OT: Does Anything Work When Battling a Hangover?
- From: "Sunshine&Lollipops" <NotARealEmailAddy@xxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 31 Dec 2005 19:11:45 GMT
More From Dr David Katz.
Does Anything Work When Battling a Hangover?
'GMA' Contributor Discusses What Helps and What Hurts
Dec. 31, 2005 - - New Year's Eve is known for revelry and is often enhanced
by a few drinks -- sometimes a little more than a few drinks.
It might be fun at the time, but those who know the pain of a nasty hangover
can imagine how helpful a hangover pill or patch might be.
Unfortunately, pills and patches now on the market "haven't been proven,"
according to "Good Morning America" medical contributor Dr. David Katz of
the Yale Medical School.
The alleged cures "are a mix of various nutrients and there are some
things -- particularly in the patch -- that could be helpful, but no proof,"
Katz said.
After thousands and thousands of years of alcohol consumption, medical
professionals are still not really sure what causes a hangover -- but it
likely is the result of imbibing major amounts of alcohol, which produces a
toxin after the body processes it. When people drink too much, their livers
are not able to keep up with processing the toxins.
"Alcohol also causes dehydration, and dehydration can cause headaches and
nausea," Katz said. "Alcohol also disturbs sleep. So even though it feels
like you slept 12 hours, you probably didn't get REM sleep, so you won't
feel rested the next day."
Katz added that drinks with more chemicals in them produce worse hangovers.
Wine, especially red wine, tends to be the worst.
Hangover Theories
Some people swear by Philly Cheese Steaks, milkshakes or pasta as hangover
cures. Katz said that they might be on to something.
"It's probably beneficial to eat the morning after, and I'm not convinced
that it matters much what you eat," Katz said. "The biggest thing is to
drink plenty of water. That's going to be the best thing the next morning."
Do not believe the wives tale about the "hair of the dog" -- that another
drink will help cure a morning hangover.
"When your liver is really stressed out metabolizing alcohol it's especially
vulnerable to that," he said.
Katz also warned against taking Tylenol after a night of hard drinking.
Tylenol can put additional stress on the liver. But those who can deal with
plain old aspirin when sober can most likely tolerate it when drunk, Katz
said.
Unfortunately for New Year's party-goers who get a little carried away, Katz
said the natural cure for a hangover, which usually lasts between eight to
24 hours, is time.
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