The probability of suffering from a hangover, after an evening too rich in alcohol, would be linked to genetics, but also to psychological factors.
- 5% of the population would be resistant to hangovers, according to the author.
- Hangover symptoms are more intense when the blood alcohol level drops to a level close to zero.
- Symptoms can last for more than 24 hours.
The evening was good, the next day is a little less so. Excess alcohol usually causes a hangover, but its symptoms and severity vary between individuals. This can manifest as headaches, digestive upset, body aches, increased sensitivity, etc. Craig Gunn, professor of psychology at the University of Bristol, UK, became interested in the “variability” from the hangover, to try to understand why some people are spared. He publishes an article on this subject in the English version of the site Tea Conversation.
Genetics, an explanation for the hangover?
“Some research suggests that people with a variation in the ALDH2 gene report having a more severe hangover.“, explains the author. In our body, alcohol is broken down by an enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase, it is then transformed into acetaldehyde, which participates in the appearance of hangover symptoms. “However, the ALDH2 gene variant limits the breakdown of acetaldehyde, leading to greater accumulation of the protein, hence more severe hangover symptoms“, continues the researcher.
But other factors could also have an impact: age and gender. “A recent online survey of 761 Dutch alcohol consumers reveals that the severity of hangovers decreases with age, even when taking into account the amount of alcohol consumedhe develops. Interestingly, the authors also reported differences in hangover severity between men and women.Thus, young men were more likely to report more severe hangover symptoms, compared to young women.
Hangovers can be influenced by psychological factors
The variation in symptoms from person to person is also related to how we experience them. For Craig Gunn, people suffering from stress, anxiety or depression are more likely to have stronger symptoms. “Hangovers tend to cause people to interpret the world in a more negative wayexplains this specialist. As a result, hangovers can exacerbate this negative bias, leading some people to feel worse than others..”
He adds that it is also influenced by how we deal with emotions and events. “People with high levels of pain catastrophizing report more severe hangovers, suggesting they are focusing on or even amplifying their negative symptoms.”, he observes. The notion of catastrophizing refers to the fact of feeling pain more strongly or in anticipation.
Hangover: how to avoid these symptoms?
Regardless of the severity of the hangover, everyone wants the same thing: to get rid of these symptoms quickly. The internet is full of non-science-backed home remedies and tricks. “People have to wait for the body finishes eliminating the toxic by-products of alcohol metabolism, rehydrates itself, irritated tissue heals, and immunity and brain activity return to normalexplains the National Institute of Healthan American health institution. There’s no way to speed up brain recovery after drinking alcohol: drinking coffee, taking a shower, or drinking an alcoholic beverage the next morning won’t cure a hangover.“
The consumption of painkillers before going to bed should be avoided, because “the combination of alcohol and paracetamol can be toxic to the liver”. The best technique to avoid a hangover is simply to drink in moderation or to favor non-alcoholic drinks!
