon, whiskey, tequila, as well as alcoholic surrogates, etc.
• Alcohol also negatively affects the nervous system structures and the brain. Alcohol abuse is often accompanied by, and hangovers are accompanied by, excessive sensitivity to light, loud sounds or strong odors.
• If, in addition to drinking alcohol, a person also smokes, then the hangover syndrome is further aggravated.
• The hangover is also associated with acidosis, which is a disorder acid-base balance. Alcohol metabolites create an overly acidic environment, which causes imbalance.

Signs and symptoms

When the level of alcohol in the blood begins to decrease, characteristic hangover symptoms appear:

• Severe headaches;
• Nausea and vomiting;
• Unpleasant taste in the mouth and fumes;
• Problems with the liver, pain in its area;
• High blood pressure;
• Digestive disorders;
• Low temperature, etc.

Similar signs are characteristic of both abstinence and alcohol intoxication. They are caused by poisoning of the body. Vomiting and nausea are a protective reaction of the body. The toxic effects of acetaldehyde extend to various intraorganic structures. The content of glucose, which is the energy supplier for all body systems, decreases, hypoglycemia develops, to which the brain reacts with a lack of concentration and attention, absent-mindedness and other disorders.

Due to the diuretic effect of alcohol in a drunken state, too much magnesium is removed from the body, and its deficiency develops, which is characterized by muscle weakness, irritability, chills, nervousness and arrhythmia. Hence the problems with heartbeat, tremors, pressure surges, etc.

Regarding how long a hangover lasts, as a rule, the “torment” lasts several hours, but no more than a day. This is what distinguishes a normal hangover from alcohol withdrawal, because an alcoholic, after a binge, has this condition for 3-5 days.
Documentary about hangover syndrome:

Features of the course of alcoholics

If a normal hangover can occur in a person who rarely drinks alcohol, then abstinence develops in people suffering from alcohol addiction. This is why hangovers in alcoholics are somewhat different than in people who rarely drink.

From stage alcohol addiction It also depends on how the hangover syndrome manifests itself:

1. The first is characterized by the disappearance of the gag reflex, loss of sense of proportion, memory lapses when a person does not remember some of the events of the past evening. At this stage, many alcohol addicts begin to move on to stronger types of alcohol. In the morning after abuse, they begin to improve their health with alcohol, however, there is no irresistible craving for strong drinks, as well as a hangover syndrome, as such. But such a trait appears - no matter how much a person drinks, it is still not enough for a person, he wants and continues the evening.
2. The second stage of alcohol addiction is characterized by the appearance of a morning hangover. An alcoholic is already sure that only alcohol can save him from a hangover, which is how he is treated. But the hangover does not go away, and the alcoholic goes on a binge, washing down the hangover with another portion of alcohol.
3. The third and final stage of alcoholism is characterized by chronicity. An alcoholic is no longer physically able to drink large doses of alcohol; 50 ml of strong alcohol is enough for him to become very drunk and lose control of himself. A hangover in such patients occurs in terrible torment, accompanied by insomnia, attacks of delirium, hallucinosis, psycho-emotional dullness, etc. The third stage is quite rare, because most alcoholics simply do not have enough health to survive to it.

After a long period, alcohol addicts experience signs of severe withdrawal, in which their hands shake, a swaying gait, tachycardia and problems with sleep appear. Consequences in the form of psycho-emotional breakdowns, nervous system disorders, and aversion to food are also possible. a long period time, problems with brain activity, various kinds of phobias, etc.

Similar symptoms can bother you in the morning or at any other time of the day. Getting out of a long-term binge is quite difficult. It brings a lot of problems to the body, depletes it and undermines health. During this period, alcohol replaces the alcoholic traditional food. After a drinking binge, alcohol addicts often fall into depressive state, which is accompanied by suicidal thoughts, hallucinations, memory gaps and epilepsy-like seizures.

Diagnostics

For the correct therapeutic effect, it is necessary to conduct a thorough diagnosis of hangover syndrome in order to identify concomitant pathological processes. Based on external diagnostics and anamnestic data, the specialist draws conclusions about the involvement or non-involvement of hangover syndromes in the onset of withdrawal symptoms.

Hangover symptoms may hide the true etiology of deterioration in health. If such suspicions arise, the patient is referred to additional consultations and research.

Treatment

The fundamental goals in eliminating a hangover are:

• Restoring water-salt balance and fluid balance (drinking plenty of various brines, mineral water, tea, etc.);
• Elimination of the consequences of organic dehydration;
• Detoxification of the body (activated carbon or,);
• Getting rid of pain manifestations(, Citramon);
• Restoring normal brain activity (speed and clarity of thinking).

If the hangover is severe, namely does not go away for a long time, and the patient’s condition is serious and cannot be eliminated, then help is needed in a narcological department.

Experts usually prescribe infusion therapy with the introduction of detoxification medications, mineral salt solutions, nootropic drugs and vitamins, as well as agents that normalize cardiac and vascular activity and normalize blood pressure.

With this professional approach to the treatment of hangover syndrome, the body is restored within 24 hours. If hangover has become an integral part of your life, then you should think about qualified treatment for alcohol addiction.

For decades, scientists around the world have been studying the effects of alcohol on the human body. And recently, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania made another discovery. After studying 2,500 samples of the human genome, experts discovered an interesting pattern: with each subsequent generation, the genes responsible for the production of alcohol dehydrogenase (one of the enzymes involved in the metabolic process) become stronger. If we bypass all the scientific nuances and talk straight away about the consequences of such changes, then, according to scientists, a person of the future, even after a small portion of alcohol, will suffer from a very severe hangover. Why does this happen, what is a hangover - a protective reaction of the body or a consequence of poisoning? Why do some people, even after obvious alcohol abuse, not have a hangover, while others suffer from severe headaches after just two glasses?

And finally, is there a difference between an “accidental” hangover in a light-drinking man or woman and morning “withdrawal” in a person with an alcohol addiction?

The difference between a hangover and withdrawal

Statistics indicate that approximately 75% of alcohol consumption results in a hangover. A hangover, or hangover syndrome, is a complex unpleasant symptoms which may appear after alcohol abuse.

Abstinence looks a lot like a normal hangover, but has a number of fundamental differences. One of them is the desire to have a hangover. A non-alcoholic will never want to “cure” with alcohol. People who accidentally drink too much will always repent the next morning and vow to “never drink again.” While chronic drinkers will now and then look for strong drinks “to improve their well-being.” And what’s most important is that it really helps them. The second fundamental difference is psychological condition person after drinking. Healthy men and women in a state of hangover always feel shame, anxiety, regret and awkwardness for yesterday, which cannot be said about people with at different stages.

But in addition to obvious external differences, hangover and withdrawal symptoms at the physiological level also occur differently. I have a hangover healthy person– This is the body’s reaction to alcohol poisoning. Feeling unwell the next morning is a kind of warning signal from the body that large portions of ethanol are harmful to it. Abstinence in an alcohol addict is also a signal from the body that it feels bad. But in this case - without the usual portion of alcohol. Hence another name for the abstinence state - withdrawal syndrome (the alcohol addict stopped his habitual drinking of alcohol and the body became ill from it).

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Causes

Ethyl alcohol is a toxin for the body, so it is not surprising that the use of this substance causes bad feeling. It is ethanol that plays a key role in the occurrence of a hangover, but if we talk about the factors that cause poor health, then the causes of a hangover can be very different:

• violation of water-salt balance;
• the effects of ethanol on brain cells;
• lack of vitamins and minerals;
• violation of acid-base balance;
• autonomic disorders;
• influence ethyl alcohol on the cardiovascular system.

For example, frequent urination removes beneficial salts and fluid from the body. As a result, the blood becomes thicker, the person feels intense thirst, the outflow of fluid in the tissues is disrupted, and swelling appears. If the drinker’s body lacks vitamins and minerals, then the functioning of most systems is disrupted and poor health appears. Vomiting and nausea due to a hangover are a signal that in the process of breaking down alcohol toxins, a lot of acetic, uric and lactic acids have accumulated in the body. These symptoms are further aggravated by the effect of alcohol on brain cells. It is for this reason that a person in a state of hangover is usually irritable, has difficulty withstanding noise and bright light, suffers from dizziness and bad sleep. In addition, ethanol breakdown products create a serious burden on the heart and blood vessels. The heart muscle has to pump very thickened blood through narrowed blood vessels. The result is arrhythmia, tachycardia, high blood pressure. A heavy sweating, blood flow to the face, reduced physical activity- this is already an SOS signal from someone suffering from vegetative nervous system.

Factors influencing the severity of a hangover

Speed ​​and amount of drinking. Human body- This complex mechanism, working according to certain rules and at a certain speed. Any substance entering the body goes through several stages of transformation. This also applies to alcohol.

The metabolism of ethyl alcohol occurs at a certain speed. The body needs a certain period of time to break down alcohol and remove it out. If ethanol is consumed too quickly and in large portions, the systems do not have time to process it, poisoning begins, which then manifests itself as a hangover.

Type and quality of alcohol. Any alcohol in large quantities leads to a hangover. But there are some alcoholic drinks that cause unpleasant symptoms more often and faster than others. side effects. As a rule, this is dark-colored alcohol, for example, or dark beer. The fact is that such drinks contain many specific substances - congeners (fermentation by-products), which cause a more severe hangover. If we compare and, then in the latter the number of congeners is 37 times greater.

It is believed that the most severe hangover is caused by. The fact is that gas bubbles contribute to the almost instantaneous penetration of alcohol into the bloodstream. An even worse hangover than just champagne happens when you mix sparkling wine with vodka, beer or wine. Another popular culprit for a severe hangover is whiskey. This drink contains a lot of oils and additives that do not have the best effect on your overall well-being. A hangover from drinking good red wine will last for a day; after drinking a low-quality product, you will have to suffer for at least 3 days. The reason is so severe consequences refers to the tannins contained in the drink, as well as the “chemistry” that low-quality wines are stuffed with. Fans of huge portions, Becherovka and other strong liqueurs are guaranteed to feel unwell the day after the party. In this case, the culprit of headache and nausea should be sought among plant extracts and essential oils. And if we talk about the relationship between rum and hangover, the darker the drink, the heavier it will be in the morning. The reason is still the same - additives to alcohol.

Many people mistakenly believe that a hangover occurs only after abusing strong alcohol. In reality, the degree of the drink does not always matter, but its age is already an indicator. Drinks that have been aged for several years are more likely to cause hangovers than others. First of all, we are talking about champagne, wine, cognac and whiskey. By the way, red wine also contains the histamine-like substance tyramine. A hangover after it is accompanied by migraines, severe vomiting and high blood pressure.

But there's another one important factor, which causes a hangover, regardless of the type and portions of the drink drunk, is dehydration of the body.

Dehydration

250 ml of wine or other type of alcohol removes 800 to 1000 ml of liquid from the body. That is, fabrics lose 4 times more moisture than they receive. It is not surprising that the next morning, even after light drinking, the body sends signals in the form of dry mouth and thirst.

Headaches are also a result of dehydration, as different organs The body tries to compensate for the lack of moisture by “stealing” fluid from the brain. Because of this, its volume decreases slightly, and the membranes connecting the brain to the skull are stretched, causing pain.

But this is not all the consequences of dehydration. Frequent urination caused by alcohol consumption, removes from the body potassium and most of the salts necessary for the proper functioning of the nervous and muscular systems. When the concentration of these substances in the body reaches a minimum, dizziness, nausea and fatigue are possible.

Manifestation

The onset of a hangover is usually associated with a decrease in blood alcohol concentration. Most often, this happens the day after the libations.

When experiencing a hangover, most people experience typical symptoms:

• accelerated heartbeat;
• anxiety;
• irritability;
• redness of the eyes;
• photophobia;
• sensitivity to loud sounds;
• shiver;
• strong thirst;
• muscle and headache;
• impaired concentration and focus;
• weakness, lethargy;
• dizziness;
• dyspnea;
• nausea;
• vomit;
• heartburn;
• diarrhea;
• flatulence;
• dispersion;
• abdominal pain;
• dry mouth;
• bad breath;
• heavy sweating.

A hangover is the result of alcohol poisoning. If you drank too much alcohol the day before, it is possible that the person may need emergency medical attention.

The following symptoms should alert you:

• uneven or very slow breathing (less than 8 breaths per minute);
• confusion, stupor;
• decrease in body temperature below the permissible level;
• very pale skin with a bluish tint;
• incessant vomiting.

Hangover progression

Nausea, vomiting, dizziness and pain are the consequences of processes occurring in the body. To understand why a hangover is always accompanied by such severe symptoms, you need to understand what happens to the body after alcohol abuse.

Absorption of any type of alcohol in large quantities is always poisoning of the body. The worst thing is for the liver, which actually has to break down ethyl alcohol. This process requires special enzymes - dehydrogenase. But ethyl alcohol does not immediately break down into substances in the form of which it is excreted from the body. Ethanol is first converted to acetaldehyde, which human body is much more dangerous than ethyl alcohol itself. Acetaldehyde is the main culprit of hangover syndrome. As long as this substance is contained in the body, the person suffers.

The duration of a hangover directly depends on the amount taken per capita. The liver can only process a limited amount of alcohol over a given period of time. If you drink a lot of alcohol in a short period of time, it does not have time to be processed in time and remains in the body longer in the form of acetaldehyde. This means that the hangover lasts longer.

Drinking drinks containing ethanol can cause hypoglycemia (an abnormal decrease in sugar levels in the bloodstream), accompanied by general weakness. In addition, ethanol suppresses the immune system and increases the risk inflammatory reactions. Alcohol consumption increases the production of stomach acids, but at the same time the rate of emptying the stomach from food slows down. As a result of such failures, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain occur.

And remember that the degree of intoxication and, therefore, the severity of the hangover is influenced by the age of the drinker and his psycho-emotional state: people aged or bad mood get drunk faster. A severe hangover also awaits those who take “per capita”, albeit relatively small portions of alcohol, but for very a short time. And of course, do not forget about genetics and individual intolerance to ethyl alcohol.

Listen to the advice of doctors and your body - this is The best way protect yourself from a hangover.

The next morning after a feast, signs of a hangover appear - their severity depends on the amount of alcohol drunk, the fact of mixing different drinks, general health, in particular, the nervous system. It is important to distinguish this condition from that characteristic of alcoholics. If a deterioration in well-being occurs after a single abuse, ways to remove the symptoms of a hangover come down to taking painkillers and cleansing the intestines at home, and specific treatment, as a rule, is not required. However, when coming out of binge drinking, the patient needs medical help.

Physical symptoms of a hangover

Depending on the mental and physical characteristics of a particular organism, after abusing alcohol, a person may immediately experience all or only some of the symptoms of a hangover syndrome. The most common ones include the following:

1. Dry mouth and thirst.
2. Body aches.
3. Nausea.
4. Lack of appetite.

Common signs of a hangover are dry mouth and unquenchable thirst, which is associated with dehydration after drinking too much. This is why many people drink brine in the morning: the salt in its composition retains liquid, which was actively removed from the body due to the diuretic effect of alcohol. Very often, with a hangover, people complain of aches throughout the body. It occurs because ethanol prevents the onset of the phase REM sleep- as a result, a person cannot fully rest, and, therefore, feels overwhelmed and unhappy.

From a medical point of view, alcohol is a poison, and the state of intoxication that it causes is nothing more than a symptom of complex poisoning of the body. Therefore, a hangover after an alcoholic party is accompanied by nausea, in which appetite completely disappears and stomach pain occurs. These symptoms can last for a very long time, while artificially induced vomiting leads to an improvement in well-being, but does not completely eliminate nausea. This is explained by the fact that alcohol in large quantities leads to irritation of the vomiting center in the brain.

For your information:

If vomiting appears after drinking alcohol, you should not stop it immediately - this is how the gastrointestinal tract is cleansed of the poisons remaining in it. Alarming symptom- if only bile and water come out with vomiting.

Symptoms from the brain and central nervous system

With prolonged exposure to ethanol, brain cells die and the nervous activity. A person becomes especially susceptible to external irritants and suffers from various pains, and therefore he usually spends the hangover period in bed. Consequences of brain poisoning and nerve cells ethyl alcohol becomes:

• increased irritability from sound and light;
• memory losses;
• dizziness;
• trembling in the fingers.

Morning headache is one of the most pronounced signs of hangover syndrome, which appears due to the destructive effect of ethyl alcohol on. The membrane of red blood cells is damaged, they begin to stick together, as a result, small vessels become clogged, disrupting normal blood circulation. Since the brain does not receive enough nutrition, its cells begin to die, and to prevent putrefactive processes, the body sends liquid to the dead neurons, which washes them away along with toxins. The entry of large amounts of water into the brain causes pain syndrome, although some people do not have it.

Common signs of a hangover also include increased sensitivity To sharp sounds, light, smells, it seems to a person that everyone around is talking very loudly, and the surrounding colors are too bright. This is one of the manifestations negative influence alcohol on the central nervous system. For the same reason, the morning after a party, a person is often accompanied by depression: he is tormented by shame about yesterday, which is aggravated by the inability to remember some moments. However, a feeling of remorse is also observed in cases where there are no memory lapses.

Due to the fact that ethanol causes severe poisoning of neurons and disrupts the balance of electrolytes, in a hangover a person suffers from dizziness, which appears when trying to get out of bed. At the same time, the pulse quickens and nausea intensifies. The person also notices that his hands are shaking, which is explained by the effect of alcohol on spinal cord. It disrupts the functioning of neurons responsible for the functions of inhibition and regulation of proprioceptive flow from the muscles. As a result, muscle tone is disrupted, tremors appear in the fingers, and sometimes tremors of the vocal cords occur.

Features of a hangover after heavy drinking

The intensity of hangover symptoms after binge drinking is much higher than after a single alcohol abuse, and a person needs more time to recover. as a result of drinking alcohol for many days, it is so strong that it requires treatment in a hospital. As a rule, all signs are observed ordinary hangover- headache, nausea, thirst, feeling of exhaustion, but in a more pronounced form. Among specific signs The following hangovers after binge drinking are distinguished:

• trembling throughout the body;
• impaired coordination of movements;
• convulsions;
• mental disorders;
• thinking disorders.

If tremor of the fingers occurs during a normal hangover syndrome, then after prolonged alcohol abuse, severe trembling head, eyelids, tongue and whole body. This is the result of prolonged effects of alcohol on the central nervous system. Neurological signs of a severe hangover also include decreased muscle tone, impaired coordination of movements, as a result of which the gait becomes awkward and uncertain. If the intoxication is very severe, severe convulsive seizures are possible, during which the person involuntarily urinates and bites his tongue, which can cause suffocation.

Complications after binge drinking

Long-term binge drinking leads to disorders not only physical, but also mental health. A person develops serious problems with night sleep: it is shortened and filled with nightmares or disappears completely. Memory deteriorates significantly, concentration decreases, and severe depression occurs. Characteristic features A hangover after a long binge also causes disturbances in thinking. After a binge, a person becomes sluggish; it may take him 10 minutes to answer a basic question, and his speech becomes slurred.

For your information:

Nightmares and insomnia increase irritability and aggression, so the person becomes potentially dangerous and requires treatment in a hospital.

Symptoms of prolonged binge drinking also include delusional states, when the patient assembles unrelated thoughts, memories, and associations. He loses his ability to be creative, stops joking, and loses his concept of morality. If during a normal hangover a person is tormented by remorse, although he did not do anything reprehensible the day before, then after a binge, an alcoholic does not care whether his words or actions offended someone in his family. He finds himself completely disoriented, often unable to understand where he is and cannot even remember his name.

Attention!

The information in the article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute instructions for use. Consult your healthcare provider.

Often, after a festive feast, a hangover occurs, the symptoms of which make you suffer throughout the next day. A hangover is the result of drinking alcohol the night before, called hangover syndrome. According to the scientific interpretation of some sources, this phenomenon is called withdrawal syndrome. However, in fact, such a withdrawal state is considered to be poor health caused by the absence of a new portion of alcohol, only under one condition: the person is sick with alcoholism.

Causes of the disease

A hangover is a condition characterized by certain symptoms: high-intensity headache, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, hand tremors, sudden feelings of guilt, photophobia and intolerance to loud sounds.
Many people are interested in how a hangover syndrome is formed. When examined in detail, a hangover is a complex of disorders that appear after drinking alcohol. There are several main reasons why a morning hangover becomes unbearable:

1. Alcohol intoxication. Alcohol-containing drinks taken in uncontrolled doses are transformed into toxic substances, under the influence of which more complex toxins are released. In most cases, alcoholic drinks contain a considerable amount of other substances in addition to alcohol. If we consider alcoholic products such as unpasteurized beer or red wine, it turns out that they are full useful substances. Low-quality vodka, tequila, liqueurs, brandy and other similar drinks contain harmful impurities that negatively affect the functioning of the liver, since several things happen in it at once. chemical reactions due to fusel oils and other components. Doctors classify all these types of drinks as surrogates.
2. Fluid imbalance. Many people remember dehydration during a hangover. However, a hangover has nothing to do with dehydration. Suffering is caused by a lack of blood circulation, which manifests itself in the form of so-called dryness.
3. Impaired metabolism. A colossal amount of energy is spent on removing alcohol from the body. Therefore, on the 2nd day after a grand celebration with a libation of alcoholic drinks, the patient experiences a lack of vitamins and microelements required to restore normal well-being.
4. . If the acid-base balance is disturbed, nausea, lethargy and rapid breathing appear in the morning.
5. Negative Impact on brain cells. On the 2nd day after drinking alcohol, the nervous system is hypersensitive to external irritating factors, because of which ordinary light and noise are perceived as an aggressive environment that leads to pain.
6. Sleep disturbance. An excess of alcohol in the blood has a detrimental effect on the formation of the REM sleep phase, during which the body rests, and due to its absence even long sleep does not give the desired effect.

What is binge drinking?

Continuous consumption of alcohol often ends in a state of binge, at the end of which a terrible hangover appears. The longer the binge, the longer and more painful the way out of it will be. Therefore, how long a hangover lasts depends entirely on the duration of consumption, quantity and degree of alcohol. Binge drinking can sometimes cause a stroke or heart attack, so you need to know which medications can help. When binge drinking, a person suffering from alcoholism cannot control the amount of alcoholic beverages consumed, so he needs the influence of loved ones and relatives. To help him, you need to clearly know the signs of a hangover.

Signs and symptoms

A hangover syndrome can be identified by the following signs characteristic of a drunken state:

1. Severe headaches in the temporal and frontal lobes, which indicates a change in blood pressure.
2. Muscle aches.
3. Frequent vomiting.
4. Photophobia.
5. Chills. Sometimes there may be an increase in temperature.
6. The patient feels constant weakness and drowsiness.

Duration of hangover

The serious condition may last for several days. The duration of this depends on several factors:

1. Gender. Representatives of the fairer sex have a much more difficult time quitting binge drinking than men.
2. Age category. The younger and stronger body, the less time it takes to process alcohol.
3. Health status. A person who does not have any serious illnesses, it is easier to tolerate a hangover.
4. Quantity and quality of drinks consumed.
5. Duration of the binge. The longer the binge, the longer it will take to recover.

Two-day binge

A severe condition after two days of drinking alcohol usually lasts 2-3 days. During this time, apathy, lethargy and sleep disturbance are added to the main symptoms. To recover from such a state, it takes much more time to neutralize ethyl alcohol than after a one-day binge. In such a situation, it helps to cheer up cold and hot shower, after which the immune system begins to resist the destructive effects of alcohol as much as possible. There is an even longer binge, moving from one binge to another. This behavior indicates a severe form of alcoholism, and must be dealt with.

Prolonged binge

A long-term binge can last from 3-4 days to 2 weeks. In most cases, a person comes out of it on his own, but sometimes he cannot cope, breaks down, and begins to drink again, because alcohol alleviates his suffering. The symptoms of long-term binge drinking are much more complex than those of short-term alcohol use. To the previously listed symptoms are added: irritability, insomnia, psychosis, etc. A hangover after such a binge should be treated in specialized institutions under the supervision of narcologists. They will decide which treatment is most effective in each individual case.

Hangover treatment

Treatment for a hangover should begin with giving up all alcoholic drinks, so if you are not an alcoholic, there is no need to get hungover. On the first day, which began without the participation of alcohol, it is necessary to reduce physical exercise, as they will negatively affect the cardiovascular system. During the day, take a contrast shower 4-5 times. During the subsequent days of the hangover, try to move as much as possible, as activity will contribute to more quick deliverance from ethanol in the body. Advertised drugs offer relief from a hangover in a few hours; naturally, their effect is exaggerated. Most of them contain aspirin, unithiol, and sodium bicarbonate.

If you drink alcohol in small quantities, anti-hangover drugs can alleviate the condition, but for long-term drinking bouts they are ineffective. Regular aspirin not only relieves headaches, but also removes toxins well. If you take 1 aspirin tablet at night, you may feel a little relief in the morning and your headache may go away. Vomiting during a hangover does not alleviate the condition, but it can cause harm, as it leads to dehydration of the body. To stop vomiting, you need to take 1 tablet of Cerucal and not drink anything for several hours. As soon as the nausea passes, you need to drink 1.5-2 liters of liquid throughout the day. It is advisable to use it for drinking mineral water without gas, since sweet carbonated drinks can provoke a gag reflex. Often, to get rid of bags under the eyes, many people drink diuretics. This is not recommended, as they remove potassium from the body, which is necessary for the functioning of the cardiovascular system.

You need to drink 1.5 - 2 liters of liquid

During a hangover syndrome, appetite is completely absent, but as soon as it appears, you should not pounce on food, it is better to distribute it into 5-6 small portions and eat it throughout the day. It is advisable to eat light food during this period: yoghurt, kefir, fruit, broth, pickle juice, etc.
To reduce feelings of anxiety and restlessness, you can use Valocordin or Corvalol 40 drops 2 times a day. Usually with alcoholism there is a deficiency of vitamins and minerals, so it is recommended to use ascorbic acid and B vitamins necessary for the normal functioning of the nervous system.

Can you die from a hangover?

A hangover is a difficult ordeal for a drinker that can last for many days. For this reason drinking people More than once we have wondered whether it is possible to die from a hangover. A hangover is a general intoxication of the body, affecting all human organs and systems. The worst thing that can happen to an alcoholic is death from a hangover. The main reason that leads to fatal outcome after drinking alcohol for a long time - this is a stroke. It is the symptoms of a stroke that are observed in most people who die from a hangover. A man dies of a cerebral hemorrhage. In addition to stroke, death during the hangover period is caused by: prolonged binge drinking, alcohol intoxication and lately diagnosed pneumonia. No matter how strange it may sound, a hangover can appear even in a person who has had too much alcohol for the only time. Therefore, you should not ignore the symptoms of a hangover, which may be similar to the manifestations of more serious diseases.