Cure a Hangover

We all wish there were a magic cure for hangovers, but unfortunately they usually involve some amount of pain. However, certain things can be done to alleviate headaches, nausea, fatigue, and anxiety that come the morning after drinking. This article contains information on how to ease these symptoms and prevent hangovers in the future.

Steps

Immediate Relief

1. Rehydrate. Hangovers are a sign that your body is extremely dehydrated. Staying hydrated will alleviate the headaches, dizziness, and lightheadedness that result from a hangover. It is especially important to load up on fluids if you are vomiting.
   • Drink plenty of water.
   • Drink coconut water and/or sports drinks, both of which are rich in electrolytes. Most headaches secondary to alcohol consumption are caused by both dehydration and an imbalance of electrolytes. Specifically, sodium balanced by magnesium, calcium, and potassium are vital for a happy-feeling brain. Look at the ingredients list for magnesium and calcium salts and choose a sports drink that will not only rehydrate you, but also provide the nutrients that your alcoholic beverages have stripped from you.
   • Avoid coffee or caffeinated teas. Many people drink coffee in order to "wake up" from a hangover, but the caffeine will only make matters worse by further dehydrating you.
   • Try ginger ale. If you're feeling nauseated, the ginger helps calm your stomach.
2. Take a painkiller. Avoid Acetaminophen, due to liver-damaging reactions with alcohol metabolites. Aspirin or ibuprofen are both fine choices if you have a headache. Be sure to read the instructions and take only the recommended dose.
   • Note that excessive use of these medications may cause long-term damage to your liver, especially when used in conjunction with alcohol.
   • If you can't keep the painkiller down, don't take another dose. You'll just have to ride the pain out until your body recovers enough to accept painkillers.
3. Eat crackers, toast, or other mild-flavored carbohydrates. These foods alleviate nausea and help your body soak up the alcohol in your system.
   • Avoid foods that are acidic or spicy, since they are more difficult for your body to digest.
   • Avoid foods that are heavy or oily, since they increase the feeling of nausea.
4. Don't drink alcohol to cure a hangover. Alcohol may temporarily make you feel better, but it will ultimately dehydrate you and leave you feeling worse later on in the day.
   • If you decide to have a drink, stick with a Bloody Mary or a cold beer, and do not overdo it. You need to give your body a chance to recover.
   • Only drink if you have no obligations, like work or school, for the rest of the day.

Natural Remedies

1. Eat potatoes with milk. Drinking too much alcohol can eliminate your body's supply of potassium and calcium, and potatoes with milk are an excellent source of these minerals (even better than bananas or pills.) Pick some up from a deli on the way home from your night out so you'll have them ready to nibble on in the morning.
2. Make ginger tea. Ginger helps alleviate nausea due to hangovers and motion sickness. To make ginger tea, cut up ginger root and boil it in water.
3. Drink boiled water with honey and lemon. Lemons replenish the vitamins you need and honey helps balance your blood sugar levels, which may have fluctuated due to alcohol consumption.
4. Make milk thistle tea. Milk thistle is believed to cleanse the liver of the harmful toxins in alcohol. To make the tea, add a teaspoon of milk thistle seeds to a cup of water, boil, and drain.

Riding Out a Hangover

1. Go back to sleep. Alcohol disrupts the sleep cycle, so part of the reason you are feeling so tired is because your body is sleep-deprived. Getting a few more hours of sleep will have you feeling better in no time.
2. Avoid bright lights and/or loud noises. Hangovers cause hypersensitivity to light and noise. Wear sunglasses if you are leaving the house, and avoid listening to loud music.
   • If you are having trouble getting out of bed or are continuing to vomit, consider calling in sick to work or school. While you wouldn't want to make this a habit, you are probably not going to be of much use at work if you are constantly running to the bathroom.
3. Go for a light walk, run, or swim. The endorphins released during exercise can help improve your mood, which is important if you are feeling anxious as a result of being hungover. Exercise also speeds up the the process of metabolizing the alcohol, helping it leave your system faster.
   • Be sure to properly hydrate both before and after exercising to prevent further fluid loss.
4. Distract yourself. Beating yourself up for having a hangover will only make you feel worse. Giving yourself time to rest and recover is the only way to make it go away, so take advantage of your "free" day by catching up on your favorite shows, watching a new movie, or reading a book. You'll feel better tomorrow.

Preventing a Hangover

1. Drink less. This is the best way to prevent hangovers. Remember that alcohol is a toxin, and that there is a reason why you feel so horrible after drinking it excessively.
2. Have one glass of water for every drink of alcohol you have. This will prevent dehydration, a major cause of most hangover symptoms.
   • If you forgot or were unable to have water in between drinks, be sure to drink a glass or two of water before going to bed.
3. Don't mix different types of alcohol. Stick with one, be it wine, beer, or a certain type of hard liquor. Mixing different types is a surefire way to end up with a hangover.
4. Stay away from sugary mixed drinks. Margaritas may be delicious, but all that sugar masks the alcohol flavor, making it easy to consume more than you realize you're taking in. The same goes for other cocktails made with sodas and fruit juices.
5. Pace yourself when drinking. It takes your body about one hour to metabolize each drink. Spacing out your drinks will help give your body enough time to recover from each one, dramatically reducing the likelihood of getting a hangover.

Reduce Acetaldehyde While You Are Drinking

1. Drink less Units. This is the best way to prevent hangovers. Remember that alcohol is converted to acetaldehyde, which is the primary underlying cause of not only hangovers but also almost every known alcohol related health complications from liver disease to oral cancer. Acetaldehyde is a class 1 carcinogen, a potent neurotoxin and also implicated in alcoholism itself. Google it.
2. Drink Slowly. The liver can only eliminate the acetaldehyde in one unit of alcohol per hour on average. So alcohol is metabolised more slowly than it is consumed.
3. Take 1 capsule Alcotox for added support in reducing acetaldehyde. Take 1 capsule for every standard drink consumed. Clinical results show 1 capsule of Alcotox is capable of reducing 86% of acetaldehyde contained in 125ml serving of 12.5% proof white wine.

Tips

• Don't mix different types of alcohol together. Doing so can make hangover symptoms worse.
• If you want to cut back on drinking, stick with beer or wine as opposed to hard liquor. The carbonation in beer makes you feel full quickly and it takes longer to drink, whereas liquor is taken in smaller quantities and thus is easier to abuse.
• Keep drinking water to re hydrate your body if you are not drinking enough water or liquids or you feel that you are hydrated.
• Eating a bacon sandwich helps cure a hangover. The carbohydrates in the bread and protein in the bacon break down into amino acids. Your brain needs these amino acids and they help to make your brain flow smoothly and relaxes it.
• Ask a friend to help you keep tabs on your drinking or remind you to slow down.

Warnings

• Excessive hangovers are a sign that you may have a drinking problem. If are having trouble managing your own drinking habits, consider seeking treatment through AA or a rehabilitation center. Ask your doctor or loved ones for help if you don't know where to start.
• If you think you or someone you know has alcohol poisoning, seek immediate medical attention. Signs of alcohol poisoning include: excessive vomiting, seizures, slow or irregular breathing, and hypothermia.

Sources and Citations

See also

• Quit Drinking Alcohol
• Stop Drinking Beer
• Prevent a Hangover
• Get Rid of a Hangover
• Stay Sober
• Go Working After a Long Drinking Night
• Heal Liver from Alcoholism
• Treat a Hangover
• Deal With Drinking Too Much
• Avoid Alcoholism

Read more ...

What links here

• Cure a Stomach Ache
• Prevent a Hangover
• Make a Banana Smoothie
• Treat a Hangover
• Celebrate International Bacon Day