If you’re sat there, shaking at the thought of your last horrific hangover, you might be wondering how to find out if you’ve got the ALDH2 gene. The most obvious sign is feeling particularly awful after drinking. But there are other signs to look out for, too.

“People who have the ALDH2 gene will display symptoms following alcohol consumption that are more intense than others,” says Gunn. “These can include facial flushing, tachycardia (racing heartbeat), nausea and headaches.”

Often, these symptoms will be put down to allergies, as 46-year-old Joanne Woods knows only too well. “Whenever I drink, my chest and neck flush, my feet swell and I get really hot,” she tells Strong Women. “I’ve had allergy testing but it didn’t show anything. I don’t drink as much these days as I do appear to get hangovers quite easily. No matter how much water I drink, I always seem to suffer more than my husband.”

If you’re interested in knowing if you have the gene (and don’t mind paying for it) you can have a genetic screen. “Currently, the only way to test for the gene is by DNA testing,” Professor Nutt says.

But if you’re found not to have it, that doesn’t mean something else isn’t going on. “Most people don’t have this gene variation and still experience hangovers,” warns Gunn, “so the role of this gene in hangovers specifically is limited.”

That said, it’s not all bad news – research suggests that those of us with the enzyme are less likely to develop alcohol substance abuse and generally drink less than our non-enzyme-carrying counterparts (probably because we feel so much worse after drinking).

Are your hangovers worse than other people’s? Scientists say you might have the hangover enzyme