Alcohol turns on this process because it damages the blood vessels and your gut, so the body then turns on itself. The inflammatory response is unpleasant—symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, headache, confusion, and tremor, as well as clinical depression, which induces mood changes and cognitive impairment, and learning and memory deficits. This is why an anti-inflammatory medicine—for example, ibuprofen—can help the symptoms of hangover.
