It’s True! Your Hangovers Are Getting Worse

Do you remember the days when the multi-day hangover was a totally foreign concept?

Well, it’s certainly not anymore!

In fact, you’ve probably been noticing over the last few years that your body isn’t as good at bouncing back after a night on the town as it used to be. Gone are the days when you could roll out of bed, shovel in something greasy washed down with two strong cups of coffee, and get on with your day. Now, the consequences of a big Friday or Saturday night are often being felt into the next week, much to your horror.

Yes, it seems we can no longer avoid the truth. Your hangovers are getting worse with age, and here’s why.

1. Your Liver Isn’t As Effective

One of the biggest reasons that your hangovers are being stretched out now that you’ve aged is that you just aren’t as good at processing those drinks as you used to be. Every alcoholic beverage that goes down your gullet takes around 60 minutes to break down, but it’s far from a simple process. In science-y jargon, it goes something like this: a liver enzyme known as alcohol dehydrogenase takes the booze you’ve drunk and changes it into something called acetaldehyde, which is then further broken down by another enzyme called aldehyde dehydrogenase into acetate, which in turn becomes carbon dioxide and water.

The only problem is that our liver in our early 20s is not the same hard worker that it is in our 30s and 40s. For one thing, there aren’t as many enzymes in the system, meaning that the acetaldehyde hangs around in the body longer. This might not sound like a big deal, but acetaldehyde is actually pretty toxic, and it causes headaches, dry mouth, nausea and more. Sound familiar?

2. You Have More Body Fat

It’s an unfortunate reality that as people get along in years, they also tend to get along around the middle. Body composition changes pretty radically as we get older, with areas of muscle generally getting replaced by reserves of body fat. In some ways, this body fat serves a purpose, because it helps us maintain ourselves if we become ill in our later years. But unfortunately, it does not have any positive effects on your hangover because fat doesn’t absorb alcohol in the same way that muscle does. So if you have more fat, there’s less room for the alcohol you’ve drunk to dilute, leaving you feeling worse for wear.

And ladies, this pesky body fat might also be the reason that you get tipsier faster than your male friends, as women tend to have higher levels of body fat throughout their entire lives.

3. Your Body Moves Slower

Have you ever noticed that when your kid gets a cut or a bruise, it heals up pretty quickly? It seems that no sooner have you whacked a Disney character bandaid on the wound that the skin has knitted over and they’re good to go. Well, unfortunately, that’s not so much about genetics as it is about age. As you get older, those little cuts and scrapes that happen in the course of living our lives take much longer to heal than they did when we were kids. In the same way, a solid workout as a teenager or young person doesn’t seem to bother you in the days that follow, while your first Crossfit workout at 35 will likely leave you crippled for half the week.

This phenomenon is known as immunosenescence, but it’s essentially the gradual weakening of your immune system as you get older. Your body does heal, but it does so much slower than it used to, leaving you feeling the effects. When it comes to hangovers the intense dehydration, coupled with the slower liver function, makes it hardly surprising that you’re still kneeling to the porcelain god days after the fact.

4. Your Life Is More Testing

Of course, it’s not just your body that changes as you get older; your life changes as well. Hangover days in your youth could easily be spent entirely horizontal binge-watching television and necking isotonic rehydration drinks. But as the years tick by, things change, and suddenly, there are responsibilities that weren’t there before, like a job and your kids. When your hangovers are lasting two days or more, a Friday night of drinking could easily impact on your Monday morning meeting, and don’t even think about sleeping in when you have kids who are just itching to scream and shout at ungodly hours of the morning!

So while people may try to hold onto their wild and wayward party nights into their late 20s and beyond, it doesn’t take long for biology and behaviour to get the better of them. So be kind to yourself, drink lots of water, and be cautious with those crazy nights, because you’ll pay for it tomorrow (and maybe the next day too!).

Are your hangovers worse now?

If you become concerned about any symptoms, please seek immediate medical attention we have some hotlines and suggested websites for further information and advice https://www.stayathomemum.com.au/my-kids/babies/important-hotlines-websites/

SAHM takes no responsibility for any illness, injury or death caused by misuse of this information. All information provided is correct at time of publication.