The symptoms of a “hangover” resemble, to a certain degree, those experienced during withdrawal by alcohol-dependent people: nausea, pasty mouth, headache, loss of appetite, tremors, fatigue…. These symptoms can be experienced with relatively little alcohol consumption, or even with exceptional consumption.
Many are those who have experienced it and who then swore that we would never take them again! However, on the following occasion, it is not the memory of that difficult day after waking up that prevents drinking again… and reliving the same unpleasant physical symptoms the next day.
During the holiday season, the general press, the women’s press, as well as the specialized press looked at the question of the “hangover” and how to deal with it. In the aftermath of the holidays, we offer you a summary of what the literature has to say about it.
Here we will discuss the importance of the amount consumed on hangover symptoms and the impact of the latter on subsequent alcohol consumption. We would end up with a frequent question: “what to do to avoid a hangover?” “.
1) The “hangover” or veisalgia
Veisalgia is the scientific name for the commonly known “hangover”. This last very colorful name originally referred to the pasty and dry mouth (“mouth”) (“as dry as wood”) observed on waking the day after a too watered evening. Now commonplace, this name includes all the symptoms that accompany it.
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2) Importance of the quantity consumed
The symptoms of a “hangover” appear to be directly related to the amount consumed.
In 2015, Dr. Joris Verster (the University of Utrecht, The Netherlands) conducted a study on the drinking habits of 789 Canadian students. He found that “the majority of students who claimed to never experience side effects from alcohol tended to drink significantly less than their counterparts ” [5].
3) Impact on subsequent consumption
Many people are convinced that after a hangover, we tend to delay the next drink or on the contrary, drink it again immediately to relieve the symptoms. What is it really?
Studies show that the response to hangover symptoms varies greatly from person to person.
Some studies show proportions of up to 50% of people who drink to avoid the painful symptoms of the following day [4], while other studies indicate that these symptoms would have little effect on subsequent consumption. (especially among small consumers) [2].
Indeed, we would not all feel the effects of alcohol consumption in the same way. Some perceive these symptoms as negative, while others perceive them as neutral or even positive. It is, therefore, an entirely subjective notion and consumer behavior following a hangover is, therefore, variable from one person to another.
Finally, Damaris J. Rohsenow, a professor from Brown University (USA) says that the pleasure felt while drinking outweighs the unpleasant effect of a hangover [2]:
“ People who drink a lot usually experience pleasant effects from drinking, and this is what motivates the decision to drink a lot again. Hangover pain is temporary and seen as a nuisance rather than a significant negative consequence. ”
In conclusion, whether it is to avoid a painful feeling or to relive an experience felt as pleasant, the behaviors of large and small consumers seem to be little influenced by hangovers.
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