Hangovers are something that plagues a lot of people and though it does not last for long it is not a very pleasant experience either. Waking up in the morning after a rocking party involving drinking session, many people find their heads are heavier than usual.

They can also feel dizzy and complain of headache. Therefore, in medical terminologies it denotes the unpleasant after effects which follows heavy intake of alcoholic beverages and drugs. A person suffering from hangovers may also feel nausea and can become highly sensitive to noise and light. He might feel quite lethargic and thirsty as well.

Causes of Hangovers

The primary cause of hangovers isexcess consumption of alcohol. Alcohol is a diuretic drink hence it accelerates the water loss from the human body. This leads to increased thirst, dryness in the mouth and persistent sensation of dizziness. When the alcohol irritates the lining of stomach, the problems like vomiting, nausea and indigestion appear.

Usually people drink alcohol at night and it has become a must have item for parties. Hence, after drinking lots of alcohol and staying awake till late night, when a person wakes up in the morning he feels an over all tiredness or fatigue in his body. As the body tries to compensate the disruptions, the person loses a lot of energy in the process.

When the alcohol is broken into basic elements by the enzymes of human liver, the ethanol is transformed in to acetaldehyde. It is further converted into acetic acid by an enzyme named acetaldehyde dehydrogenase. This substance is moderately toxic in nature and hence it causes the hangover.

This process eventually hampers the supply of glucose to the human brain. Since glucose acts as the main source of energy in the human brain, its deficiency leads to mood swings and tiredness. The hangover is also caused because the nervous system of the person is also affected to an extent.

The amount of Hangovers depends on what type of alcohol a person has consumed. The amount consumed is another important factor that decides the intensity of the hangovers.

The persons drinking white wine suffers from moderate levels of hangover where as the people drinking Red wine suffers from heavy hangovers afterwards. Apart from causing hangovers, Red wine can cause intense headache in some people that is typically accompanied by flushing and nausea.

Symptoms of Hangovers

The majority of the symptoms associated with hangovers are physical in nature. However, every person does not react in the same way to alcohol. While the majority of people show symptoms that are linked with digestive system, nerves and fitness, some victims of hangover may suffer from other disturbances.

Some people get high body temperature because of hangover and some others can complain of difficulties in attention and concentration. During the period of a hangover, some person might feel repulsive at the thought of taking alcohol. The hangovers can start affecting people immediately after drinking or it may take some hours in some instances.

Treating Hangovers

It is best to refrain from drinking but in most cases it is not possible. Hence a person needs to take some precautionary steps to reduce the effects of a hangover. If a person has to go to a place where consuming alcohol is the norm, he must have a good meal so that the stomach does not remain empty. Alcohol in empty stomach can aggravate the intensity of the hangovers.

Even during the party, a person should try to drink alcohol in combination with soft drinks or water. However fizzy drinks need to be avoided. If a person can not eat a fatty meal then he should at least consume some milk as it guards the lining of the stomach. After the drinking session is over, a person can try walking in fresh air as it may diminish the impacts of hangovers. After waking up in the morning, taking ginger tea can help a person reduce the impact of hangovers.