Mental and Physical Symptoms of Alcohol Hangover

Abstract

Alcohol hangover can be defined as the combination of mental and physical symptoms that are experienced the day after an episode of heavy alcohol drinking, launching when blood alcohol concentration approaches zero and characterized by the constellation of unpleasant physical and mental symptoms that occur after heavy alcohol drinking. Significant changes observed on endocrine parameters (elevated concentrations of vasopressin, aldosterone, and renin) and metabolic acidosis (lowered blood potential hydrogen values due to elevated concentrations of lactate, ketone bodies, and free fatty acids) occurred during hangover and eventually causes dehydration and symptoms such as dry mouth and thirst. Females have more body fat and less water than men of the same body weight. Since alcohol is dispensed in body water, women reach higher blood alcohol concentrations levels than men despite consuming an identical number of alcohol units. Alcohol gets metabolized to an intermediate product, acetaldehyde, by the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase, and then acetaldehyde is converted to acetate by a second enzyme aldehyde dehydrogenase. Acetaldehyde at higher concentrations causes toxic effects, such as rapid pulse, sweating, skin flushing, nausea, and vomiting. In most people, aldehyde dehydrogenase metabolizes acetaldehyde quickly and efficiently, so that this intermediate metabolite does not accumulate in high concentrations.