Did you stick your foot in the jackfruit? See what to do to 'cure' a hangover

Headache, malaise, bad taste in the mouth, excessive thirst, nausea, tiredness. If you woke up with these symptoms after drinking too much the day before, there is probably only one diagnosis: hangover .

Many people will spend the day after the holidays looking for a cure for this uncomfortable feeling. However, the news is not good There is no medicine or magic recipe for prevent or cure a hangover and, according to specialists, the symptoms can have a duration of eight to twelve hours For the hangover, just wait to pass.

what is hangover it’s because it causes a malaise the next day?

A hangover is the result of a alcohol poisoning.

Raymundo Paraná, a hepatologist and professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), explains that the first step in metabolizing alcohol passes through the stomach, through an enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase.

“Each person has a different amount and it is as if this enzyme were the first pass that modulates the amount of alcohol that will reach the liver. In the liver, alcohol turns into acetaldehyde – a compound that causes cellular dehydration, can attack the cells and gives the feeling of malaise”, says the hepatologist, who is also a researcher at the D’Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR).

Christian Morinaga, manager of the Emergency Room at Hospital Sírio-Libanês, recalls that there is no a safe amount so you don’t have a hangover, but the more alcohol we drink, the greater the chance and intensity of a hangover. The doctor points out that the theme is not a joke either.

It is very important to emphasize that a hangover is one of the symptoms of alcohol abuse and, therefore, its recurrence should serve as a warning about the unhealthy use of the substance.

— Christian Morinaga, Manager of Emergency Care at Hospital Sírio-Libanês

Excessive alcohol intake can also lead to more serious consequencesin addition to the hangover, such as alcoholic coma.

“The individual presents a high degree of intoxication and drunkenness and this causes him to depress the Central Nervous System (CNS) and fall into a coma. Excessive alcohol can also cause arrhythmias in people with a predisposition”, warns Paraná.

Do you have treatment? Can it be prevented?

As we said above, There is no specific treatment for hangovers. Morinaga says the most important thing is:

Keep rest;
Try to maintain good hydration;
Avoid fasting and light meals (greasy food can worsen the effects of a hangover);
Use simple analgesics (in cases of headache or pain); and
Take antiemetic (against nausea) medication.

And there’s how to prevent One can choose between two paths: not drinking or drinking moderately, without excesses. In addition, experts give some tips that can help alleviate symptoms:

Avoid drinking on an empty stomach (which accelerates the absorption of alcohol);
Avoid drinking when sleep is not regular “People who drink after a long period of sleep deprivation tend to have more hangover symptoms”, warns Morinaga;
Hydrate yourself during alcohol consumption – the ideal is a glass of water for each dose of drink. Water helps to dilute the alcohol in the stomach and the chance of getting very intoxicated is less.

Against a hangover, the most important thing is to rest, try to maintain good hydration, avoid fasting, use simple analgesics (in cases of headache or pain) and antiemetic drugs (against nausea). — Photo: Credit: iStockPhotos

Mix Does various types of alcoholic beverages make a hangover worse? It doesn’t get worse or better What will matter is the amount of alcohol you consumed and your susceptibility.
women are less resistant to alcohol? It is true. Women have less amount of alcohol dehydrogenase – enzyme that modulates the amount of alcohol that will reach the liver.
After 30 years, the hangover is worse? Do not. It is a relative truth. Alcohol dehydrogenase decreases with age, but this usually occurs between 40 and 50 years.
To vomit does it help with a hangover? Do not. Vomiting can relieve the discomfort caused by stomach distention, but it can lead to loss of mineral salts and dehydration. In general, hangover symptoms only appear after all the alcohol ingested has already been absorbed and metabolized.
Are there good drinks and bad drinks? There are drinks that are more impure, which bring not only alcohol, but other substances that can generate more intolerance and symptoms. More “qualified” beverages have fewer impurities and reduce risks of additional agents to intoxication, in addition to alcohol. But it is worth remembering: the most important thing is always the amount of alcohol you have drunk.