…Hangovers Suck
1. Hangovers are painful - headaches, nausea and depression are all pretty typical after-effects from a night of revelry. The formal medical term for a hangover is veisalgia, derived from the Norwegian word kveis, “uneasiness following debauchery”, and the Greek word for pain, algia. A pretty appropriate etymology considering the symptoms of the condition.
2. With two major symptoms of a hangover being sensitivity to light/sound and trouble concentrating, they render the drinker completely unproductive after a night out. On a personal level, this feels terrible. However, it extends well beyond the living room - a variety of studies have shown that the costs of decreased occupational productivity is in the billions of dollars.
3. They are entirely self inflicted. We all know what a hangover feels like, yet for some reason we continue to bring them upon ourselves. More than three quarters of alcohol consumers have experience a hangover at least once, while 15% have one at least every month. Not surprisingly, 25% of college students feel the symptoms of a hangover on a weekly basis.
4. Despite all home remedies and urban legends, there is no cure for the common hangover except time. While there are things you can do to make yourself feel better - lots of water, Sunday football and a comfy sofa - there isn’t much you can do except wait it out. Depending on how bad you hit it the night before, it could take a couple of days before getting back to full strength, or as was the case for this guy, six months!
