One is never enough, especially in the company of friends or when there is a reason tempting enough. It is usually part of our Friday nights. It comes camouflaged in good looking bottles and big names, not to mention the pride that comes with getting just a single bottle of a certain brand. What of the feeling that follows, words can’t really describe it. It is euphoric to say the least. Should I mention what the big boss upstairs really thinks…

Alcohol is a colourless, volatile flammable liquid which is produced by natural fermentation of sugar and is the constituent of wine, beer, spirits and other drinks. Wines and beers are mainly taken during celebrations, when hanging out with friends or just to cool the brain after a stressful experience. But just how far does alcohol affect our brains?

The brain is part of the central nervous system which is also made up of the spinal cord. The brain is the source of our thoughts, the center of learning, the interpreter of our environments and the origin of overall control over the body. The spinal cord provides the link between the brain and the rest of the body.

Alcohol comes into direct contact with the brain. This is because it can cross the Brain Blood Barrier(BBB). The Brain Blood Barrier is a highly selective semipermeable border that separates the circulating blood from the brain and the extracellular fluid in the central nervous system. The first area to be affected by small amounts of alcohol is the part involved in inhibiting behaviors which results in an increase in animation, talkativeness and greater sociability. This conceives the misconception that alcohol activates the brain making it more lively. However, this is never the case. Instead, the brain actually slows down. Alcohol present in the blood circulating in the brain comes into direct contact with neurons. Neurons are the functional units of the brain; they are cells which are designed to transmit information to other nerve cells. Alcohol makes these cells less excited causing them to slow down. The brain slowly shuts down, resigning to its fate. The big boss is left hopeless and helpless as the neurons are killed slowly.

The human brain can be divided into three main parts; the fore brain, the mid brain and the hind brain. These major divisions are then further divided into many different parts that serve different functions to achieve the brains objective of overall control of the body. Alcohol affects most of this parts leading to inability to control the body when drunk.

The human brain weighs on average 1.5 kg which is equivalent to 3 pounds and has a processing capacity of 0.1 quadrillion instructions per second. That is how much it screams it is in charge, it is the big boss!

The first part of the brain to be affected is the ventral striatum and prefrontal cortex. This is the part of the brain that makes up the brain reward system and regulate impulsive behavior. The brain reward system is a complex connection of neurons that is able to assess the likely outcomes from different choices, evaluate the reward value, predictability and risk accurately. Since it is the first part to be affected, it leads to loss of guard and a person suddenly lets loose.

The other part of the brain that is affected is the cerebellum. This is the part of the brain that is responsible for movement, balance and complex motor functions. This explains why a drunk person cannot stand or walk in a straight line. This is because the coordination of the cerebellum with the primary motor cortex is disrupted.

The frontal lobe of the brain is also affected by alcohol. It is responsible for judgement, behavior and emotions. The disruption of its normal functioning leads to being emotional when under the influence of alcohol. This is manifested in emotions such as crying, fighting or a desire to be close to another.

The hippo campus part of the brain is responsible for the storage of memory. This part is highly affected by alcohol leading to;

“I can’t remember what happened…”

“How did I get here…”….after a night of partying and taking alcohol.

Especially in adolescents, this part of the brain is still maturing and this makes them forget events before getting drunk and during drinking. Worse still, they are unable to remember what they learn or are only able to remember bits of it.

The reticular activating system is a system in the brain that controls sleeping and waking up. Alcohol can suppress these systems causing a person to pass out.

The medulla is a part of the brain that is responsible of controlling the heartbeat, breathing and other vital functions. Alcohol slows it down and to say the effects are deadly would be an understatement.

We all know of the infamous headache that follows after a night of partying and drinking. The feeling of as if the devil is testing his pitch fork on your head, or some lunatic has decided to give your skull some not so interesting drum beats. That headache. The characteristic hangover headache. What exactly is the big boss up to? Or is it payback time?

A hangover is a collection of signs and symptoms linked to a recent bout of heavy drinking. Severe headache is the most common symptom associated with a hangover. Alcohol leads to vasodilation, which is the blood vessels dilating. This lowers the blood pressure which results to headaches. Alcohol is also associated with the production of histamine and seratonin hormones which are believed to cause headaches.

In addition to the severe headache, alcohol results to many other signs and symptoms. Alcohol has a dehydrating effect by causing increased urine production which causes thirst, dry mouth, dizziness and may lead to an electrolyte imbalance. Moreover, it leads to gastrointestinal disturbances. The stomach lining gets inflamed leading to delayed stomach emptying. It can also lead to production of gastric and pancreatic secretions which cause abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. Other than that, alcohol inhibits glucose production in the body and depletes the reserves in the liver. This interprets to low energy levels in the brain leading to feeling of fatigue, weakness and mood disturbance. Alcohol disrupts biological rhythms such as the sleep cycle. Alcohol-induced sleep is shorter and of poor quality and this results to a feeling of fatigue.

It is said that prevention is the best cure so the best way to cure a hangover is by avoiding it all the same. Just imagine the pressure you are putting on your body as it tries to detoxify this sweet poison. As you relish in the feeling of being in a totally different world, a world in which you don’t seem to be in control yet you are in full control, remember the agony the big boss is going through in silence as it watches its systems shut down in surrender. And the nasty headache that is preparing to give you a smooth landing back to reality.