Graphic by Carlie Sue Herrick, graphics editor

Your head is pounding, you feel shaky, and you may or may not throw up any second here. You went out last night and are experiencing an intense hangover.

According to Mayo Clinic, when you have a hangover, your body is actually experiencing a withdrawal from alcohol. Generally a hangover will not begin until your blood-alcohol level drops close to zero. If you are experiencing a hangover, here are a few
easy fixes:

Drink water

Alcohol makes you urinate more frequently, and it makes you sweat more. You’ll feel great if you rehydrate your body.

Eat

Find something light and easy to digest. Greasy, heavy foods don’t help you flush the alcohol out of your system. Drinking alcohol increases your stomach acid and simultaneously slows your stomach from emptying itself.  Foods like toast or cereal are great for a hangover.

Get some sleep

Consuming alcohol will help you fall asleep, but it does not induce good sleep that you can wake from well-rested. If you give your body rest will help you feel better too.

What you think is a hangover could take a turn for the worse if you’ve developed alcohol poisoning.  Alcohol poisoning is the potentially fatal result of having too much alcohol in your system. Hangovers and alcohol poisoning have similar symptoms and both are a result of drinking too much, so they can be mistaken.

Hangover:

-Fatigue

-Thirst

-Nausea and vomiting

-Shakiness

-Rapid heartbeat

-Decreased ability to
concentrate

-Dizziness

Alcohol Poisoning:

-Vomiting

-Seizures

-Noticeably slow or irregular breathing

-Blue or pale skin

-Low body temperature

-Lacking the ability to awake
If you notice that you or your friend have some of these more serious alcohol poisoning symptoms, please seek medical care immediately.  Never think that you or they can ride it out. Your safety is more important than an embarrassing night at the hospital or a medical bill.

Have fun and please drink responsibly.