Buzz
"I will never drink again!” is a phrase often uttered after waking up with a splitting headache and a churning stomach following a night of heavy drinking. Alcohol is a diuretic, meaning it dehydrates the body. This dehydration is the primary cause of those dreadful hangover symptoms. Unfortunately, there’s no instant cure to make it disappear. However, there are several remedies to help you cope until you recover.
Steps
Rehydrate Your Body
Drink plenty of water. To combat a hangover, you need to address the dehydration caused by alcohol. The most straightforward way to rehydrate is by drinking water as soon as you wake up. Mild, easy-to-digest fluids will help replenish lost liquids without irritating your stomach.
- Drinking half a liter of water before bed can reduce dehydration when you wake up. Keep a glass of water by your bedside to sip during the night.
Drink isotonic sports drinks. Like water, isotonic sports drinks can be highly effective for rehydration and providing the energy you need. These beverages contain carbohydrates that release energy slowly, helping you kickstart your day.
- Choose drinks with essential electrolytes to combat dehydration.
- Avoid sports drinks containing caffeine, as they can worsen dehydration.
- If you feel extremely thirsty, consider oral rehydration solutions. These are specially formulated to treat dehydration, unlike most sports drinks.
Drink fruit juice. Another effective option is fresh fruit juice. The vitamins and minerals in fruit juice can boost your energy levels. Fruit juices are typically high in fructose, a sugar that provides energy and supports liver function.
- Fruit juices are also rich in vitamin C, a nutrient often lost through urine after drinking alcohol.
- Tomato juice, orange juice, and coconut water are excellent choices.
Drink ginger tea. Ginger tea can help alleviate nausea and vomiting. Pregnant women often use ginger tea to ease morning sickness, and the same principle applies to hangovers. Alternatively, boil 10-12 slices of ginger in about a liter of water, then add the juice of one orange, half a lemon, and 120ml of honey.
- This drink can quickly reduce hangover symptoms by stabilizing blood sugar levels.
- Herbal teas are preferable to ginger soda. Carbonated drinks can increase stomach pressure and may cause nausea.
Sip fluids throughout the day. With the beverages mentioned above, you can drink as needed throughout the day. Occasionally sipping water, fruit juice, or isotonic sports drinks will help replenish lost fluids, vitamins, and nutrients as you start your day.
Avoid caffeinated drinks. While water and fruit juice are great for rehydration, consuming too many caffeinated beverages like coffee can worsen dehydration. Caffeine also constricts blood vessels and raises blood pressure, exacerbating hangover symptoms.
Eat to Fight a Hangover
Eat eggs. Eggs are a fantastic food to combat hangover symptoms. They contain an amino acid called cysteine, which your body welcomes after a night of drinking. Cysteine helps eliminate toxins that cause discomfort after alcohol consumption. By flushing out these toxins, eggs can help you feel healthier, more alert, and energized.
- Avoid frying eggs with too much oil, as this can increase nausea.
Have a bowl of cereal. If the idea of eating eggs makes you uneasy, try starting your day with a bowl of cereal. Whole-grain cereals are better as they are packed with more vitamins and nutrients.
Drink meat broth to restore vitamins and minerals. This broth, made with meat and vegetables, is a rich source of vitamins and minerals needed to recover from a hangover. It’s also an excellent choice if you feel weak and struggle to keep solid food down. Broth helps replenish lost sodium and potassium.
Eat potassium-rich foods. Alcohol is a diuretic, leading to frequent urination and a loss of potassium. Low potassium levels can cause fatigue, nausea, and weakness—common hangover symptoms. To address this, consume foods high in potassium.
- Bananas and kiwis are affordable and likely already in your kitchen.
- Baked potatoes, leafy greens, mushrooms, and dried apricots are excellent potassium sources.
- Many sports drinks are also rich in potassium.
Eat bland foods like toast or crackers. Bland foods can be the best choice if you’re feeling nauseous. The goal of eating to combat a hangover isn’t to “absorb” alcohol but to stabilize blood sugar levels and replenish nutrients.
- Alcohol prevents your body from maintaining blood sugar levels, and low blood sugar leads to weakness and fatigue.
- Complex carbohydrates (oatmeal, whole-grain bread) are excellent options.
Rest and Recovery
Go back to bed. Simply put, sleep is the best way to handle a hangover. Post-drinking sleep often lacks REM (rapid eye movement), a crucial stage for brain recovery, so it’s essential to get as much rest as possible.
- Lack of sleep will undoubtedly worsen hangover symptoms.
- Time is the only true cure for a hangover.
Take a gentle walk. Overexertion can increase dehydration, but stepping outside for a stroll can help you feel better. Increased oxygen levels help reduce the toxicity of alcohol.
- A brisk walk can boost your metabolism and help burn off alcohol.
- If you’re genuinely exhausted, don’t push yourself—just rest and recover.
Try not to wallow in it. When hungover, it’s easy to sink into despair and spend the day in bed or on the couch. Facing the day and staying active can help reduce symptoms. Denial can be an effective way to convince your brain that everything is fine.
Medication Treatment
Take over-the-counter pain relievers. You can manage headaches and muscle aches with simple, readily available over-the-counter pain medications. Check the dosage on the package; typically, take two pills with a glass of water upon waking.
- Consider aspirin-based pain relievers or NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as Ibuprofen), though these may irritate the stomach and cause nausea.
- If you have a sensitive stomach or are unsure which pain reliever to take, consult a doctor.
- Avoid acetaminophen! Like alcohol, acetaminophen adversely affects the liver. For instance, with Tylenol, it's crucial not to mix it with alcohol, as this can lead to liver failure. (Brand names for acetaminophen include Tylenol, Paramol, and Anacin). In some countries, acetaminophen is known as paracetamol: they are the same drug.
Take an antacid tablet to soothe your stomach. A common symptom of hangovers is stomach irritation due to increased acid levels. If you feel nauseous, consider taking an over-the-counter tablet that neutralizes stomach acid and addresses indigestion. As with pain relievers, ensure you follow the instructions on the package.
- Various commercial antacid brands are available.
- Common ingredients in antacids include aluminum hydroxide, magnesium carbonate, calcium carbonate, and magnesium trisilicate, found in brands like Tums, Mylanta, and Maalox.
Take a multivitamin. Alcohol consumption depletes your body of essential nutrients, including vitamin B12 and folate, which need replenishing. However, if you're extremely nauseous, keeping a pill down might be challenging.
- Regarding pills, dissolvable or effervescent tablets are absorbed faster by the body.
- Dissolvable tablets are simply pills you dissolve in a glass of water before drinking.
- Effervescent tablets also dissolve in water but contain carbon dioxide, causing them to fizz. They might induce nausea.
Beware of 'miracle cures.' Some so-called 'hangover cures' are marketed with ingredients claiming to instantly alleviate all hangover symptoms. You might try one, but be aware that scientific studies have concluded their effectiveness is very limited. Nothing cures a hangover except time and rehydration.
Advice
- Never drive after consuming alcohol.
- Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. Also, take effective naps.
- Try taking a cold shower. This can cool your body and help alleviate headaches and stomach discomfort.
- To avoid feeling hungover, try drinking half a liter of water before bed and keep drinking water while consuming alcohol.
- Eat well when hungover as an empty stomach can worsen nausea.
- Remember to drink non-carbonated beverages as carbonated drinks can accelerate alcohol absorption.
- Chicken soup can make you feel better.
- The best way to avoid a hangover is not to get one in the first place.
- Drink responsibly and know your limits. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism recommends that women should not have more than 3 drinks per day and no more than 7 per week. Men should not have more than 4 drinks per day and 14 per week. A "drink" means one of the following: 350ml of beer, 250ml of malt liquor, 150ml of wine, 50ml of distilled spirits.
- Choose clear spirits (vodka, gin) over dark ones (brandy, whiskey) as clear spirits have lower congener content (congeners contribute to hangovers). Red wine is one of the main culprits, though this can vary from person to person.
- A study has shown that hangover symptoms vary depending on the type of alcohol consumed: (listed in order of decreasing severity): brandy, red wine, rum, whiskey, white wine, gin, vodka, and pure alcohol.
Warnings
- Using 'alcohol to cure alcohol,' or drinking more the next morning, will only delay the hangover and ultimately make it worse.
- Exercising does not help cure a hangover. In fact, it can worsen the hangover by causing more dehydration. If you choose to exercise, remember to drink extra water.
- Even without treatment, a hangover should not last more than 24 hours. If you still feel unwell after that, call a doctor.
- If you can't remember what happened while drinking, if you frequently get hangovers, or if your drinking habits affect your work or relationships, you might have a problem with alcohol. Talk to someone for help.
