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YOU PLOP DOWN IN BED AFTER A NIGHT OF DRINKING ONLY TO FEEL THE ROOM SPINNING WILDLY AROUND
YOU...YOU HAVE THE DREADED SPINS. HERE'S WHY THEY HAPPEN.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
HEY THIS IS ANNIE FOR DNEWS.
SO LET'S SAY YOU HAD ONE TOO MANY TONIGHT. YOU STUMBLE ONTO YOUR BED OR THE NEAREST COUCH
TO CRASH, BUT ONCE YOU CLOSE YOUR EYES YOU GET THE SENSATION OF SPINNING OUT OF CONTROL
ON THE WORLD'S LEAST ENJOYABLE MERRY GO ROUND...OFTEN ALONG WITH NAUSEA AND DOUBLE VISION THAT MAKES
IT IMPOSSIBLE TO GET THE SLEEP YOU NEED. YOUR OPTIONS ARE TO WAIT IT OUT, OR TO WRAP YOURSELF
IN A COLD PORCELAIN EMBRACE TO RID YOURSELF OF THE TOXINS...AND HOPEFULLY GET TO SLEEP..
GOOD TIMES.
BUT WHAT CAUSES IT? OTHER THAN THE OBVIOUS ANSWER OF THE FOUR SHOTS OF FIREBALL YOU TOOK
TONIGHT, THE SPINS HAVE TO DO WITH YOUR INNER EAR. IN THERE, YOU HAVE SEMI CIRCULAR CANALS
THAT ARE FILLED WITH A FLUID, CALLED endo-lymph and a gelationous structure called the cupula.
IN THE CUPULA ARE CELLS COVERED IN TINY HAIRS. THIS IS CALLED THE vestibular system, AND
IT HELPS TO REGULATE YOUR BALANCE.
WHEN YOU DRINK A LOT, THE ALCOHOL THINS YOUR BLOOD - AND WHEN THE INNER EAR RECEIVES THIS
THINNED BLOOD, IT THROWS OFF THE DENSITY BETWEEN THE FLUID AND THE CUPULA - CAUSING THOSE TINY
HAIRS TO BEND ARTIFICIALLY. THIS IS WHAT SENDS A FALSE SIGNAL TO YOUR BRAIN THAT YOU'RE ROTATING
WHEN YOU'RE REALLY NOT.
AND GUESS WHAT PARTY ANIMALS - MIXING *** WITH WEED IS OFTEN REPORTED AS MAKING THE
SPINS WORSE, AT LEAST ANECDOTALLY - LIKE ON THIS YAHOO! ANSWERS THREAD.
BUT IT IS PROVEN THAT ALCOHOL AND POT CAN AMPLIFY EACH OTHER'S EFFECTS. INTERESTINGLY,
A 2001 STUDY SHOWED THAT PEOPLE WHO SMOKED MARIJUANA AND THEN DRANK ALCOHOL ENDED UP
WITH HIGHER THC LEVELS IN THEIR BLOOD THAN THOSE WHO HAD JUST SMOKED THE POT. ONE EXPLANATION
IS THAT ALCOHOL CAUSES CHANGES IN YOUR BLOOD VESSELS AND INCREASES ABSORPTION OF THC. SO
NO - CONTRARY TO WHAT THAT ONE GUY FROM COLLEGE TOLD YOU ONCE - SMOKING WEED IF YOU'RE DRUNK
WILL NOT "SOBER YOU UP". IN FACT, THE TWO CAN ADD UP TO MORE THAN THE SUM OF THEIR PARTS...IN
TERMS OF YOUR BUZZ, AND THE CONSEQUENCES YOU MAY FACE LATER.
BUT LET'S SAY IT'S TOO LATE. THE ROOM IS ALREADY SPINNING AND THERE YOU ARE LYING IN BED TOO
DRUNK TO SLEEP. NOW THERE'S NO DIRECT SCIENTIFIC SUPPORT FOR THIS, BUT LOTS OF PEOPLE SAY DROPPING
ONE FOOT ON THE GROUND OR ON A WALL TO COMPENSATE FOR THE DISORIENTATION YOUR INNER EAR IS HANDLING,
CAN HELP RESTORE BALANCE AND REDUCE THE SPINS. BREATHING DEEPLY, NOT LOOKING AT MOVING OBJECTS,
AND THROWING UP - AS UNPLEASANT AS THAT IS - MIGHT HELP YOU GET TO SLEEP FASTER. BUT
I'M NO SCIENTIST, JUST A PERSON WHO HAS HAD THE SPINS BEFORE AND READS A LOT OF YAHOO!
ANSWERS THREADS.
AND OF COURSE WE'RE OBLIGATED TO SAY...CONSIDER NOT TAKING THAT 2 AM FIREBALL SHOT.
HAVE YOU EVER HAD THIS BEFORE AFTER DRINKING TOO MUCH? ALSO BE SURE TO CHECK OUT OUR PAST
EPISODES ON THE SCIENCE OF HANGOVERS...AND AS ALWAYS, LET US KNOW YOUR QUESTIONS AND
COMMENTS ON TWITTER AT D NEWS OR ON FACEBOOK AT DISCOVERY NEWS. YOU CAN ALSO FIND ME ON
TWITTER AT ANNIE GAUS, AS WELL AS AT MY OTHER SHOW, WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL.
THANKS FOR WATCHING, SEE YOU NEXT TIME.