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Causes
By Mayo Clinic staffHangovers are caused by drinking too much alcohol.
A single alcoholic drink is enough to trigger a hangover for some people, while others may drink heavily and escape a hangover entirely. In general, however, more than three to five alcoholic drinks for a woman and over five to six for a man will usually result in a hangover.
Various factors may contribute to the problem. For example:
- Alcohol stimulates your body to produce more urine. In turn, urinating more than usual can lead to dehydration — often characterized by thirst, dizziness and lightheadedness.
- Alcohol triggers an inflammatory response from your immune system. In particular, your immune system may trigger certain agents that commonly produce symptoms such as an inability to concentrate, memory problems, decreased appetite and loss of interest in usual activities.
- Alcohol irritates the lining of your stomach, increases the production of stomach acid and delays stomach emptying. Any of these factors can cause abdominal pain, nausea or vomiting.
- Alcohol can cause your blood sugar to fall. If your blood sugar dips too low, you may experience fatigue, weakness, shakiness and mood disturbances.
- Alcohol causes your blood vessels to expand, which can lead to headaches.
- Alcohol can make you sleepy — but your quality of sleep will decrease. This may leave you groggy and fatigued.
- Alcoholic beverages contain ingredients called congeners — which give many types of alcoholic beverages their flavor and which can contribute to hangovers. Congeners are found in larger amounts in dark liquors, such as brandy and whiskey, than in clear liquors, such as vodka and gin.
- Prat G, et al. Neurocognitive effects of alcohol hangover. Addictive Behaviors. 2008;33:15.
- Verster JC. The alcohol hangover: A puzzling phenomenon. Alcohol & Alcoholism. 2008;43:124.
- Howland J, et al. The incidence and severity of hangover the morning after moderate alcohol intoxication. Addiction. 2008;103:758.
- Frequently asked questions: Alcohol. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/faqs.htm. Accessed Oct. 1, 2009.
- Wiese J. Effect of opuntia ficus indica on symptoms of the alcohol hangover. Archives of Internal Medicine. 2004;164:1334.
- Pittler MH, et al. Interventions for preventing or treating alcohol hangover: Systematic review of randomised controlled trials. British Medical Journal. 2005;331:1515.
- Wiese JG. The alcohol hangover. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2000;132:897.
- Parents: Help your teens party right at graduation. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/GraduationFacts/Graduation_Fact_Sheet.html. Accessed Oct. 1, 2009.
