After a long night of consuming alcohol a person might experience a hangover the next day. Some will try to alleviate the side affects of a hangover, by having a morning after cocktail such as a Bloody Mary with breakfast. This is described as "the hair of the dog". (2)
Toxins in the Body Due to the Breakdown of Alcohol
Hangovers come about by the breakdown of alcohol in the body via the liver and the resulting dehydration, and imbalance of electrolytes causes the hangover symptoms: headache, nausea, and possibly regurgitation. Biting the dog that bit you will dull the effects of the hangover for a while, but once the liver has broken the alcohol down again, more toxins will be added to the body and then a person will be asking for a nap by noon, without even eating breakfast. (1)
Origination of the Phrase "Hair of the Dog"
Some say the phrase dates back to the time of Shakespeare when doctors used to put the hair of the dog on dog bites in an effort to cure hydrophobia. The Polish have a literal translation because the "hair of the dog" term in Polish ends up being similar to "wedge" and one may use a wedge to push out a wedge, so to speak. (3)
Avoiding a Hangover
The best way to alleviate a hangover is not to have one. For some, this is not a realistic request, especially on New Year's Day. There have been some posted tips on how to party based on some common sense and science:
- Drink plenty of water in between or with alcoholic beverages.
- Eat small meals with alcohol consumption.
- Avoid darker spirits: not due to prejudice, but because they have more congeners-substances that are derived in the aging process.(2)
- Use caffeine free mixers to disguise the bitter alcohol taste. This decreases chances of dehydration.
- Refraining from drinking to the point of hangover which of course is an individual choice.
If The Head is in a Pickle the Morning After
Pickle juice has been said to have magical hangover remedies and the taste buds in the mouth pucker up just imagining the salty remedy. The morning after might be the only time that a person could get away with coming downstairs to the fridge and rummaging through the top shelf or the side panels for that illustrious pickle jar that has the one last pickle floating in it. It's probably the only time that it might appeal to a person to twist off the lid and let the ultra green dill juice flow down the hatch, with guttural delight. Don't worry about the seeds, cucumbers have them as well. (2)
Hopefully Its Not a Habit
Alcohol consumption may have its place at times and within reason. The purpose of this article is to have a little fun about it but if drinking has become an out of control habit that is hurting an individual or family, then it should be dealt with, as alcoholism is a serious matter.
Sources:
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA); Alcohol Withdrawal Volume 22, Number 1, 1998 Alcohol Hangover: Mechanisms and Mediators; Robert Swift and Dena Davidson.
- Jones AW, Skagerberg S, L6winger H. (1987) "Occurrence of methanol in blood and breath after administration of ethanol: Alcoholic beverage congener or raised concentration of an endogenous metabolite?" In Bonte, Wolfgang (ed.) (1987) Congener Alcohols and Their Medicolegal Significance Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, pp 173-182, ISBN 91-86856-02-2.
- "Early Modern Whale: Langley Marish: Milton, and the hair of the dog" a compilation of early uses of the expression "hair of the dog".
Tobey Strauch - I graduated from Iowa State University with a Masters in Industrial Systems Engineering. I have traveled around the world to England, ...
