When you have been enjoying drinking alcohol on a night a little too much, you can feel alcohol hangovers the next day. Many people have their chosen hangover cures and they can range from simple to elaborate solutions. Sometimes people tend to do simple activities as easy as drinking water or eating carbs but that would not help. People also cure hangovers by drinking a glass of pickled juice or chocolate milk. This blog will explain whether consuming weed can help with hangovers.
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Why Do We Get Hangovers and its Symptoms?
We all know what it feels like after a night of binge drinking. As we get older we seem to consume less and less alcohol to feel better. But the question is what causes a hangover? A hangover is caused by the direct effects of drinking alcohol in copious amounts. It can cause dehydration and result in alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Here are a few more symptoms of hangover:
- Dehydration: Alcohol is a diuretic which means it will make you pee more often. It becomes easier to become dehydrated during and after drinking. The main causes of dehydration are dizziness, headaches, and thirst.
- Gastrointestinal effects: Alcohol increases the acid production in your digestive system and irritates you. It depends on how much you drink and the speed of your drinking. Similar to how food passes through our bodies, alcohol can also speed up or slow down the passage of food through the gastrointestinal tract. This can cause vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea.
- Electrolyte imbalance: Consuming alcohol affects the electrolyte levels of your body. It may contribute to hangover irritability, headaches, and weakness.
- Immune system effects: Consuming alcohol can affect your immune system as well. With wide range of hangover systems including low appetite, poor concentration, and increased nausea can change the functioning of your immune system.
- Hypoglycemia (Low blood sugar): Drinking alcohol limits the production of sugar in the body. Low blood sugar levels cause dizziness and fatigue.
- Change in blood pressure levels: Hangovers can fluctuate the blood pressure levels in the body. Hangovers contribute to the feeling of dizziness and lightheadedness. It also affects the cardiovascular system. It leads to a reduction in blood volume which may further impact the blood pressure levels significantly.
- Dilated blood vessels (vasodilation): When you consume alcohol the blood vessels widen. This is known as vasodilation and it means getting severe headaches.
- Difficulty sleeping: Drinking too much can leave you feeling sleepy the next whole day. It also prevents you from having a good night’s sleep and may make you feel drowsier the next day.
- Impaired coordination: Hangovers can impair motor coordination and balance. It might make it difficult for you to perform certain tasks that require concentration. Consuming alcohol affects the central nervous system by interfering with the neurotransmitter levels. It can affect the gamma-aminobutyric acid and glutamate. These two play a consistent role in regulating motor function and coordination.
Dehydration caused by alcohol can disturb your sleeping patterns. It can impair coordination and contribute to fatigue, nausea, and severe headaches.Can Marijuana Help with Hangover?
People try many ways to use cannabis to help reduce the symptoms of the hangover. Here are a few symptoms of a hangover and how cannabis can help in treating the hangover.
- Cannabis and nausea: Smoking cannabis can reduce your anxiety levels and also the mild nausea that you have. Consuming marijuana can help you cope with the day after a night of hard drinking. The receptors present in the brain and gut are involved in acknowledging the consumption of weed. These receptors are involved with nausea, appetite, and vomiting so nausea can help in these symptoms. There is so much evidence that shows the capacity of THC which helps in reducing vomiting and upset stomach.
- Cannabis and pain relief: Cannabis is a natural vasodilator. It means that it expands the blood vessels and clears up headaches and other minor pain quickly. Based on recent research it means that cannabis can cure headaches and the CBD is also a great option for hangovers. It is an anti-inflammatory substance that can help in reducing pain caused after the night of drinking.
- Cannabis and sleep: Bad hangovers can mean late sleeping nights or very little sleep. Many problems relating to hangovers are caused by sleeplessness. It becomes difficult for the consumer to get quality sleep when a large amount of alcohol is consumed. Though you might fall asleep quickly a sleep that is not restful or rejuvenating can cause mood swings and headaches. Sleeping reduces the symptoms of hangover as the liver gets a chance to flush the alcohol from the system. Consuming an edible or gummy can give you a head start on fighting the hangover before it begins.
Tips to Avoid a Hangover
Even if you enjoy moderate drinking sessions and still manage to get a hangover, you should follow these tips to avoid a hangover.
- Do not drink on an empty stomach: Fill your stomach before going out for a drinks night. It is recommended to eat a full meal that leaves you full before a night of partying. When you drink alcohol on an empty stomach it just passes through your intestine and gets absorbed in the bloodstream very quickly.
- Hydrate before, during, and after drinking: Mix alcohol in water or a boozy drink to reduce its effect. It is recommended to stick to one drink per hour. That’s easier said than done. So if you find that you are chugging up your drink too quickly, try to alternate it with a non-alcoholic drink. Drinking a glass of water between every drink is a good way to avoid getting hangovers the next day.
- Reduce or eliminate alcohol: To reduce the chances of experiencing discomfort after a hangover, the most effective strategy is to avoid it.
- Avoid congeners: Congeners are a type of compound that gives flavor and color to the liquid. Every alcohol contains congeners but usually dark alcohols like whiskey and red wine have more. These toxic chemicals set off an inflammatory response that can increase the hangover. Try consuming light-colored alcohol to avoid hangovers.
While some people may find relief from hangover symptoms by using marijuana, it is important to approach this method with caution due to the potential downsides and the lack of scientific evidence. If considering this approach, it is advisable to start with a small amount and pay attention to how your body responds.