One night of fun one day of regret
By Kaitlyn Syring
ksyring@kansan.com
It's finally the weekend, and you and your friends go out on the town.You pound down a few drinks in search of the absence of inhibition that will allow you to get your groove on.You dance,you sing maybe you get a few phone numbers.
The next day, when you come out of your alcohol-induced slumber,you wince as the sun zaps you right in the eyes.Your head starts to pound as you search your mind for bits and pieces of last night,hoping that nothing too embarrassing flies back into your memory.As you attempt to sit up, your stomach turns,and the room spins.You,my friend,have a hangover.
Hangovers are a very familiar consequence of college nightlife. Though many students' drinking experiences are accompanied by a headache and upset stomach, not many students know what exactly causes hangovers or how they might be able
to prevent them.
Causes
Stephen Ilardi, doctorate professor of psychology at the University, says alcohol temporarily impairs function of the frontal cortex of your brain. This, he says, leads
hangover, lardi says, is caused by several things: the dehydration effects of alcohol (which cause headaches because the brain shrinks slightly away from the skull), the buildup of a toxic alcohol metabolite—called acetaldehyde—and hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, which is caused by the temporary decrease in liver function when you drink.
However, he says, people differ dramatically in their response to alcohol and their proneness to hangovers. People with a greater ability to detoxify alcohol and its metabolic byproducts are less prone to having severe hangovers.
Katelyn Stroud, Kansas City, Kan., junior, says that her drink of choice is a Dirty Shirley (Sprite, grenadine and vodka) with a splash of cranberry juice. "If that's not around," she says, "I will just drink whatever someone buys me." Stroud says that the day after drinking, she will usually have a little headache or a stomach ache.
John Kolhlhoff, a pharmacist at Patterson's Healthcare Pharmacy in Abilene, says that dehydration and loss of vitamins are the biggest causes of hangovers. He also says that the type of alcohol can make a difference in the way you feel the next day.
Ryan Johnson, Dodge City senior, says he prefers to drink stout beer. He estimates that he has a hangover about one out of every four times he drinks.
Prevention
Kollhoff says that one way to prevent getting a hangover is to take vitamin B before and after drinking. This will help maintain the water-soluble vitamins that you lose when you drink. Taking a vitamin B tablet (or eating vitamin B-rich foods like poultry, beef, cheese and milk) will give you a healthy dose.
He says that eating before drinking is very beneficial, but you need to be sure to not overeat. "Alcohol slows down your digestive process, keeping food in you for a longer amount of time." he says."People feel completely stuffed and nauseous if they eat too much and drink on top of that." Drinking water between alcoholic beverages helps tremendously in preventing hangovers, Kollhoff says. This process keeps you hydrated throughout the night, reducing the risk of a major headache the next day.
Carbonated beverages, like champagne, get absorbed into your system faster, he says, so those can cause a worse hangover than non-carbonate drinks. Also, Kollhoff says, darker, aged alcohols contain substances called congeners, which contribute to the flavor in the alcohol. Congeners make hangovers worse, he says. "Just look at the color." Kollhoff says. "Whiskey and brandy, those will do you in.Vodka and gin, those are clear, so they're not going to have those hangover-inducing
Some people claim these are sure-fire ways to cure hangovers, but they are not Joyplay-endorsed.
Prickly pear cactus extract.
Some swear by a Mexican recipe for tripe soup to cure hangovers. The soup is made from the lining of a cow's stomach and is spiced with chile, garlic and other seasoning.
The hair of the dog that bit you. In other words, having another glass of alcohol.
Rosiglitazone, a prescription for diabetics.
Saurkraut juice.
Berocera, a powerful multivitamin in the U.K. and Australia.
Source: Forbes magazine
congeners."
Stroud says she tries to drink lots of water before she goes to sleep after a night of drinking so she won't have a hangover the next day. But Johnson has a philosophy more like Kollhoff's. He says that you should never go out on an empty stomach, and that self-control is key."It's okay to say no when your hangover-bound friends demand another shot out of you," Johnson says."Odds are that they won't remember you told them no anyway."
What if you don't follow this advice, and you wind up with the mother of all hangovers? You can do a few things to ease those aches. First, drink some water:"Your body needs to get those fluids running again," Kollhoff says.
Kollhoff also has a warning for those in hangover land:"Fight the temptation to buy into the myth about drinking another beer. If you didn't throw up before, you will after that."
Next, he says, take a pain reliever, like Tylenol or Advil. Then eat a small snack like crackers or toast to boost your blood sugar and ease your stomach.
Finally, go back to bed. Time cures all hangovers, and when you wake up, yours may very well be gone.
Johnson takes a relaxed route when trying to cure a hangover. He says that he usually takes a long, hot shower to try to unwind. Then he drinks some water and promptly returns to bed, like Kollhoff suggests.
Stroud, on the other hand, does what many college students do when they're in pain after a long night of drinking."I usually go eat some really greasy food, like Wendy's or Chipotle," she says.
So when you go out this weekend, remember a few things:Take your vitamins.Eat something,but don't overheat. Choose clear drinks.Have some $ \mathrm{H}_{2}\mathrm{O} $ between drinks.Pace yourself.And if you still feel bad the next day,grab some water and crackers and head back to bed.
08 03.27.2008 Photo illustration by: Rachel Anne Seymour VOL.5 IGS.25