Tesi Johnson, Gleaner Writer

The morning after a night of heavy drinking is often characterised by symptoms of headache, nausea, sensitivity to light and sound, diarrhoea, fatigue, dehydration and an overall feeling of illness, collectively known as a hangover.

The formal name for a hangover is veisalgia, which is derived from the Norwegian word for 'uneasiness following debauchery' (kveis) and the Greek word for 'pain' (algia).

The effects of a hangover are largely caused by the fact that the the liver is still processing the toxins left over from alcohol metabolism.

Preventative measures

Hangovers are made worse by drinking on an empty stomach, lack of sleep, increased physical activity while drinking (dancing, for example), dehydration before drinking and poor health. Taking measures to avoid any of the above-mentioned conditions will aid in the cure.

WHAT TO DO

Drink in moderation, as the more alcohol a drinker consumes, the worse the hangover will be.

Stick with one type of drink. Mixing your liquors, for example: having wine, beer and rum all in one night, can result in a particularly severe hangover.

Drinking a glass of water for every alcoholic beverage provides more time for the body to deal with the alcohol.

Eating in general helps, but eating fried or fatty foods before drinking is better, as they coat the lining of the stomach longer, thus delaying absorption, and give the body more time to process the by-products that usually cause hangovers.

Dealing with hangovers

Throwing up can actually lessen hangover symptoms in the long run because vomiting gets rid of the alcohol in the stomach and reduces the number of toxins the body has to deal with.

Eat breakfast, including eggs which contain large amounts of substance called cysteine, which breaks down the hangover-causing toxin. Have a banana for replenishing potassium; fruit juice or a sports drink for the electrolytes, sugars and salts, and get the body on the road to recovery.

Note that caffeinated coffee, tea and soda will only further dehydrate the drinker.

Drink lots of water to replenish the body's water supply. It also helps dilute the leftover by-products in the stomach.

Time is, however, the best and only complete cure for a hangover. Though other remedies may speed up the process, it is only with time that the body will rid itself of the toxins that cause the discomfort.

Source: www.howstuffworks.com