Alcohol And Hangover Myths Revealed

Hangover- something almost every college student has experienced. You’re dizzy, your head is pounding, you feel shaky, and as you lay in bed, bits and pieces of the previous night play in the back of your mind.

A hangover can ruin your entire day, but it doesn’t have to. Myths about hangovers and alcohol certainly can play a role in whether you simply have a slow moving morning or a day on your deathbed.

“It’s just a hangover!”

First things first, get the idea out of your head that everyone gets hangovers and they’re no big deal; they are! Drinking heavily affects the central nervous system. This is where you get your nausea, dizziness, and constant bathroom trips from. Although hangovers are common, especially among college students, it does not mean that getting one every single weekend will not catch up with you.

“Take an Aspirin.”

WRONG. Don’t take Aspirin! According to Family Health Guide, Aspirin does not eliminate alcohol from the body and actually increases acid in your stomach. In fact, it was found by the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) that Aspirin increases blood alcohol levels by 26% when taken before drinking. If your head is throbbing in the morning, take an Ibuprofen about an hour or so before you need to get up and going for the day.

“Beer before liquor makes you sicker!”

I don’t think I’ve ever pregamed for a party or event without hearing this come out one of my friend’s mouths. A lot of people know it’s not true, but for whatever reason we keep listening to this silly folklore. There is absolutely nothing wrong with mixing beer and hard alcohol; I repeat- nothing wrong.  No research has proven that it causes you to head into a downward tailspin the next morning. It’s the amount of alcohol you consume; not the order. A 12-ounce glass of beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine, and a 1.5-ounce “shot” of distilled spirits have about the same amount of alcohol. Don’t let the size of your glass trick you.

“I can drink with the boys!”

Everybody is different, but in many cases ladies- do not try to keep up with your male friends when it comes to drinking. Alcohol hits a woman about twice as hard as guys. The higher percentage of water men have in their bodies helps to dilute the alcohol they drink. Women tend to have less water and this causes alcohol to build up faster.

“You won’t get a bad hangover if you stick to wine.”

A lot of my friends are under the assumption that wine is the more “gentle” choice as far as avoiding a hangover goes, but what they don’t know is that a lot of the time red wine can leave you more hungover than vodka. Red wine contains tannins. Which according to WebMD are known to trigger headaches in many individuals. If you’re worried about being hungover in the morning stick to beer, or clear alcohol such as vodka.

“Drinking will help you sleep.”

It actually does the complete opposite, you just don’t notice it. Having a little to drink before going to sleep can make you doze off faster, but it makes you sleep worse because you aren’t spending enough time in the rapid eye movement (REM) phase of sleep. Not to mention, if you’ve been drinking a lot then your hangover could hit you sooner than expected making it very difficult to fall asleep right away.

Hair of the dog

Do not believe this old myth. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the saying, it’s the belief that consuming more alcohol will help cure your hangover. It does not cure your hangover, it only postpones it. The only thing hair of the dog will do is boost your buzz and maybe lead you to more drinking. The best thing you can do to “cure” a hangover is drink a Gatorade to replace your electrolytes.

A hangover is a part of life. Especially for college students. The best thing you can do to avoid them is to know your limits. Once you have a hangover there is nothing you can do to completely get rid of it; just things you can do to make yourself a little more comfortable.