Hangover

In Western medicine, Veisalgia or "hangover" is defined as a constellation of unpleasant symptoms such as headache, nausea, and dizziness following the excessive consumption of alcohol, with dehydration cited as a primary risk factor (Wiese, Shlipak & Browner, 2000, Annals of Internal Medicine). Concomitant factors like drinking on an empty stomach or combining alcohol with nicotine can exacerbate these symptoms. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), on the other hand, attributes hangover symptoms to "damp heat" resulting from excessive alcohol consumption, which disrupts the liver's role in ensuring smooth blood and Qi flow (Xue et al., 2010, Journal of Ethnopharmacology). TCM generally employs cooling formulas targeting the stomach, spleen, and liver to address the disharmony. Both Western and TCM approaches underscore the importance of hydration in mitigating hangover symptoms, a viewpoint supported by studies showing the role of dehydration in the severity of hangovers (Penning et al., 2010, Alcohol and Alcoholism).