Hangover 101: How To Cure A Hangover

Boost your nutrients

You might be able to reduce the symptoms of your hangover with vitamins and minerals. Taking 1,200 mg of vitamin B6 before, during and after drinking could help minimize hangover symptoms, according to one study. IV therapy provides a quick source of nutrients. A popular hangover remedy is the Myers' Cocktail. To help reduce fatigue and rehydrate the body, it contains ingredients such as B complex, B12, saline, vitamin C, magnesium, zinc, and the amino acid glutathione.

Take medicine

After a night of overindulgence, popping a pain-relieving pill, such as aspirin or ibuprofen, may relieve aches and pains in your body, such as headaches or body aches. Be cautious about the medicines you take. After drinking, you shouldn't take acetaminophen (aka Tylenol), since it can damage the liver. Naproxen, aspirin, and ibuprofen are the best choices, as they reduce inflammation in the body. Try chewing an antacid if you have a tummyache or indigestion, too. 

Drink water or sports drinks

It's a good idea to keep your body hydrated while you bounce back from a hangover, even though electrolyte levels are pretty similar among hungover and non-hungover people. Drink plenty of plain water throughout the day, or try coconut water or sports drinks if you need an extra boost. Drinking water or other hydrating fluids is particularly important after vomiting or diarrhea, as both can cause you to become dehydrated.

Sleep it off

When you have a hangover and all you want to do is go back to bed, go right ahead and do that. A hangover can be helped by time, so if you go to bed and sleep, your hangover might have worked itself out by the time you wake up.

Eat something

You should avoid eating greasy foods if you are looking to alleviate hangover symptoms. You should instead eat bland foods that will not upset your stomach and will replenish your nutrients. When you're hungover, you should follow the "BRAT" diet. Eat bananas, rice, applesauce and toast, as they are easy on the digestive system, help to restore blood sugar levels and won't make you feel queasy.

Skip the hair of the dog

According to some people, the best way to get rid of a hangover is to drink more. The phrase "hair of the dog" comes from the belief that the best way to cure rabies is to drink a potion that contains the hair of a rabid dog that bit a person. You can temporarily dull your symptoms the next morning by drinking another beer, a mimosa or a bloody Mary. However, it won't relieve the hangover.

Moderation is key

When you drink in moderation, you're less likely to suffer physical hangover symptoms the next day. For women, a moderate amount of alcohol is one drink per day and for men, two drinks per day. Women may experience hangover symptoms after drinking three drinks in a night, while men may experience symptoms after five drinks. Some "drinks" may be more than one, depending on their size and alcohol content. For example, a five-ounce pour of wine, a 1.5-ounce shot of liquor, or a 12-ounce bottle of 5% beer may be more than one "drink." 

Eat while you drink

When you drink on an empty stomach, you speed up the rate at which your body absorbs alcohol. Have a meal before you start drinking to reduce the effects of a hangover the next day. Eating while you drink is your next best option. Consider ordering a meal with your beer or enjoying cheese while sipping wine. 

Keep track of how much you drink

It's a good idea to keep your body hydrated while you bounce back from a hangover, even though electrolyte levels are pretty similar among hungover and non-hungover people. Drink plenty of plain water throughout the day, or try coconut water or sports drinks if you need an extra boost. Drinking water or other hydrating fluids is particularly important after vomiting or diarrhea, as both can cause you to become dehydrated.

Drink lots of water throughout the evening

You can prevent a hangover in two ways by drinking water or other non-alcoholic drinks throughout the evening. Drinking wine, beer, or spirits alternately with water keeps you hydrated. After drinking an alcoholic beverage, you should follow it with a soft drink. If you drink two glasses of water between beers, you can end up having just two if you would typically have four.

Stop drinking before the night is over

After consuming alcohol, your body needs time to process it. You will likely feel hungover the next day if you keep drinking right up until last call. In general, one ounce of alcohol takes your liver approximately one hour to metabolize. Your body will feel better tomorrow if you give it plenty of time to metabolize the alcohol you consumed.

Choose your drinks with care

Isn't a drink just a drink? Not when you're hungover. Whiskey, red wine, and brandy contain more congeners than others. Chemical compounds called congeners can be broken down in the body to toxic chemicals like formic acid and formaldehyde. They're known to exacerbate hangover symptoms. Light-colored spirits and light-colored beer and wine, as well as vodka and gin, provide a more comfortable morning after. 

Low blood sugar

Drinking alcohol lowers your blood sugar, which causes your body to produce more insulin. The effects of alcohol on insulin levels and the effectiveness of insulin can lead to high blood sugar levels over time. Drinking alcohol tends to lower blood sugar in the short term. Low blood sugar levels can make you feel shaky, weak, and fatigued, all symptoms associated with being hungover. 

Inflammation

An inflammatory response throughout your body can also cause a hangover. Cytokines are molecules produced by your immune system. They can either help or trigger inflammation. Drinking tends to increase the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in your body. As a result of alcohol's inflammatory effects, anti-inflammatories, such as ibuprofen and B vitamins, help to minimize hangover symptoms.

Digestion disorders

If you suffer stomach or digestive upset as a result of heavy drinking, it is probably the result of the alcohol. When you drink alcohol, your stomach produces more acid, which can cause discomfort. Also, alcohol can cause food to stay in your stomach longer, causing discomfort.

Dehydration

While alcohol itself does not dehydrate you, it makes you pee more often since it is diuretic. Your body excretes 10 ml of urine for every gram of alcohol you consume. Dehydration is more likely to occur when you're peeing a lot. This can lead to dizziness and thirst. It can also cause headaches.

Disruption of sleep

Alcohol can result in sleeplessness, but it also affects your sleep quality. Alcohol helps you fall into a deep sleep but keeps you from entering the rapid-eye-movement (REM) stage. REM is the more restful stage. You're likely to feel tired and out of sorts the next day without it. 

Vasodilation

Vasodilation means that alcohol makes your blood vessels wider, so that blood flows more freely through them. You may experience headaches as a result of wider blood vessels. Additionally, migraine sufferers may notice that drinking triggers a migraine the next day.