Dryden
Brown Ltd
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TRAVEL
HEALTH
HANGOVER & ALCOHOL INTOXICATION
Alcohol
has many 'side effects'. A hangover is a result of both
the effects of alcohol and alcohol's waste products.
Alcohol
causes excess loss of fluid. The dehydration that results
causes headache, thirst, nausea, vomiting and tiredness.
In hot and humid conditions which cause dehydration, you
are more likely to get a hangover. Salty and rich food also
makes you more susceptible.
Most alcoholic drinks contain a mixture of two different
alcohols - ethanol and methanol. Drinks high in methanol
like brandy or rum produce worse hangovers. Gin and vodka
based drinks have more ethanol and are less likely to cause
hangovers.
What
you can do yourself
Prevention
Go easy. 'Know' your limit. Most hangovers are caused
by drinking more than your body can tolerate and allowing
yourself to become dehydrated.
Avoid drinks with a high methanol content.
Try not to drink alcohol on an empty stomach. Try to eat
some carbohydrate (bread, pasta, rice) before drinking.
If you have not eaten and cannot eat anything drink a
large glass of water (500ml) before your first drink.
It is a good rule to drink at least 3/4 pint (300ml) or
a large tumbler of water with each or before each alcoholic
drink. If you cannot face water, drink any dilute soft
drink/juice that you can.
Finally, before going to sleep, try and estimate how much
you have drunk (1/2 pints or standard measure of alcohol)
and ensure you have had at least an equal volume of water
then drink one or two glasses of water extra before retiring
to bed. Take a bottle of water to bed and if you wake
early, still feeling dry, drink some more water.
Before retiring take a high dose of Ibuprofen 400 or 600mg.
(providing you do not suffer from indigestion or stomach
ulcers.)
Eat or drink something very high in sugar. The idea behind
this is to help your liver burn/destroy the chemical,
aldehyde, which is the first thing the liver breaks alcohol
down into. It is the aldehyde that makes us feel terrible.
High volumes of water will help the body to pass it out
through the kidneys.
What you can do
once you have a hangover?
Keep drinking fluid.
Eat high carbohydrate foods. Mix bread, potatoes, rice
with sugar based foods to help the liver breakdown the
aldehyde.
Provided your stomach is not sensitive take an 'anti-inflammatory'
drug like soluble Aspirin, Ibuprofen or related drug.
Paracetamol can help but is itself a little toxic in certain
circumstances to the liver so is best avoided.
To order
your copy of a What should I do? booklet
use one of the following methods:
On-line
Shop
Phone: +44 (0) 23 8022
9041
Fax: +44 (0) 23
8022 7274
 
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