“I’ll never drink again!” is a common phrase after someone wakes up after a night of heavy drinking with a terrible headache and a tummy twirling like sneakers in the washing machine. Alcohol is a diuretic drink, the nature of which is to remove fluids from the body. This results in dehydration which causes almost all the horrible hangover symptoms. Unfortunately, there is no strong hangover cure, but there are ways you can treat the symptoms so you can stay active until you recover.[1] X National Health Service (UK) Trusted Source Visit source
Restore Body Fluids
Drink lots of water. Dehydration caused by alcohol consumption must be addressed if you want to get rid of a hangover . The easiest way to restore body fluids is to drink plenty of water when you wake up. Drinking plain liquids that easily enter your digestive system will help you to replace lost fluids without irritating your stomach.
Drinking a glass of water before bed will help reduce dehydration levels before you wake up. Keep a glass of water at your bedside to drink at night.
Drink isotonic sports drinks. In addition to water, isotonic sports drinks can be very effective at replacing fluids and providing needed energy. This drink contains carbohydrates that release energy slowly, helping you to continue your daily activities.
Look for drinks that contain electrolytes, which you need to replace fluids when you’re dehydrated.
Be careful with sports drinks that contain caffeine as they tend to make you more dehydrated.
If you feel very dehydrated, look for ORS solution to restore fluids. This solution is specially made to treat dehydration, whereas most sports drinks are not designed for that.
Drink fruit juice. Another great ingredient to drink is fresh fruit juice. Its vitamins and minerals will give you a boost of energy. Fruit juices are usually high in fructose, a sugar that affects your energy and liver function.
Fruit juices are often also high in vitamin C, a substance that is often lost in the urine when you drink alcohol.
Tomato juice, orange juice and coconut water are good choices.
Drink ginger tea. Drinking ginger tea can help suppress nausea and vomiting. This drink is often drunk by pregnant women to help overcome morning sickness ( morning sickness ) and applies the same principle to hangovers . one option is to boil 10-12 pieces of fresh ginger root in about four cups of water and add the juice of one orange, half a lemon and half a cup of honey.
This herb quickly relieves hangovers by stabilizing blood glucose levels.
Soothing tea may be better than carbonated ginger water. Fizzy drinks increase the pressure in your stomach, and can make you feel nauseous.
Sip drinks throughout the day. With all of these drinks, there is no fixed amount you should drink, because all you have to do is drink fluids throughout the day. Drinking water, fruit juices and/or isotonic sports drinks will help replenish lost fluids, vitamins and nutrients throughout the day.
Avoid drinks that contain caffeine. Just like when you drink water and juices to help rehydrate your body, drinking lots of caffeinated drinks, such as coffee, can dehydrate you in large amounts. Caffeine also constricts blood vessels and raises blood pressure, which can also make your hangover symptoms worse .
Eating Food to Fight Hangovers
Consumption of eggs. Eggs are an excellent food for fighting hangovers . Eggs contain an amino acid called cysteine , which your body will gladly accept after drinking alcohol. Cysteine works by breaking down toxins that make you feel unwell after drinking. By helping rid the body of these residual toxins, eggs can help you feel better, recover and be more energized.
Don’t cook eggs with too much fat or oil as this will make you feel nauseous.
Eat a bowl of cereal. If the shadow of eggs makes your stomach churn, try breakfast with a bowl of fortified cereal. We recommend that you choose cereals from whole grains ( whole grains ), because they contain more vitamins and nutrients.
Consume broth soup to restore vitamins and minerals. Soup stock is a watery, vegetable-based broth. It is a good source of vitamins and minerals that you need to eat when you have a hangover . It’s also great if you’re feeling really tired and struggling to eat solid foods. Soup broth really helps you to replace salt and potassium.
Eat foods rich in potassium. When you drink, you must often go to the bathroom, because of the diuretic nature of alcohol. Urinating too often will cause you to lose more potassium than normal. Low potassium levels result in fatigue, nausea and weak legs, all of which are symptoms of a hangover . To overcome these symptoms, consume foods that contain lots of potassium.
Two inexpensive and easy-to-find examples that may already be in your kitchen are bananas and kiwis.
Baked potatoes, leafy greens, mushrooms, and dried apricots are also good sources of potassium.
Sports drinks are often also good sources of potassium.
Consume plain foods such as toast and crackers . Eating plain foods may be the best option if your stomach is sensitive. The purpose of eating food to treat a hangover is not to “absorb” the alcohol, but to raise blood sugar and replenish lost nutrients.
Alcohol prevents your body from maintaining a normal concentration of blood sugar, and low blood sugar makes you tired, weak, and tired.
Complex carbohydrates ( oatmeal , whole grain bread) are good choices.
Rest and Recovery
Go back to sleep. Simply put, sleep is the best way to deal with hangovers . This type of post-drinking sleep may involve a form of sleep that lacks REM ( rapid eye movement ) which provides proper recovery for the brain. Thus, it is very important that you sleep for longer periods of time if possible.
Lack of sleep will definitely exacerbate hangover symptoms .
The only real cure for a hangover is time.
Walk lightly. Without overexerting yourself or increasing your risk of further dehydration, getting outside and taking walks can help you feel better when you’re having a hangover . The toxic level of alcohol that is destroyed will be increased by your oxygen level.
A brisk walk will help speed up your metabolism and flush out the alcohol from your system.
If you find it difficult to do so, don’t push yourself, but rest and recover.
Try ignoring it. When experiencing a hangover , you will be tempted to lie down with the pain you are suffering and reluctant to get out of bed or sofa all day. If you fight this urge and try to get active, you may find that your symptoms are getting less and less. Denial can be a powerful way of trying to convince the brain that everything is okay.
Do a special massage. You can try to relieve some of the hangover symptoms by massaging specific points on your head and hands.
Massaging the point in the middle of the hollow under the occipital bulge will help you normalize your blood pressure.
Press the point between the eyebrows just above the bridge of the nose firmly.
Massage the forehead slowly.
Press the earlobe with your thumb and index finger.
Press the point just below the nose, above the upper lip with the index finger.
Massage the point in the cheek hole in a vibrating manner.
Massage the point in the middle of both palms.
Massage the little knuckle of your left hand then your right.
Treating Hangovers
Take over-the-counter pain relievers that are acetaminophen-based. A throbbing headache and aching muscles can be treated with over-the-counter pain relievers, which are easily available at drugstores without a prescription. Check the recommended dose on the package, usually two tablets, and take it with a glass of water when you wake up.
You can also take aspirin-based pain relievers or NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs , such as ibuprofen ), but these types of medications can make your stomach irritated and cause nausea.
If your stomach is sensitive or you are unsure about which pain reliever to take, call your doctor.
Acetaminophen-type drug brands commonly used include Tylenol, Paramol and Anacin. In some countries, acetaminophen is called paracetamol: they are the same thing.
Take antacid pills for your stomach. A common symptom of a hangover is a very sensitive stomach caused by high levels of acid in the stomach. If you’re feeling nauseous, consider taking over-the-counter medications that can neutralize stomach acid and relieve feelings of indigestion. Just like pain relievers, these drugs run the risk of causing irritation in your stomach. So, make sure to read the packaging and take the recommended dosage.
There are several brands of antacid pills that you can buy.
Commonly used ingredients for antacids include aluminum hydroxide, magnesium carbonate or calcium carbonate and magnesium trisilicate. These ingredients can be found in drug brands such as Tums, Mylanta, and Maalox.
Take multivitamin pills. When you drink alcohol, your body loses many nutrients, including vitamin B12 and folate, which must be replenished. If you are really nauseous, you may not be able to keep the multivitamin pill in your stomach.
As with other pills, taking pills that dissolve or foam can make them enter your system more quickly.
Dissolved pills are pills that you can dissolve in a glass of water and can be taken immediately.
Tablets that are bubbling will dissolve in water, but have been added with carbon dioxide to make them fizz. These foamy pills can cause nausea.
Beware of “miracle cures”. There are some medications called ‘hangover pills’ which claim to include ingredients that can treat all the hangover symptoms at once. You might try one of these, but be aware that scientific studies have concluded that the effectiveness of these medications is very limited. Nothing really can cure a hangover except time and maintaining fluids in the body.
