Direct Alcohol Effects
Drinking of alcoholic beverages causes hangover in many ways. It can have an effect the dehydration and electrolyte in the human body, gastro intestine, blood sugar level, sleeping and other biological rhythms.
Alcohol drinks are considered diuretic, meaning that they increase urine production. When you drink, the more frequent you urinate than the normal. Vasopressin is the hormone that is released from the pituitary gland by the alcohol in the body, this is what promotes the production of urine. Having a low level this antidiuretic hormone affects the function of the kidney from reabsorbing the water that is why there is an increase in the urine production. During a hangover, an individual can also feel other uneasiness like diarrhea, sweating, and vomiting. And these are also factors which contribute to loss of fluid in the body and create an imbalance in the electrolytes. There are signs of dehydration in the body that might be observed during a hangover: dizziness, a feeling of dryness of the mucous membranes, lightheadedness, thirst and weakness.
Alcohol has a very bog effect to the condition of the stomach and intestines. It irritates them by causing an inflammation of the linings of the stomach (gastritis) and a delay with emptying of the stomach this is especially true when you take in drinks with high concentration of alcohol. Taking in high levels of alcohol can also cause fatty liver. In this case, fat compounds called triglycerides and their components like the free fatty acids are accumulated in the liver cells. Alcohol also increases the production of gastric acid and the secretions of the pancreas and intestines. The factors said in this section of the article can result to nausea, pains in the upper area of the abdomen and vomiting when you have a hangover.
The presence of alcohol in the human body can result to low blood sugar levels. As said in the previous part, a fatty liver is caused by the metabolism of alcohol and aside from this, there is also an increase in the production of intermediate metabolic product like lactic acid in the body fluids. They both contribute and inhibit the production of glucose. Hypoglycemia that is induced by drinking too much alcohol usually occurs especially after drinking heavily for days without eating. In this case, it is not only the glucose production which is affected it also exhausts the reserved glucose stored in the liver which is in the form of glycogen. Hypoglycemia makes you feel weak, fatigue and have mood disturbances when you have a hangover.
Even though you may feel sleepy after you drink liquor, the fatigue that is associated with a hangover has an effect with sleeping. It has disruptive effects with your sleep. It often leads to insomnia because sleep that is induced by alcohol is of shorter duration and poorer quality. In addition, when drinking happens at night, it disrupts your sleeping time making your sleeping time lesser than its normal pattern. It also results in the increase of snoring and sometimes even periodic cessation of breathing.
Alcohol disrupts the body’s normal temperature rhythm because of the alcohol intoxication in the body. It also affects the secretion of growth hormones especially during the night, and these hormones are important with bone growth and protein synthesis.