According to the National Library of Medicine, 60-75% of college students report experiencing at least one hangover a year. Drinking is said to be the epitome of the “college experience,” with many students choosing to indulge in alcohol with friends on the weekends.
However, as much fun as drinking can be during the moment, ultimately there will be consequences. Many people, especially college students, have to deal with the health symptoms after consuming too much alcohol, known as hangovers. Hangovers can consist of nausea, vomiting, dehydration, headaches, dizziness and excessive tiredness, according to the NIAA.
Although there are recommended remedies online, symptoms and treatment varies from person to person.
Taylor Clark, a senior studying psychology, takes the approach of preparing the night before.
“Normally before bed, I'll take Ibuprofen or I'll drink a lot of water and have some Pedialyte,” Clark said. “That's normally what I do.”
Of course, hangover symptoms and severity can have a large range and also depend on the person’s tolerance.
“For me, they can be mild to extreme,” Clark added. “Sometimes they're worse than others if I don't eat a lot before or drink a lot of water, but mostly they're not too bad.”
Whether students choose to consume a lot of alcohol every weekend or just every so often, ultimately, most who choose to drink can expect to experience a hangover at least once, and Clark advises preparing ahead of time.
“I would just say to space out your drinks at the bar and drink a lot of water in between, make sure you're getting plenty of sleep and eating a lot before you go out,” Clark said.
Jose Cano, a second-year medical student studying osteopathic medicine, has refrained from drinking alcohol in the past few weeks; however, in the past when he has delt with hangovers, he would try and take it easy.
“I would just honestly lay in bed the whole day after, and not do anything because my body would just literally shut down on me,” Cano said. “I would stay in bed for the whole morning, and maybe just take a quick cold shower to shock my body back up. I would go about my day, try to eat as many carbs as I can … to have something to absorb that and drink a lot of water.”
Although Cano is a college student, his tips for hangovers and drinking in general also come from the perspective of a medical student.
“As a medical student talking, I would cut back on it, just to save yourself in the future, especially in a growing age such as undergraduate college students, their body is still developing,” Cano said. “Excessive drinking could severely damage the liver, lead to cirrhosis, and that's almost always fatal.”
There are a few factors that go into causing a hangover, but the main reason is consuming too much alcohol at once.
Maddie Metzger, a freshman studying pre-nursing, also offered some insight from a health perspective on the cause of hangovers.
“(Students) consume too much (alcohol) in a short period of time, they don't spread out their drinks through the night,” Metzger said. “Take ibuprofen, drink lots of water, eat, don't drink on an empty stomach and sleep.”
Although not everybody decides to drink in college, for those who do, hangovers are bound to happen at some point. It’s best to be knowledgeable and prepared for how to deal with them.
