Hangovers
Top 10 Deadly Myths

1. Only drunks and binge drinkers get hangovers.

87 percent of alcohol consumption in the United States is by light and moderate drinkers. Light to moderate drinkers are at greatest risk for hangovers (3 drinks per day for men, and 1 drink per day for women).

2. Hangovers are painful, but harmless.

Post-intoxication syndrome, or hangover, is a cluster of symptoms that occur when you consume more alcohol than your body can efficiently metabolize. The headaches, dry mouth, irritability, sensitivity to light and noise,

3. Hangovers are caused by the alcohol itself.

Hangovers are actually caused by the metabolism of alcohol in the body. Scientists have long considered acetaldehyde, a common metabolite of alcohol, to be more toxic to the body than alcohol itself. The expression 'getting embalmed,' comes from the fact that acetaldehyde is a primary ingredient in embalming fluid.

4. The best way to avoid a hangover is not to drink.

True. Yet the fact remains, Americans spend $116 billion on alcohol every year.

5. There are no positive health benefits to moderate drinking.

A 12-year study of 38,000 male health professionals published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that men who have 2 to 3 drinks three or more days per week had a reduced risk of heart attack compared to those who drank less frequently.

6. Over-the-counter medications like Aspirin and Tylenol are safe for hangovers.

According to Dr. Curtis Ellison of Boston University's School of Public Medicine, "if anything, Aspirin increases the odds of a hangover. Aspirin can intensify alcohol's effects, increasing absorption in the stomach, increasing the stomach's absorption of alcohol, irritating the stomach lining and potentially causing gastrointestinal pain and/or bleeding."

Ditto ibuprofen products such as Advil and Motrin, which can cause stomach bleeding if taken in large doses or with three or more alcoholic drinks in a day.

Taking acetaminophen (Tylenol) after drinking can be fatal. The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism says liver damage can occur from as few as 4-5 "extra-strength" Tylenols taken over the course of the day after drinking.

7. Hangover prevention promotes irresponsible drinking.

In 'The Alcohol Hangover,' published by the American College of Physicians, Dr. Jeffrey Wiese of Tulane University reports, "those who experience greater hangovers sometimes choose to drink more alcohol in order to relieve the adverse effects. Therefore, treatment of hangovers could actually mitigate total alcohol consumption."

8. Hangover prevention leads to alcoholism.

A study by the Department of Psychology at the University of Southern California (USC) found hangovers not to be a link between personality and drinking disorders. Dr. Kenneth Blum, PhD, credited with isolating the alcoholism gene in 1990, concluded that lowering acetaldehyde levels may actually reduce cravings that can lead to alcoholism.

9. Hangovers have no significant impact on the economy.

According to Dr. Wiese, light-to-moderate drinkers have 70 percent more hangovers than heavier drinkers, costing employers billions in lost productivity, absenteeism and increased insurance costs.

The 2002 conclusion of a five-year study of 1,836 San Francisco transit operators by the University of California at Berkeley showed that 54 percent of the operators filed a workers' compensation claim resulting from non-work related drinking during the follow-up period. The most prevalent types of injuries were sprains and strains, with the cause of injury most often being "colliding with an object."

10. After your blood alcohol content (BAC) has returned to normal you're safe to drive.

Hangover effects can last up to 48-72 hours after after the body has eliminated all traces of alcohol. A study by Sweden's National Road and Traffic Research Institute found that 19 out of 22 volunteers on a special road course tested 20% worse hung-over than when they drove the same course sober.

Several organizations are currently lobbying for 'DWH' (Driving While Hung-Over) laws that would make getting behind the wheel the next day as illegal as drunk driving (DUI).

Source: Dynamarketing Group Inc. is a California-based nutrisupplement company committed to helping adults level the playing field between the detrimental health and socioeconomic effects of alcohol use, and the enjoyment of responsible social drinking. The company manufactures and distributes Rebound Hangover Formula