Hangover: why do you feel so bad? (and how to get out of it)

You open one eye. Then the other. Daylight hits you with the delicacy of an uppercut. Your mouth tastes like an old carpet, your head is pounding like Berlin techno, and you silently swear you'll "never drink again". Congratulations, you're living through a hangover.

 

But why does your body suffer so much the day after a party? And above all… how do you survive it? Together, we're going to take a little tour through science, humour and solutions.

 

🧪 First:

Public enemy no. 1: acetaldehyde

 

 

It all starts with your liver, that brave soldier. When you drink, it takes on the job of breaking down the alcohol (ethanol) into an intermediate molecule called acetaldehyde. The problem:
Acetaldehyde is up to 30 times more toxic than ethanol.

 

 

This molecule acts on your body and causes the following symptoms:

• It causes nausea, cold sweats and headaches.

• It disrupts your metabolism and causes massive oxidative stress.

 

“Acetaldehyde plays a central role in hangover symptoms, in particular nausea, fatigue and cognitive impairment.” Verster JC et al., Current Drug Abuse Reviews, 2010

 

 

Your body tries to get rid of it by converting it into acetate (harmless), but this process takes time. The result: you wake up with a dose of poison in your blood – what's known as intoxication.

 

 

🔥 Second:

The fire within: oxidative stress

 

 

Drinking alcohol creates a real molecular storm: free radicals flood in, oxidise your cells and disrupt their proper functioning, from your liver to your brain.

 

 

“Ethanol-induced oxidative stress is a key factor in post-consumption cellular damage.”  Niemelä O., Free Radical Biology & Medicine, 2007

 

 

This imbalance disrupts your nervous system, reduces your alertness and creates that state of mental sluggishness that we so love to call "mush for brains".

 

 

💧 Third:

The forgotten essential: hydration

 

 

Alcohol is a diuretic: it makes you lose more water than you take in. Which causes:

• 💀 Brain dehydration → headaches

• 😵 Drop in blood volume → fatigue

• 🧂 Loss of electrolytes → cramps, confusion

 

 

🥚 Fourth:

What to do? 5 moves that save your day

 

 

1. Drink before you sleep. 1 large glass of water, between 330ml and 500ml.

2. Keep drinking. Water with lemon, broth.

3. Avoid coffee. It makes dehydration worse. Go for a herbal tea or water instead.

4. Eat smart. Banana, eggs, broth: gentle on your stomach.

5. Plan ahead. If you know you're going to drink, eat before you go out and alternate each alcoholic drink with a glass of water.

 

 

😇 Fifth:

What science doesn't say (but you need to know)

 

 

• “Mixing drinks” is not a myth: the more you mix (beer + wine + vodka), the more additives, congeners and tannins you add. And the more you suffer.
  
  

• Mental fatigue is real: a hangover affects attention, memory and even decision-making.
  
  

• You're not alone: around 75% of regular drinkers have already suffered a severe hangover.

• Time: you spend an average of 1,066 days of your life hungover – lost time you could have spent doing other things.

 

 

🧠 In summary:

 

 

 

 

👉 Spoiler: the next article will explain why coffee isn't your best friend in the morning.