Waking up feeling groggy, headachey and anxious after a heavy night of drinking is an all too familiar scenario for many.
If you've indulged in too many drinks, it's inevitable that you won't feel at your best the next morning. Symptoms such as nausea, anxiety, sweating and headaches can make you question whether it was worth drinking the night before.
The combination of hangover and anxiety can last for hours and even days, the Mirror reports.
But what exactly triggers these sensations in our brains? Dr Hannah Patel suggests there is a "strong link between excessive alcohol consumption (more than 14 glasses a week) and depression", which could shed light on why we feel so run down after a heavy night out.
"Hangovers often make you feel anxious and down. If you already feel anxious or sad, drinking can make your condition worse. The reason why alcohol can make us feel anxious or depressed is that it is a depressant. That means it causes chemical changes in the brain that can make you feel more relaxed and calm at first," Patel said.
"However, when alcohol starts to be expelled from the blood, it can exacerbate any feelings of anxiety, guilt or shame. For those already experiencing these symptoms on a daily basis, alcohol can exacerbate them," the expert added.
Dr Deborah Lee, of online pharmacy Dr Fox, warns that while it doesn't necessarily mean you're an alcoholic, experiencing 'anxiety' frequently could be a sign that you need to cut down or give up drinking. She explained to the publication how alcohol affects the brain the morning after consumption.
Alcohol affects the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) pathway in the brain, which is the brain's neuroinhibitory pathway. When you drink alcohol, it stimulates this receptor and turns on the inhibitory system, making you feel uninhibited and relaxed.
The next day, however, when the alcohol is metabolized, the brain continues to produce GABA as well as the neurotransmitter glutamate - making you feel even more anxious. To reduce your risk of feeling anxious the day after drinking, Dr. Lee suggests not drinking on an empty stomach, eating while drinking, and drinking plenty of water between alcoholic drinks.
The next day she recommends a hearty breakfast, for example with eggs, and light exercise, for example walking or yoga. | BGNES
