If you consider yourself a party animal, chances are that you have probably experienced a hangover at some point in your life. Whether it is during crazy college nights or once in a while events like weddings or birthday bashes, if you consume alcohol in excess quantities, you are prone to a hangover. Usually the symptoms of a hangover include a headache, dizziness, nausea and even overall aching of the body the day after consuming alcohol to the point of intoxication. Sound like fun? Well, to avoid these unpleasant symptoms, learn about some of the ways to ease a hangover. While these tips may not cure or work for everyone, they are sure to work for someone who has had one (or a few) too many drinks.
- Consume a small amount of alcohol
- Drink in moderation, NOT to the point of intoxication
- Be selective of what type of alcohol you drink (Beverages such as vodka, gin, and pure ethanol contain very few congeners and are less likely to cause a hangover than drinks with higher amounts of congeners, like red wine, brandy and whiskey).
- Don’t drink on an empty stomach
- Don’t mix the types of drinks (e.g. beer then liquor then wine)
- Pace yourself. Have 1 drink per hour.
While hangover symptoms usually last anywhere from 8-24 hours, there are ways to reduce the severity or shorten the duration of the symptoms by following some of these guidelines.
: Eating fruits or fruit juices and other products may decrease the severity of the hangover. This could be due to the fact that alcohol affects your blood sugar levels and after a drop occurs during the hangover, the fructose helps to restore levels back to normal.
If you have been hung over and nauseous as a result, then you probably can recall that any food with a strong flavor or smell can be extremely off-putting for your weak stomach. Eating bland complex carbs, such as bread and crackers can be useful in alleviating symptoms of nausea, especially.
Because fatigue is a main symptom of a hangover, the easiest remedy is to just hit the sack. If you have a day freed up, sleep in. After all, the only thing that truly cures a hangover is time.
Dehydration is another prime symptom and you will probably feel extremely thirsty after binging on alcohol the night before. Water is your best bet, but some people also like to drink sports drinks, such as Gatorade, since it contains electrolytes that will replace those that you have lost, especially if you ended up vomiting at some point during your hangover.
If you simply can’t bare sleeping it off or if you have a commitment the next day, you may find yourself heading to the pharmacy or rummaging through your medicine cabinet. Just be careful because you likely still have alcohol in your system and many medications warn not to mix with alcohol. Some find antacids useful for alleviating gastritis and nausea. Meanwhile, aspirin and ibuprofen are often used to relieve those persistent headaches. Now of days, there is a market for “hangover pills”, which can be found in the average drug store. Research does not tend to support that these pills or their contents work miracles as they say they do. Instead, think about popping a multivitamin to restore those lost nutrients from last night.
Many people crave a cup of coffee to get their caffeine jolt while experiencing a hangover. This is mainly to battle fatigue, however there is no scientific proof that it helps alleviate other hangover symptoms. In fact, you should make sure that you do not consume too much caffeine as it will only further dehydrate you.
While exercising may seem like the last thing you want to do while hung over, some say that breaking a sweat makes them feel better. Whether it is the release of those toxins from the night before or simply a mental fix, this may be worth a try if you are up for it.
If you insist on using a supplement, try out a natural remedy such as Native Remedies’ “Hang-over Morning Mend.” These tablets are said to reduce headache and nausea as well as red eyes and sensitivity to light that may be caused by a hangover in addition to other symptoms.
Although immediately following a night of drinking, you may say “I will never drink again!”, chances are that this is just your hangover voice talking. Experiencing a bad hangover does not necessarily mean that you should never drink alcohol. Rather, you should be mindful of how much you drink. Consider some of these tips for alleviating some of the well-known hangover symptoms should you get one on your next night out.
Tim Salivan is an accredited fitness and gymnastics instructor. Tim also writes for Vitaqure.com, a health related website which talks about nutrition, wellness, self-fulfillement, discount coupons and affiliated to Vitacost and other supplement manufacturers.