As we get older, something strange seems to happen after a night of drinking—hangovers become a whole lot worse. What used to be a quick morning recovery with some extra sleep now feels like an all-day ordeal.
Many people find that as they age, they can no longer bounce back the way you used to. Their hangovers intensify, lasting longer and hitting harder. The reason for this is directly related to alcohol metabolism, age, and liver health.
What is a hangover?
A hangover is your body’s unpleasant response to drinking alcohol, typically experienced the morning after drinking, once your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels reach zero.. Hangover symptoms include headaches, nausea, dizziness, dehydration, and fatigue. The more alcohol you consume, the more intense these symptoms tend to be.
When you drink, your liver works overtime to break down the alcohol. This process produces toxic byproducts which can cause inflammation and discomfort.
Alcohol is also a diuretic which makes you lose fluids faster, leading to dehydration, which also causes that pounding headache. To add to that, alcohol disrupts your sleep cycle.
Essentially, a hangover is your body trying to recover from the multiple stresses alcohol puts on it, and it doesn’t get easier with time.
NOTE: Driving with a hangover could be just as bad as drunk driving.
How ageing affects alcohol metabolism
As we age, our bodies process alcohol less efficiently, taking longer times to break down alcohol which leads to harsher hangovers.
One key factor is a decrease in the production of the enzyme responsible for breaking down alcohol. With less of this enzyme, alcohol lingers in the system longer, allowing toxic alcohol byproducts to accumulate.
Ageing also brings changes in body composition. Older adults tend to have less muscle mass and lower water content, which means alcohol becomes more concentrated in the blood. This makes it easier to become intoxicated and harder to recover.
On top of that, the liver’s ability to regenerate slows down as we get older, so it can’t clear out toxins as quickly. Combined, these factors make alcohol metabolism less efficient as we age, leading to more severe hangovers.
LEARN MORE: Alcohol consumption guidelines for older people.
Factors that contribute to hangover symptoms
Several factors play a role in how bad your hangover gets, and they become more impactful as you age.
- Dehydration: Alcohol is a diuretic, causing your body to lose fluids rapidly. This dehydration leads to common symptoms like dry mouth, headaches, and fatigue.
- Congeners and darker drinks: Darker drinks like red wine, whiskey, and rum contain more congeners, which can worsen hangovers. As we age, our bodies become less effective at processing these substances.
- Inflammation: Alcohol triggers an inflammatory response in the body, leading to muscle aches, headaches, and general discomfort. This inflammation is harder to manage as your immune system weakens with age.
- Blood sugar drops: Alcohol can cause a drop in blood sugar levels, leading to feelings of weakness, irritability, and shakiness. With age, maintaining stable blood sugar becomes more difficult, which can make these symptoms more pronounced.
All these factors combine to make hangovers feel worse and recovery slower, especially as your body’s ability to cope with alcohol declines over time.
Tips for reducing hangover severity
The only way to avoid getting handover altogether is to avoid drinking. However, if you do choose to drink, there are still ways to minimise their impact:
- Stay hydrated: Drinking water between alcoholic beverages and before bed can help counteract dehydration. Electrolyte-rich drinks can also help restore lost minerals.
- Eat before and while drinking: A meal with healthy fats and proteins before drinking can slow down alcohol absorption, giving your body more time to process it.
- Pace yourself: Spacing out your drinks allows your liver to keep up with alcohol processing, preventing a buildup of toxins.
- Choose lighter drinks: Opt for drinks with fewer congeners, like vodka or gin, to reduce the likelihood of a severe hangover.
- Get plenty of rest: Since alcohol disrupts sleep, making sure you get enough rest can aid in your body’s recovery. Prioritise quality sleep before and after drinking.
- Monitor BAC levels: Use a personal breathalyser to monitor your BAC levels to ensure that you don’t drink to an excessive level of intoxication. This could lead to punishing hangovers the next day.
By taking a few mindful steps, you can reduce the severity of hangovers and ease the recovery process, even as the years go by.
