Learn about the harmful effects of alcohol on the body and brain as well as the different treatments for a hangover.

This course begins by discussing the biological effects of ethanol on various organs of the body. You will also learn the serious socioeconomic effects of heavy drinking. Ethanol causes increased confidence and heightened moods leading to increased risk of accidents, violence, and socially inappropriate behavior. You will learn that alcohol disrupts the ability of the brain to coordinate between sensory input and motor output which leads to slurred speech, less controlled movement, delayed reaction times, and errors of judgment.

You will then study variations in alcohol tolerance and learn why some people rapidly become quite unwell when drinking and experience what is known as a ‘flush’ reaction. This course will discuss the different chemicals produced in the body from alcohol including ethanol, methanol, formaldehyde, and formic acid. You will learn that the acetaldehyde accumulation involved in hangovers is largely due to high concentrations of acetaldehyde in the blood giving rise to toxic effects which resemble a hangover.

A hangover is a term used to describe the collection of symptoms that a drinker may experience on the day following a heavy drinking session. This is due to the clearance of ethanol from the blood and includes headaches, a poor sense of well-being, diarrhea, anorexia, tremor, fatigue, and nausea. This course will teach you everything you need to know about hangovers, along with important treatments for them. By the end of this course, you will be much more knowledgeable about alcohol and prepared for its effects.