How long does a hangover typically last. What are the most effective ways to alleviate hangover symptoms. Is mixing different types of alcohol truly harmful. How can you prevent a hangover before it starts.

Understanding Hangovers: Causes and Symptoms

Hangovers are a common consequence of excessive alcohol consumption. They begin as your blood alcohol level drops and approaches zero after a period of drinking. While the best way to avoid a hangover is to abstain from alcohol, even moderate drinking can sometimes lead to unpleasant after-effects.

Dr. Shelley Shafer from UnityPoint Health explains that hangover symptoms typically resolve within 24 hours. However, those hours can be quite challenging due to a variety of symptoms:

• Fatigue
• Thirst or dry mouth
• Headaches
• Body aches
• Nausea and vomiting
• Stomach pain
• Poor sleep
• Sensitivity to light and sound
• Dizziness
• Shakiness
• Irritability
• Rapid heartbeat

It’s important to note that everyone’s tolerance for alcohol differs based on factors such as age, body size, and previous drinking experience.

Preventive Measures: Avoiding the Morning-After Misery

While it’s not always possible to completely prevent a hangover, there are steps you can take to minimize its severity:

1. Pace yourself: The liver processes approximately one drink per hour. As we age, this process may slow down, so spacing out drinks even further can be beneficial.
2. Stay hydrated: Drink at least 64 ounces of water the day before consuming alcohol. During drinking, aim for one glass of water for each alcoholic beverage.
3. Know your limits: For women, it’s recommended to consume fewer than seven drinks per week. Men should limit themselves to no more than 14 drinks weekly.

Can exceeding these recommended limits indicate a potential drinking problem? Dr. Shafer suggests that consistently drinking above these levels could be a cause for concern and may warrant a conversation with a healthcare professional.

8 Effective Remedies to Alleviate Hangover Symptoms

While there’s no magic cure for a hangover, Dr. Shafer offers eight strategies that may help ease your discomfort:

1. Hydration is Key

Alcohol is a diuretic, leading to increased urination and dehydration. Combat this by drinking plenty of water. For faster rehydration, consider electrolyte-rich drinks like Pedialyte or sports drinks, which help direct water to areas of the body where it’s most needed.

2. Boost Your Blood Sugar

Alcohol consumption can lead to low blood sugar. Counter this by eating a breakfast high in carbohydrates or drinking a glass of juice. This can help stabilize your blood sugar levels as your body processes the remaining alcohol.

3. Caffeinate Cautiously

Coffee can be beneficial for hangover relief in two ways. First, its caffeine content acts as a vasoconstrictor, potentially alleviating headaches caused by alcohol-induced vasodilation. Second, it provides an energy boost. However, moderation is key – you don’t need excessive amounts to feel the benefits.

4. Consider a Multivitamin

While not a cure-all, taking your daily multivitamin won’t hurt and may provide a small benefit. Many multivitamins contain B vitamins, which can help with energy levels. Any excess vitamins will simply be excreted by your body.

5. Go to Bed on an Empty Stomach

Contrary to popular belief, eating a large meal after drinking is not advisable. Dr. Shafer explains that alcohol slows stomach emptying, which can exacerbate indigestion, nausea, and vomiting. For the same reason, it’s best to avoid a greasy breakfast when nursing a hangover.

6. Replenish Potassium

If you’re experiencing muscle aches, increasing your potassium intake may help. While you’ll get some from rehydration drinks, consuming potassium-rich foods like bananas can provide additional relief.

7. Avoid the “Hair of the Dog”

Drinking more alcohol to cure a hangover is counterproductive. Hangovers are a form of alcohol withdrawal, and consuming more alcohol only delays the inevitable onset of symptoms by temporarily raising your blood alcohol level.

8. Use Pain Relievers Cautiously

Over-the-counter pain medications can provide relief, but they should be used with caution. Acetaminophen and alcohol both strain the liver, so frequent combined use can potentially cause liver damage. Ibuprofen and alcohol can both irritate the gastrointestinal tract, increasing the risk of bleeding and ulcers when used together.

The Truth About Mixing Different Types of Alcohol

You may have heard the adage, “Beer before liquor, never been sicker. Liquor before beer, you’re in the clear.” But is there any truth to this claim?

Research suggests that the order in which you consume different types of alcohol doesn’t significantly impact hangover severity. What matters more is the total amount of alcohol consumed and how quickly you drink it.

The perception that mixing drinks leads to worse hangovers likely stems from the fact that people tend to drink more when they switch between different types of alcohol, losing track of their total consumption.

Understanding Alcohol’s Effects on the Body

To better comprehend hangovers, it’s crucial to understand how alcohol affects the body:

• Dehydration: Alcohol is a diuretic, causing increased urination and fluid loss.
• Electrolyte imbalance: Excessive urination can lead to a loss of essential electrolytes.
• Gastrointestinal disturbances: Alcohol irritates the stomach lining and increases acid production.
• Sleep disruption: While alcohol may help you fall asleep faster, it disrupts the sleep cycle, leading to poor quality rest.
• Inflammation: Alcohol triggers an inflammatory response in the body, contributing to various hangover symptoms.

Understanding these effects can help explain why certain remedies may be effective in alleviating hangover symptoms.

The Role of Congeners in Hangover Severity

Congeners are byproducts of alcohol fermentation that contribute to the taste, smell, and color of alcoholic beverages. Some studies suggest that drinks with higher congener content may lead to more severe hangovers.

Generally, dark-colored alcohols like whiskey, brandy, and red wine contain more congeners than clear spirits like vodka or gin. This might explain why some people report experiencing worse hangovers after drinking certain types of alcohol.

However, it’s important to note that the total amount of alcohol consumed remains the most significant factor in hangover severity, regardless of congener content.

Long-Term Health Implications of Frequent Hangovers

While occasional hangovers are unlikely to cause lasting damage, frequent and severe hangovers can be a sign of problematic drinking patterns. Chronic heavy drinking can lead to various health issues, including:

• Liver disease
• Cardiovascular problems
• Increased cancer risk
• Weakened immune system
• Mental health disorders
• Neurological damage

If you find yourself experiencing hangovers regularly, it may be worth reassessing your relationship with alcohol and considering speaking with a healthcare professional.

The Science of Alcohol Metabolism

Understanding how the body processes alcohol can provide insight into why hangovers occur and how long they last. The liver is the primary organ responsible for metabolizing alcohol, breaking it down into acetaldehyde and then into acetate.

On average, the liver can process about one standard drink per hour. However, this rate can vary based on factors such as:

• Body weight and composition
• Gender
• Liver function
• Genetics
• Food consumption
• Medications

When alcohol is consumed faster than the liver can process it, it accumulates in the bloodstream, leading to intoxication. As the body eventually processes this excess alcohol, hangover symptoms begin to manifest.

The Role of Acetaldehyde

Acetaldehyde, an intermediate product of alcohol metabolism, is significantly more toxic than alcohol itself. The buildup of this compound contributes to many hangover symptoms. The body’s ability to process acetaldehyde efficiently can impact the severity and duration of a hangover.

Debunking Common Hangover Myths

There are numerous myths and misconceptions surrounding hangovers and their cures. Let’s address some of the most common ones:

Myth: Eating a big meal before drinking prevents hangovers

While food can slow alcohol absorption, it doesn’t prevent hangovers. It may, however, help you drink less by making you feel fuller.

Myth: Coffee is a cure-all for hangovers

While caffeine can help with alertness, it’s also a mild diuretic. This could potentially worsen dehydration if not balanced with adequate water intake.

Myth: Sweating out a hangover in the sauna is effective

Saunas can lead to further dehydration and potentially dangerous electrolyte imbalances. It’s best to focus on gentle rehydration instead.

Myth: Hair of the dog (drinking more alcohol) cures a hangover

As mentioned earlier, this only delays the inevitable and can lead to unhealthy drinking patterns.

Myth: Hangovers are just dehydration

While dehydration plays a significant role, hangovers are complex and involve various physiological processes, including inflammation and disrupted sleep patterns.

By understanding these myths, you can focus on more effective strategies for preventing and managing hangovers.

How to Get Over a Hangover

The best way to avoid a hangover is not to drink alcohol in the first place, even when it might seem like a good idea at the time. But, even if you stick with the recommended one drink per hour, you might end up paying for it the next day. Hangovers begin when your previously raised blood alcohol level drops and nears zero. So, how to get over a hangover? Shelley Shafer, DO, UnityPoint Health, offers her advice to help you get on your feet faster.

How Long Does a Hangover Last?

Dr. Shafer says hangovers usually resolve within 24 hours. But, those 24 hours can be rough due to symptoms, including fatigue, thirst or dry mouth, headaches, body aches, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, poor sleep, sensitivity to light and sound, dizziness, shakiness, irritability and rapid heartbeat. Dr. Shafer says no two bodies are the same, and everyone tolerates alcohol differently depending on a variety of factors, such as age, size and life experience.

“It’s always a good idea to pace yourself. The liver processes one drink per hour. However, the liver can slow down some as we age, so if you’ve noticed hangover symptoms, try spreading drinks out even further,” Dr. Shafer says.

Dr. Shafer says if you know you’re going to consume alcohol, make sure you adequately hydrate the day before, with at least 64 ounces of water. Also, make sure you have at least one glass of water for each alcoholic beverage consumed. 

How Much Alcohol is Too Much?

It’s recommended that women consumer fewer than seven drinks per week. Men shouldn’t have more than 14. Dr. Shafer says anything above that could signal a possible drinking problem.

How to Get Over a Hangover?

Dr. Shafer knows most people have their own special recipe to cure a hangover. She says there’s no specific combination supported by the medical community. However, the eight items below could help relieve your suffering.

• Hydrate. Consuming alcohol causes dehydration by increasing urination. So, if you’re experiencing a hangover, reach for the water. While water is key, Pedialyte or sports drinks can help rehydrate you a bit faster than plain water because they include electrolytes (like sodium and potassium), which help direct water to the areas of the body where it’s needed most.
• Sugar boost. Alcohol causes low blood sugar. Eating a breakfast high in carbohydrates or adding a glass of juice can help get your sugar levels up while the alcohol comes out of your system.
• Coffee. Alcohol causes the blood vessels to dilate, which can cause headaches. Since the caffeine in coffee is a stimulant, it increases heart rate and constricts blood vessels. Dr. Shafer says that’s also why there’s caffeine in some headache medicines, like Excedrin. Besides helping with your headache, the caffeine in coffee can also provide a boost of energy. Keep in mind, you don’t need to go overboard with the coffee to feel its helpful effects.
• Multi-vitamin. Don’t forget to take your daily multi-vitamin. While you likely won’t feel a huge benefit from this, it won’t hurt. Many multi-vitamins include a B vitamin, which can help with energy. Also, if you happen to get too many vitamins, your body will simply get rid of the excess.
• Go to bed with an empty stomach. You’ve probably heard it’s a good idea to eat after drinking, so food can soak up the alcohol. However, Dr. Shafer says this is a bad idea. Having a stomach full of food at the end of the night will probably only cause you more problems. The reason – having too much alcohol causes stomach emptying to slow, which often leads to more indigestion, nausea, upset stomach, even vomiting. For this same reason, she’d suggest skipping a greasy breakfast, if you’re trying to handle a hangover.
• Potassium. You’ll get some of this electrolyte in Pedialyte or a sports drink. If you’re feeling muscle aches, adding in a bit more potassium from things, like bananas, can help offer some relief.
• Stop drinking. Having another alcoholic beverage in the morning isn’t going to help your cause. Hangovers are a type of alcohol withdrawal. So, if you have another alcoholic beverage, you are raising your blood alcohol level and prolonging when your hangover inevitably begins.
• Acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Using over-the-counter pain medication can help, but they come with a word of caution. Both alcohol and acetaminophen filter through your liver, meaning you shouldn’t use these two products together regularly, or you risk causing damage to your liver. Ibuprofen and alcohol both have gastrointestinal side effects, including bleeding and ulcers. Any time you’re taking two things with the same side effect, you increase your risk.

Is Mixing Different Types of Alcohol Bad?

You might have heard the phrase, “Beer before liquor, never been sicker. Liquor before beer, you’re in the clear.” Dr. Shafer says there’s no truth to it. She says it doesn’t matter what types of alcohol you mix. That being said, she does recommend sticking with one type because it’s easier to keep track of consumption amounts. U.S. Serving Size Guidelines include:

• 12-ounces of beer (5 percent alcohol content)
• 8-ounces of malt liquor (beer with high alcohol content)
• 5-ounces of wine (12 percent alcohol content)
• 1.5-ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits or liquor (gin, rum, vodka, whiskey)

“If you get a beer, it’s often a pint, which is four ounces more than the recommended size. Bartenders also don’t always exactly measure shots or pours of wine. That’s why I suggest sticking with one type of alcohol. It’s easier to remember, for example, if you’ve had three beers. But, it gets more difficult if you have two beers, a long island ice tea and then another beer. You might think you’ve had four drinks. However, the mixed drink is really the equivalent of three or four drinks, which makes your total around seven drinks,” Dr. Shafer says.

Talk to your doctor if you feel you or someone you know has a drinking problem. Another resource is the National Drug and Alcohol Treatment Referral Routing Service at 1-800-662-HELP. It can route you to service in your community, and connect you with someone to speak with about the problems.

9 Expert Tips for Recovering From a Hangover

Looking for relief from a night of too much partying? There’s no foolproof way to make a hangover disappear, but these home remedies will make you feel a whole lot better.

By Leslie BarrieMedically Reviewed by Justin Laube, MD

Reviewed: February 10, 2023

Medically Reviewed

Hangovers are no fun, but fortunately, several do-it-yourself methods can ease the discomfort.

Vera Petrunina/Getty Images; Tatiana Volgutova/Getty Images; Adobe Stock

If you’ve ever had too much to drink, you know some of the morning-after consequences can be less than pleasant: queasiness, tiredness, a splitting headache, dry mouth, stomach upset, and a fuzzy memory, to name just a few.

“There are three big complications to a hangover: inflammation, because it binds to different chemical enzymes in the body and changes the way they act; dehydration, because it causes you to urinate a lot; and sleep deprivation, because it interrupts your sleep architecture so you’re not really getting a good night’s rest,” explains Deep Bhatt, MD, an internist at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City.

The good news is you can take certain steps to prevent those symptoms if you’re planning to drink.

First, to prevent a hangover, keep in mind that drinking in moderation is half the battle. For women, that means one drink a day, and for men, it’s two drinks a day, per the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. One drink equals 1.5 ounces (oz) of liquor or spirits, 12 oz of regular beer, or 5 oz of wine. Drink in moderation to limit hangover symptoms, as well as all the other negative health effects of booze. Those include both short- and long-term damage, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes. (Whether any amount of booze at all is safe for your health is debatable.)

When you’re drinking alcohol, be aware that it can interact with certain medications and cause side effects like dizziness, drowsiness, impaired concentration, and an increased chance of overdose, according to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). These medications include antidepressants, stimulants, and certain medications that treat anxiety. Allergy medications may negatively interact with alcohol as well. Check with your doctor to make sure what you’re taking doesn’t have a harmful interaction with alcohol, the NIAAA advises.

And understand that what you eat before you start drinking matters. You’ll want to make sure you have a full stomach before you drink, because as Mayo Clinic notes, alcohol is absorbed faster on an empty stomach. Scientists are finding some interesting foods that may help too, like asparagus. Research has found that extracts of asparagus leaves and shoots contain amino acids and minerals that may help liver cells better metabolize alcohol and reduce inflammation. Those components may also provide liver-protective effects, which could help your body recover faster, the research suggests — but no studies have yet been done in humans.

In addition, make sure you’re well hydrated before you indulge, as alcohol causes you to urinate more than normal and depletes your body of fluids, per Cleveland Clinic.

What should you do if a hangover does strike? So far, science has not come up with a single magic natural cure that will solve the misery of having had one too many cocktails. But experts have pinpointed several practical remedies that may shorten the symptoms. Here, discover a few hangover hacks.

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Drink Lots of Water to Replenish Lost Fluids

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One of the easiest home remedies for a hangover? Drink water. “Alcohol itself is a diuretic, meaning that it causes you to urinate more,” says Shilpi Agarwal, MD, a family medicine physician in Washington, DC. “It does this by suppressing certain hormones that help the body hold on to fluid, and therefore you are losing fluids by urinating. ” The Cleveland Clinic notes you can lose up to a quart of urine in the hours after you’ve had four alcoholic drinks.

While it won’t completely prevent the aftereffects, hydrating with water or other fluids — even if you can only get down a few sips at a time — will help. “Drinking water helps restore necessary fluids and can help the bloodstream and circulatory system carry nutrients and oxygen to the tissues and remove the wastes from a night of excessive consumption,” says Pete McCall, an American Council on Exercise–certified personal trainer and exercise physiologist in Carlsbad, California.

Some articles purport that fermented drinks like kombucha can be an antidote for hangovers, but the concept is just theoretical. Kombucha is rich in minerals, antioxidants, and good-for-you-gut bacteria, according to Colorado State University, and research shows that it might be energizing and aid a depressed immune system. If you drink to excess, a review of research found that your immune system may already be weaker than normal.

What not to drink? More booze. Scientists have debunked one of the most popular hangover cures — the “hair of the dog,” or a hefty swig of alcohol the next morning. “Hair of the dog will make you feel better temporarily because you feel that euphoria,” Dr. Bhatt says. “You’ll basically forget you’re hungover, but that’s going to lead to a cumulative effect where you’ll actually feel worse in the long run.”

6 Hangover Cures That Actually Work

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Guzzle Sports Drinks to Hasten Rehydration

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Want to gain an edge over plain old water to treat your hangover? Consider reaching for Gatorade, Pedialyte, Powerade, or a similar nonfizzy sports drink. This recommendation comes courtesy of Kelly Kennedy, RDN, the staff nutritionist at Everyday Health.

These sports drinks contain minerals called electrolytes — such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium — and are designed to help you replenish lost nutrients and quickly rehydrate, according to Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health. “Sports drinks will elevate blood glucose and can elevate sodium levels, which help muscle cells uptake and use water, leading to quicker rehydration,” explains McCall. Some research backs this up, showing that drinking electrolytes after long periods of dehydration can significantly restore important minerals, like sodium, potassium, and calcium.

No sports drink in sight? Fall back on plain water and foods that are naturally packed with electrolytes, such as pretzels, which have 488 milligrams (mg) of sodium per oz, or a medium banana (422 mg of potassium), cooked spinach (157 mg of magnesium per cup), and almonds (385 mg of calcium per cup), according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). You can also reach for water-rich foods. “They can definitely replenish fluids and decrease the dehydration that contributes to a hangover,” says Kennedy, who recommends watermelon and cucumbers, which both have a high water content. “A sprinkle of salt on either can replenish electrolytes if someone has vomited,” Kennedy adds.

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Restore Energy With Vitamin B and Protect Immunity With Vitamin C

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Some hangover symptoms result from nutrient deficiencies, and vitamin B12 is particularly affected by alcohol use, according to a study.

B vitamins are responsible for energy, brain function, and keeping the immune system and nervous system acting properly, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Depletion of B vitamins has been associated with fatigue and low energy levels, though other factors may also or alternatively be in play. If you can’t get your mind off breakfast sandwiches, Maggie Michalczyk, RDN, a food blogger based in Chicago, suggests eating eggs — a great source of the energy-producing B vitamins that alcohol flushes out — with lean protein like turkey bacon and a whole-grain English muffin.

Another vitamin to potentially add to your hangover self-care routine is vitamin C. Research shows a connection between alcohol use and a weakened immune system, impairing the body’s ability to defend itself. To help prevent colds, viruses, and potential alcohol-related illness, load up on vitamin C with fruits and vegetables like broccoli, which is an excellent source, according to the USDA. Also reach for oranges, red bell peppers, kiwis, and strawberries, which are rich in vitamin C, notes the National Institutes of Health.

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Boost Your Blood Sugar With Carbohydrates

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Alcohol can interfere with your blood sugar levels, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine, which may contribute to the fatigue, irritability, and weakness that are often consequences of intoxication. It also may explain why breakfasting on toast and honey has long been touted as a natural hangover cure. “Excessive alcohol consumption can negatively affect the metabolism of glucose, so having a snack like this that is high in carbs and sugars (the fructose in the honey) can elevate blood sugar and provide some immediate energy,” says McCall.

Contrary to popular belief, greasy foods will not help you combat a hangover. That grease is not going to absorb the alcohol — which has already made its way through your liver. “It might sound good at the moment, but it won’t actually make your body feel better,” Michalczyk adds.

Insead, Michalczyk suggests a bowl of chicken noodle soup. “Chicken noodle soup is hydrating and salty, which will help satisfy that craving. Plus, you’ll get some protein to help keep you satisfied, and the vitamins and minerals from celery and carrots will replenish those lost through drinking as well,” says Michalczyk. Not to mention, the noodles provide those aforementioned carbs for energy.

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Have Chamomile to Reduce ‘Hangxiety’

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For some people, hangover-induced anxiety can be as taxing emotionally as some of the physical symptoms of a hangover.

If this doesn’t sound familiar, it may be because hangxiety affects us all differently. In one study, researchers discovered that shy people had greater anxiety levels the day after drinking alcohol.

Although high-quality studies on the use of chamomile for hangover recovery are lacking, Michalczyk says some people report that chamomile calms overwhelming feelings brought on by drinking. After all, alcohol can leave you feeling rotten, mental healthwise, because of dehydration, low blood sugar, and out-of-whack hormone production, as the charity Alcohol Change UK notes. Research supports using this flowering plant to soothe those jitters, although study participants were given chamomile extract rather than tea.

As a bonus, chamomile may aid sleep and relieve an upset stomach, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.

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Calm Your Immune System With an Anti-Inflammatory Medication

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In pain after a night of drinking? That’s probably your immune system at work. Research suggests that a bout with the bottle produces a clear immunological response, triggering the release of cytokines, which are proteins intended to help your body recover but that also contribute to post-drinking symptoms. Consider taking an over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory pain reliever (NSAID), such as ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), naproxen sodium (Aleve), or aspirin for temporary help with a headache and that overall achy feeling, according to Harvard Health Publishing. NSAIDs may irritate the stomach, so skip them if you have a stomachache. You should also avoid NSAIDs if your doctor has advised you to do so.

Steer clear of acetaminophen (Tylenol), however, says Bhatt. Like alcohol, it’s metabolized in the liver and, in rare instances, could have toxic effects if you take a high dose and there is enough alcohol lingering in your system.

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Try Ginger to Ease Nausea

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Not sure how to cure hangover nausea? Many doctors and nutritionists alike agree that ginger is one of the best natural remedies for soothing an upset stomach, which is often a common symptom of a hangover.

“Ginger can aid digestion and in this way can ease stomach upset,” says Kennedy, who credits alcohol irritating the lining of the stomach as one of the reasons for hangover-related nausea.

The chemical compounds in ginger are believed to help ease stomach pain and aid digestion. A meta-analysis found that ginger reduced vomiting by 60 percent and fatigue by 80 percent in people with cancer who were receiving chemotherapy treatment. Another review found that ginger had potential antioxidant and liver-protective effects.

You can enjoy this superfood in many ways. For soothing an upset stomach, try brewing ginger tea or simply eating fresh ginger, suggests the Cleveland Clinic.

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Sweat Away Your Hangover Symptoms (if You’re Up for It)

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Of all the possible and popular hangover home remedies, experts say that exercise is one of the best because it ramps up oxygen flow to the brain and increases mood-boosting hormones that support energy levels. It also “increases the clearance of toxins from the body,” notes Bhatt.

If you can muster the strength to work out, McCall has this advice: “Exercising during a hangover should be limited to low- to moderate-intensity exercise, since the hangover will negatively impact cognitive ability, motor control, and coordination. ” Bhatt also recommends low to moderate activity for young, healthy people (and if you’re unhealthy or not feeling well enough, skip it and rest). A review of studies on the effects of a hangover on the brain validated McCall’s caution regarding a hungover person’s potentially impaired attention, decision-making, and muscle coordination. So pass on a high-intensity workout and go for a walk instead.

And, even more than usual, it’s essential to drink water before, during, and after your post-bacchanal sweat session, since the body is already dehydrated from overindulgence in alcohol.

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Go Back to Bed to Restore Circadian Rhythm

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One of the most restorative hangover remedies you can try is simply to get more sleep. It’s believed that many hangover symptoms are due to poor sleep after drinking alcohol, the Mayo Clinic notes. “Alcohol initially can make you feel sleepy; however, it affects sleep because those who consume a lot of alcohol do not get into a deep sleep that is restorative,” says Dr. Agarwal.

The Sleep Foundation further explains that alcohol disrupts your circadian rhythm and prevents some of our crucial REM sleep; it’s unlikely that you’ll fall into a deep, restful sleep after drinking in excess. Poor sleep, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine, is linked to irritability and depression, and alcohol, which is a depressant, can exacerbate these effects, notes the American Addiction Centers.

The best way to feel better sooner? Hydrate; eat a meal rich in complex carbohydrates, vegetables, and protein; and sleep as much as possible, says Agarwal. Just know that if you’re often drinking heavily and then sleeping in, this may amount to a problem, Cleveland Clinic notes, as you may start disrupting your day and night sleeping patterns. Bottom line? Try to avoid drinking to excess.

Additional reporting by Wyatt Myers and Brianna Majsiak.

the most effective ways to help yourself after a feast and not go into a binge: Society: Russia: Lenta.

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A hangover the next morning after a feast is often the subject of jokes, but the victims of this “ailment” are not laughing. The severity of pain after a feast can sometimes be very serious. At the same time, many do not know how to properly “treat” a hangover and what to do is definitely not worth it. “Lenta.ru” studied the issue and collected recommendations from experts on how to prevent a hangover and what to do if it does suddenly come.

What is a hangover and why does it occur?

A hangover is a special kind of poisoning. The state of intoxication provokes a number of symptoms: headache, nausea, dry mouth, disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, depression of the nervous system, and others.

The cause of a hangover is an increase in the concentration of toxic substances in the body due to the use of alcoholic beverages. They are formed after the breakdown of alcohol, which takes an average of 8 to 12 hours.

Among the main causes of a hangover are the following:

• Poisoning by alcohol breakdown products – the liver often does not have time to fully process alcohol, because of this, acetic acid and acetaldehyde remain in the body – the latter, by the way, is several times more toxic than ethyl alcohol;

• disruption of the nervous system – under the influence of the same acetaldehyde, a hangover sufferer experiences discomfort due to any little things, for example, due to soft lights or weak sounds;

• leaching of vitamins and magnesium – the lack of the latter is especially noticeable, because without it calcium penetrates the cells, causing them to become overexcited and provoking nervousness, muscle weakness, cardiac arrhythmia and chills in a person;

• dehydration – this symptom is due to the diuretic properties of alcohol, causing dry mouth, lethargy and headache.

Photo: Shutterstock

Types of hangovers

There are several types of hangovers depending on the severity of the symptoms. It is necessary to distinguish between them because the decision on the need to seek medical help depends on this.

So, the following types of hangover are distinguished.

• Mild (up to 1 ppm of ethanol in the blood) Hangover usually goes away on its own. It can be distinguished by symptoms such as slightly elevated blood pressure, rapid pulse, and hand tremors. Folk remedies will help speed up the “recovery”.

• Medium (up to 2.5 ppm) is a much more unpleasant condition with severe headache, nausea, vomiting, tachycardia, in which a person needs help.

• Severe alcohol poisoning (more than 2.5 ppm) causes convulsions, confusion, vomiting, slow breathing and requires urgent medical attention.

At the same time, a severe hangover after binge drinking in alcoholics is associated with a direct refusal to take alcoholic beverages, the components of which have become full-fledged participants in metabolism, turning into substances vital for the normal functioning of the body.

How to get rid of a hangover at home

For this, it is necessary not only to overcome the symptoms, but also to eliminate the root causes – dehydration and intoxication of the body. It is recommended to start with the restoration of the water-salt balance, the level of sugar and oxygen in the blood. In severe cases, you can not do without seeking medical help, however, if everything is not so serious, you can cope on your own. This will help both medicines and folk remedies.

To get rid of a hangover, the first thing you need to do is sleep well. If you’ve had too much alcohol, don’t plan to get up early, as this will only exacerbate your hangover symptoms. Drinking alcohol in itself worsens the quality of sleep, but a good rest will give the body time and energy to return to normal functioning.

Photo: Shutterstock

Then you need to re-hydrate the body, because alcohol contributes to the active dehydration of the body, as a result of which the morning after the party, a person is very thirsty. Herbal teas, broth, mineral water, as well as pure water, natural kvass and such a well-known remedy as vinegar-free brine will help restore the water balance.

Yes, pickle is good for a hangover. But instead of brine, you can use rehydron, which is used for poisoning. But if you like brine, then you can take it in small doses, as it contains salt. It must be a salted brine, not pickled, because the latter contains vinegar, which is an intermediate product of the breakdown of alcohol. On the contrary, it increases intoxication. And non-pickled brine contains a number of components that will help the body, because alcohol removes trace elements – potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium. They need to be replenished0003

Aleksey KazantsevHead Physician of the Narcology Clinic “Dependence-24”

After taking initial measures, you can continue your “treatment”, for this:

• Have a good breakfast – but only if you want to. A balanced breakfast, especially if it contains vitamins and minerals, alleviates hangover symptoms by lowering acid levels in the body and normalizing blood sugar levels. It will also help to cope with weakness and nausea. Any porridge on the water (especially oatmeal, which envelops the walls of the stomach), low-fat broth, steamed chicken and fish, baked vegetables are well suited;

• take a shower — water treatments have an invigorating effect, speed up the elimination of toxins;

• take a painkiller – if your head hurts badly, there is no point in enduring it. Choose proven, familiar remedies that your doctor has prescribed. But remember that drugs affect the liver, which has already undergone serious stress. In addition, sorbents will help remove toxins from the body. Glycine-containing products are suitable for restoring brain function. Also, vitamin complexes with magnesium content will not be superfluous;

• take a walk in the fresh air – this will speed up the metabolic processes in the body and help to quickly remove decay products from the blood. As a result, you should feel better. If there is no way to go outside, you can at least ventilate the room.

What not to do with a hangover

In an attempt to get rid of a hangover, you can, on the contrary, aggravate it. To avoid this:

• do not eat heavy fatty foods – remember that alcohol is broken down in the same place as fat. Therefore, fatty foods will only additionally load the liver and slow down the process of removing toxins;

• Avoid strong tea and coffee, which can cause a sudden rise in blood pressure, which increases the risk of a stroke. In addition, these drinks reduce the level of oxygen in the blood, which adversely affects the work of the heart muscle;

• refrain from visiting the bath – despite the popular belief that ethanol breakdown products come out in the steam room, one must not forget that profuse sweating increases dehydration, which already accompanies a hangover;

• do not drink new portions of alcohol – this is fraught with increased intoxication and the development of binge drinking.

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“If you are “sick” in the morning, a contrast shower is good, but in no case a bath or a hot bath. A walk in the fresh air will also help – you can go to the skating rink, take a walk in the park, near the house. And, of course, sleep is the main recommendation for post-intoxication syndrome. In no case should you treat like with like, as people say, because intoxication will increase, and the New Year holidays will turn into a New Year’s binge, ”said Alexei Kazantsev, head physician of the Addiction-24 drug treatment clinic.

Signs of severe hangover

After excessive alcohol consumption, the concentration of toxic substances in the body goes too far. Because of this, there are a number of painful symptoms characteristic of a severe hangover. Among them are the following:

• nausea and vomiting . Usually, after emptying the stomach, a person begins to feel better, since this is a protective mechanism that speeds up the excretion of decay products. However, if the stomach is empty and vomiting does not stop, medical attention should be sought;

• severe headaches due to dehydration, lack of sleep and exposure to toxins. With a strong hangover, blood pressure rises, and blood circulation in the brain tissues is disturbed;

• pain in the stomach and intestines may be due to alcohol itself or due to overeating;

• high temperature is also a frequent companion of severe alcohol poisoning. If it does not go away for a long time, it is better to consult a doctor;

• feeling of anxiety and shaking hands . Alcohol has a strong effect on the nervous system, first stimulating it, and then sharply depressing it.

Photo: Jonah Brown / Unsplash

“You need to seek medical help for a hangover when you are really very ill, when your blood pressure is high, when your heart is tachycardic, your heart is racing, your heart hurts, when you have severe headache, chills, severe sweating, shaking hands when you can’t even take anything. The same symptoms in case of poisoning are possible if you took low-quality alcohol and there is a risk of poisoning with methyl alcohol, ”explained the narcologist Kazantsev.

Treatment for severe hangovers

If drinking was less than three hours old, stomach contents should be emptied. To do this, drink a liter of water and press on the root of the tongue.

In severe alcohol poisoning, it is best to seek medical attention. A narcologist will remove toxins using a dropper, which includes saline solution, hepatoprotectors, vitamins and a number of other components

In case of a single poisoning, the dropper acts quickly, allowing you to completely get rid of a hangover in a couple of hours.

How to avoid a hangover

You can fight a hangover with preventive measures. Even if they do not exclude all the negative consequences the next morning, they will significantly smooth them out. To mitigate the hangover syndrome, you must follow the following rules:

• reduce the number of servings of alcohol – it is logical that the less ethanol enters the stomach, the less harm will be caused by its decay products;

• monitor the quality of the alcohol you drink — in addition to “scorched” drinks, various preservatives, flavor enhancers and other additives increase hangovers;

• It would be better if you had a hearty meal a few hours before the party. Physical activity will not be superfluous – just make sure that the body does not remain dehydrated by the beginning of the feast;

• Eat light meals – this will relieve unnecessary stress on the liver and stomach;

• Before going to bed after a party, drink a glass of water – this will reduce the feeling of thirst when you wake up and alleviate a headache.

The primary, most important thing is not to get drunk. It is necessary to strictly observe the dose – these are three or four glasses of the same champagne, three or four glasses of strong alcohol, which are not more than 30 milliliters. This is for the whole party. For women, respectively, two times less than

Aleksey KazantsevHead physician of the addiction clinic “Dependence-24”

In addition, Kazantsev advised to move more during the party and take longer breaks between drinking alcohol. “Someone has long toasts, someone has charades, go outside, set off fireworks and so on,” he said.

Photo: Maria Avdeeva / Unsplash

The snack, according to the narcologist, should consist of carbohydrates. It is better to refuse too fatty foods so as not to burden the pancreas. “In addition, before and after use, multivitamins of group B are required. You also need to take ascorbic acid,” the doctor added.

***

Morning hangovers are often perceived as a kind of “retribution” for a fun evening, and this is not far from the truth. Many are ready for this reckoning, but even if you start “to meet the enemy fully armed” in advance, stocking up on pickle and other means, it is very easy to underestimate it. The most reliable tactic is to avoid meeting him altogether, keeping your drinking under control. It should be remembered that, as many narcologists believe, there are no safe doses of alcohol.

How to get rid of a hangover at home, which helps with a mild hangover – February 21, 2020

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water and a cat in the morning will be very useful

org/Person”> photos: Daria Selenskaya / Network of City Portals

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Always carry this text under your heart (next to activated charcoal) in order to quickly orient yourself after a small spree in honor of February 23 (and on other occasions) and quickly clean yourself up.

Only the most desperate, fearless and unprepared person will pour himself a glass without going through activated charcoal initiation. Absorbents are your best friend. But if the booze turned out to be spontaneous, and force majeure prevented you from taking preventive measures, try to at least eat. And the more fatty foods you take during a feast, the more difficult it will be for ethanol to be absorbed.

– When the body begins to metabolize alcohol, it decomposes it into its constituent parts – glucose and acetaldehyde (a substance formed in the body as a result of the conversion of ethanol, it is later converted to acetate, which has on the body the effect that is commonly called a hangover). Acetaldehyde is a poison in itself. To mitigate the consequences, it makes sense to eat something heavier. The best option is to eat fat, says Igor Mormil, teacher at the Ural Institute of Fitness.

Sleep perfectly heals any ailment, and the body recovers best during REM sleep phases. But intoxication completely deprives a person of this pleasure. Therefore, even after eight hours of sleep, you will feel overwhelmed. Ask loved ones not to nag you for yesterday’s antics, close your eyes and try to sleep soundly.

Warn your loved ones that you are all right and put on a sleep mask

Photo: Daria Selenskaya / City Portal Network

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No time to sleep? Run to the shower! Treat yourself in the morning at least a short-term feeling of cleanliness. This will give strength, improve well-being and mood. Let not for long.

— A shower will improve microcirculation due to the load of mechanoreceptors. And when a person takes a shower, of course, it will be easier for him. But after some time, the previous state will return,” says Igor Mormil. – A contrast shower is not barely warm and slightly cold water. These should be drops, similar to those when you plunge into the font. But this is not recommended for everyone. A person who neglects the recommendations may experience problems with the pulse, his pressure will rise, and heart palpitations will appear.

A contrast shower is frankly cold and very hot water, no half measures!

Photo: Elena Latypova / NGS55.RU

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Speaking of good mood. Try to support him no matter what. An important nuance of a hangover is the so-called adrenaline longing. This is the strongest feeling of guilt and shame that you experience in the morning. Even if they didn’t do anything. And along with it, depression, anxiety and irritability will surely come. This is a normal and physiologically reasonable sensation, but if you do not want to put up with it, eat honey. It will cheer you up, speed up your metabolism, help remove toxins from the body and restore the balance of glucose, which you diligently washed out with alcohol the day before.

— There are water-soluble minerals and trace elements in the human body, they need to be constantly replenished. But with a normal diet, this is difficult to do. Honey contains all the necessary substances, including glucose and fructose. To restore your glucose balance, eat a teaspoon of honey every hour throughout the day. In its pure form or in an aqueous solution, – explains the head of the peasant farm “Ural Med” Dmitry Pasechnik.

You will do this automatically, even if you have experienced the feeling of a hangover for the first time. Dry mouth and thirst will lead you to a source of water. Drink it as much as possible, even if you don’t really want to. You have already been poisoned, and it will not get worse, and the water will remove the toxic breakdown products of alcohol from the body. At the same time, mineral water, it turns out, will not be as useful as ordinary drinking water without gases.

You can drink a maximum of two glasses of mineral water, the rest is ordinary drinking water

Photo: Daria Selenskaya / Network of city portals

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— Mineral water is considered to be medicinal table water. And it can lead to hyperkalemia (an increase in the concentration of potassium in the blood; severe hyperkalemia leads to a violation of the heart rhythm. – Approx. ed. ) or hypermagnesemia (an increase in the concentration of magnesium in the plasma; more common in patients with renal insufficiency and leads to hyporeflexia, arterial hypotension, respiratory depression and cardiac arrest – Note ed. ), explains Igor Mormil. – Therefore, mineral water is used to replenish the deficiency of minerals (two glasses are enough), and ordinary water is used to maintain the body.

In general, although the inscription “healing” stands out on the bottles with mineral water, this water does not help everyone. All because of the combined concentration of potassium and sodium. The World Health Organization recommends consuming less than two grams of sodium per day (and in some mineral waters, the combined concentration of sodium and potassium exceeds four grams per liter). It happens that more salt intake leads to strokes and heart attacks. Somehow too cool for a banal hangover.

If you feel that you are of no use at work today, take a day off and sit at home. Well, in the case when the hyperactive employee of the month wakes up in you in the morning, here is an armor-piercing and extreme bartending tip for you.

— Do you want to cheer up urgently and for a long time? Assess your strength and heart health and drink coffee with an energy drink. This, of course, will be a fatality, but it’s worth it,” says head bartender Ivan Derendyaev.

If you cannot help but work, do it at home

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You don’t always want to eat in the morning after the holiday, but you have to force yourself. Breakfast is an important part of every day, and a hangover is no reason to skip it. It is better to eat a couple of hours after waking up. During this time, the body will have time to cleanse itself. Choose lighter foods: low-fat soups, cereals, broths and fruits are your choice. Include foods high in vitamin C in your morning diet. Fatty foods are best avoided so as not to provoke an additional burden on the digestive organs.

By the way, we have already told you which menu should be preferred if you woke up after a serious spree. In response, we received experience-tested recipes and decided to discuss some of them with Sergey Bogdanov, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Narcology of the Ural State Medical University.

“50 grams of vodka and a glass of kefir”

Treating like with like is suitable for alcoholism. If you drink alcohol in the morning, then this is nothing more than a withdrawal syndrome. A person who is not addicted to alcohol will simply not be able to touch alcohol in the morning. Because he has postintoxication syndrome, he got poisoned. Poison will only make things worse. If alcohol improves your condition, then this is a formidable sign of the formation of alcohol dependence. With kefir or not – it does not matter.

“Half a glass of vodka, cucumber or cabbage pickle”

There is rational grain here, but do not confuse cooking technologies. If the base of the brine is vinegar, then against the background of an irritated stomach, it will only make things worse. As for fermentation, this is an independent fermentation process. Such a brine is really rich in trace elements, minerals, etc. A very useful tool. Only without alcohol, of course.

“Drink a large mug of sweet tea at night”

Strong tea is a matter of caffeine. It is a kind of antidote to alcohol, a sobering agent. There is also tannin, and this is the protection of the mucosa from absorbing additional doses of alcohol.

Plombira Briquette

Firstly, the cold factor works here. This is the receptor effect of cold. The second point is milk fat, if natural ice cream, without palm oil. As an energy substrate, it can somewhat alleviate the condition, increase the energy capabilities of the body. Plus sugar, we have already talked about it.

“Coke or Fanta”

The issue of carbon dioxide may play a role because it excites the receptors in the digestive tract. This can cheer up a person a little and improve his condition. There are many other ingredients in the same cola. Some of them can be a stimulant in and of themselves. With sugar, which is contained in carbonated drinks, it is more difficult. Here the question arises of its assimilation. It is complicated by an irritated stomach and anergy, the body does not have the energy to absorb it.