`HANGOVER HELPER': TRIAGE FOR DRINKERS.

Byline: Heesun Wee Daily News Staff Writer

New Year's Eve is upon us again, that annual tradition when adults seem to embrace - and practically encourage - libationary behavior amongst themselves. And drunken revelry, deemed inappropriate any other time of year, is tolerated - at least for one night.

``It (New Year's Eve) is a social acceptance of something that's normally not acceptable,'' said Stephen Braun, author of ``Buzz'' (Oxford University Press; $25), his recently released book that examines alcohol- and caffeine-consumption issues, including Americans' willingness to treat their own hangovers.

``It's an excuse to drink, overindulge,'' Braun added.

But like most clanlike behavior, New Year's Eve-related debauchery has its drawbacks - particularly hangovers. Common symptoms include dizziness, nausea and an exploding headache.

Fred Harchelroad, a toxicologist at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, says hangovers are the result of alcohol molecules that have invaded the body, interrupting bodily functions on the cellular level.

Here's a closer look at some of the more common hangover symptoms and alleged cures with the help of Harchelroad and Braun.

My head is going to explode!: Alcohol dilates blood vessels in the head, resulting in those decidedly nasty headaches. Coffee and some kinds of alcohol often are self-prescribed for the morning after because both constrict the blood vessels, slightly alleviating the pain.

I feel nauseous: Alcohol causes the body to go through motions as if you were starving. Following binge drinking or starving, the body begins to break down fat and subsequently produce ketones, an agent responsible for that nauseous feeling.

``Alcohol causes changes in metabolism. ... That change in metabolism is sometimes corrected if someone would eat after they were drinking,'' Harchelroad explained. He recommended eating before you begin downing those shots because food slows the body's absorption of alcohol. And lean toward protein, he added, because protein-rich foods contains amino acids, which helps them metabolize more quickly than other foods.

Here are some ways to prevent getting a hangover:

Drink water: Because alcohol is a diuretic, an intoxicated body usually is a dehydrated one. That's why experts recommend plenty of water for the road to recovery.

No New Year's Day workout: Exercise can produce more acid in an already uneasy stomach. ``Exercise is probably going to make you feel worse,'' Braun said.

Take two aspirin ... maybe: Aspirin and other over-the-counter medications may not be your best options. Although aspirin can relieve an aching head, it might also irritate an already-upset stomach. ``Pick your poison,'' Harchelroad said. He added most medications that claim to relieve hangovers basically are a combination of alcohol, caffeine and/or aspirin.

Home remedies: Tomato juice and menudo (a Mexican dish made with tripe), work for some people but do nothing to relieve the hangover symptoms of others. ``It's because of your genetic variability,'' Harchelroad said. Everybody, even members of the same family, handles alcohol differently. ``And some people seem to really not get a hangover,'' Harchelroad said.

Drink in moderation: ``Nothing is going to prevent (hangovers) like not drinking a whole lot,'' Harchelroad said. ``The bottom line, medically: It takes about three drinks to make a person legally drunk. And if you drink more than one drink an hour, you'll probably end up with a hangover.''

An individual's year-round drinking habits also determine the intensity of a hangover, if one develops at all, Harchelroad said. ``People who get (a hangover) worse are people who only drink a few times a year and go out and have three, four drinks.''

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Myung J. Chun/Daily News