I’ve never been one to really believe people who say they feel terrible on Monday after they went out drinking on Friday and didn’t do anything the entirety of the next week except recover, but apparently that’s actually a scientific fact and I should be giving them more of a break.
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The information comes courtesy of Dr Louisa Draper – a medical director at Zava – who told LadBible the following:
It’s unusual to feel hungover for more than 24 hours, but if you find yourself feeling the effects for longer, it can be down to a number of factors.
If you have had an epic night out, then your body is likely to feel the effects and does need time to repair itself.
Firstly, alcohol is a diuretic, leaving you feeling dehydrated, so if you haven’t managed to rehydrate yourself quickly, you may feel this effect for some time. Coupled with a poor diet the day after drinking, you may feel groggy and sluggish.
You probably feel very tired too – it’s likely that you had a late night and missed out on some hours of sleep, and additionally, sleep quality is often poor after drinking.
Combining some medications with alcohol can also prolong the symptoms of a hangover. All of this can add up to feeling pretty rotten, even a couple of days after the big night.
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When you drink, alcohol enters the bloodstream and inhibits the body’s production of vasopressin, a pituitary gland hormone which tells the body to retain water in the kidneys. Without this, water goes directly to the bladder (which is why drinkers make lots of visits to the loo) and leaves the body dehydrated.
The headache that often signals the hangover is the brain’s reaction to this loss of fluid, while the nausea and lack of energy that accompanies the headache is the body’s response to low blood sugar levels and the loss of the minerals and electrolytes which help the body to function properly.
The more you drank, the more likely you are going to feel these effects, and the longer you might take to recover.
The body’s ability to process alcohol can worsen with age.
It has been suggested that a worsening hangover can also be linked to declining supplies of alcohol dehydrogenase, the enzyme which metabolises alcohol and breaks down its toxins, which is thought to lower with age.
Yeah all of that does make sense in a scientific, logical way but I still think it’s kinda weird that people can still feel horrific a couple of days after having a few pints. I suppose I should just be nicer and more accepting of their inability to handle partying, but really if you’re gonna whine about it for a whole weekend maybe you shouldn’t be doing it in the first place? Just saying.
For more of the same, check out this hangover cure that apparently actually works. Hmm you think?
