How to Prevent a Hangover – and Recover From It

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Anti-aging Liver Disease Fatty Liver

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Drinking alcohol on an empty stomach will cause the stomach lining to absorb the alcohol directly into the bloodstream, which can make you feel drunk and drowsy more quickly than normal.
• The symptoms of a hangover can affect numerous body functions, potentially leading to liver cirrhosis and brain damag
• Vitamin B supplements, ginger tea and peppermint tea can help relieve the symptoms of a hangover.

Whenever there is a party, a hangover the following morning is bound to follow. Most people will get a headache and feel disoriented throughout the day. Those who dislike partying will ask how people can even drink such strong drinks, but for partygoers it’s the social aspect of their drinking circle rather than the drinks themselves that attract them to the lifestyle. The taste is just another piece of the happiness puzzle. Alcohol affects the central nervous system and loosens muscles, so when consumed in small amounts, it can make us feel more relaxed than usual.

Pre-party preparations

1. Do not go out on an empty stomach.

The highest rate of alcohol absorption into the bloodstream occurs at the beginning of the small intestine. The absorption process is speeded up if the stomach is empty, or if the alcohol is mixed with carbonated drinks or soda water. When the stomach is empty, the alcohol is absorbed into the bloodstream directly through the stomach lining. This is what causes people to quickly feel drunk and drowsy.

2. Drink fruit and vegetable juice, or beverages high in vitamin B to reduce vitamin loss

Numerous types of hormones and enzymes become inhibited by the presence of alcohol in the bloodstream. Antidiuretic (ADH) is an important hormone which controls the kidneys’ ability to absorb liquids back into the body. When the ADH hormone is inhibited, the kidneys are unable to absorb liquids back into the body, so this is why we urinate more frequently when drinking alcohol. Frequent toilet breaks cause our body to lose more liquids and minerals than usual. This can be the reason why we may feel exhausted after a night out. It has also been found that the vitamins which are most lacking in a hungover person are the vitamins A, B1, B3 and B6, E, folate and the mineral selenium.

3. Drink water every hour

Given the reasons as outlined under point 2, drinking water frequently is necessary to replace the liquids lost through urination, as well as to reduce the concentration of alcohol in your system, so that it is not too high.

4. Drinking too much leads to bad decisions

Alcohol affects the area of our brain function related to decision making. This area enables us to decide what is right and what is wrong, so when it is inhibited, you may see some people displaying unusual behaviors, daring to do things they wouldn’t normally do or do things that they have been suppressing. Hence, make sure you drink in moderation.

5. Drink in moderation

Medical advice states that for people with no history of liver disease, men should drink no more than three units per day, and women no more than two units per day. One unit of alcohol is equivalent to drinking 12–15 grams, or 120cc of wine, 360cc of beer or 30cc of spirits.

6. Drink too often and liver disease won’t be far behind.

The liver is the organ which suffers most from alcohol consumption. Liver cells produce an enzyme which transforms alcohol into acetaldehyde, acetic acid and acetylcholine, respectively. These enable the body’s metabolism to produce energy and liquid. As long as we are drinking alcohol, the liver is working hard to process that alcohol, which means the liver is not carrying out its main duty of breaking down fats or managing other potentially toxic substances. A negative effect of this could be a fatty liver, as well as the body taking in other harmful substances that could lead to an inflamed liver, liver disease and eventually liver cirrhosis.

7. Too much alcohol increases the risk of developing gout

Alcohol causes pyruvic acid which is transformed into more than usual lactic acid. This lactic acid becomes trapped in the bloodstream. As a result the blood has high acidity levels. As the body tries to force the lactic acid out, competition occurs between the forcing out of each type of acid, and this leads to less uric acid being excreted. As a consequence, the uric acid is trapped in the bloodstream and the risks of developing gout are increased.

Post-party recovery

After a night of heavy drinking, most people will have a hangover as their body struggles to break down acetaldehyde – a chemical harmful to the body – into acetic acid quickly enough. This causes a number of symptoms which occur as we recover from our drunken state, such as headaches, nausea, loss of equilibrium, thirst, dry mouth, an aching body and exhaustion. Therefore, we’d like to provide the following advice on how to care for your hangover:

1. Drink plenty of water, or get some food into your stomach to help reduce the symptoms of a hangover.
2. If you have a headache, take painkillers or medication which reduces fever.
3. Drinking warm ginger tea or peppermint tea will reduce any feelings of nausea.
4. Top up the minerals in your body through vegetable and fruit juices, vitamin B or other mineral supplements.
5. Increase the amount of glutathione in your liver through natural products, such as milk thistle extract, amino acid cysteine, avocado and/or asparagus. All of these products can help rehabilitate the liver cells and speed up the important work being carried out by the liver to excrete the alcohol which is causing the hangover.
6. If you are feeling sleepy or drowsy, you may drink some coffee. The caffeine can help wake up your body.

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Phaisit Trakulkongsmut, M.D.

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Hangover Tips >> 3 Tricks for Working Out Hungover

Headache, nausea, dizziness, and a rapid heartbeat: are you feeling the effects of last night’s party and all the alcohol you drank? Of course, the best hangover tip is to avoid getting one in the first place. But what can you do once you have one?

In fact, a light workout the next morning can help ease or even get rid of the unpleasant side effects of a hangover. You should keep the following three tips in mind if you’re working out hungover:

1. Replace lost fluids and minerals

The alcohol you consumed has robbed your body of important fluids and minerals.⁽¹⁾ Since your body requires additional fluids when you exercise to cool itself and maintain vital metabolic processes, and your muscles and cardiovascular system rely on essential minerals to function properly, you should fill up your stores before starting to work out. Ideally, you should remember to supply your body with some minerals before going to bed in the form of fruit, water or magnesium, calcium, and potassium tablets. If you happen to forget, then you should simply start your day off by drinking a lot of water, tea, or a glass of warm lemon water with ginger to replace the fluids and minerals lost the night before.

2. Get your circulation going

The detox process puts a lot of strain on your circulatory system and often makes exercising in the morning unthinkable. Still, you should try to get your blood pumping. One good way is to take a lukewarm or cold shower to stimulate blood circulation. Contrast showers (alternating between hot and cold water) can also work wonders. Afterward, your body is up to speed, and you won’t overtax your system by starting out cold.

3. Lace up your running shoes and go

Of course, a night on the town with too much alcohol is not the ideal starting point for a new personal best. A short and easy run in the morning to sweat out the alcohol, however, can speed up the detox process and help your body recover more quickly.

Be careful: Exercise activates your metabolism, which means that it will flood your system with the toxins contained in alcohol. In the short run, this can make your hangover worse. However, stimulating your circulation and getting some fresh air is good for your overall well-being.

Can I still work on improving my performance when I’m hungover? Unfortunately, the answer is no. Under these conditions, it’s almost impossible to achieve any training effect or performance gains. Your body is too busy metabolizing the alcohol you consumed the night before.

What is a hangover exactly?

Nausea, headache, and dizziness: these symptoms are caused by the alcohol itself and the toxins that are released in the process of breaking down the alcohol. In addition, alcohol stimulates your kidneys to excrete more urine, which leads to dehydration. This loss of fluids strips your body of essential minerals and electrolytes and thus interferes with important metabolic processes.

Do you want to improve your performance but like to drink? We’ll tell you why alcohol and fitness are not a great team. 

Alcohol contains lots of calories

Alcohol is an often underestimated source of calories: 1 g of alcohol = 7 calories. To compare, consider that carbohydrates and proteins contain 4 calories/g, and fat a whopping 9 calories/g. This means a half liter (17 ounces) of beer has more than 200 calories. A piña colada weighs in at nearly 400 calories due to the cream. To work off this amount of calories, you would have to run for about an hour.

What’s more, people tend to eat hearty, high-calorie foods when they drink alcohol. Since your liver is busy metabolizing the alcohol (with the help of the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase), the extra calories are stored directly in your fat cells. What’s the result? You gain weight.

The US Center for Disease Control recommends moderation on days when alcohol is consumed:

• 1 drink or less per day for women
• 2 drinks or less per day for men

Daily consumption of alcohol is discouraged. Even moderate consumption increases your risk of cirrhosis of the liver and certain cancers.⁽²⁾

Alcohol slows down your recovery

You are definitely not doing yourself, or your body any favors if you drink a beer after your workout. The alcohol delays the process of restoring your glycogen stores (carbohydrate reserves). This has a negative impact on your recovery after intense physical exercise.⁽³⁾

Alcohol dehydrates your body

Alcoholic beverages promote the excretion of water via your kidneys.⁽⁴⁾ Valuable salts are lost due to this increased need to urinate. This can really wreak havoc on your mineral balance and increase the likelihood of muscle cramps.

Rule of thumb: Whenever you drink a glass of wine, follow it up with a glass of water. Or go with a wine spritzer.

Alcohol impacts your sleep

Consuming large quantities of alcohol has a negative impact on the quality and quantity of your sleep.⁽⁵⁾ A good night’s sleep is crucial for athletes looking to improve their performance because it gives your body the time it needs to rest and recover.

Want to improve the quality of your sleep?

Our sleep cycle calculator will show you when you should go to bed to wake up feeling refreshed.

Alcohol weakens your immune system

Are you often sick? The regular consumption of alcohol can weaken your immune system.⁽⁶⁾ Plus, it stimulates the release of the stress hormone cortisol. As the polar opposite of testosterone, this stress hormone breaks down muscle and inhibits the burning of fatty tissue.

At the same time, alcohol blocks the release of growth hormones. These are particularly important for recovering from a workout, torching fat, and building muscle.⁽⁷⁾

All these factors contribute to a drop in performance. Have you ever tried non-alcoholic beer? It is a good alternative and a perfect electrolyte drink after a hard workout. Most non-alcoholic beers are isotonic, which makes them ideal for replenishing lost electrolytes and fluids.

Bottom line

Alcohol is considered to be a luxury good and should be enjoyed in moderation. If your goal is to maximize your performance, you should abstain from alcohol entirely because it will hold you back. If you overdo it once in a while, exercise can help you recover from a hangover. A morning run won’t totally cure a hangover, but it will definitely help! 

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How to recover quickly after a corporate party: 5 simple and effective methods

A still from the movie “War of the Bride”

The festive season is not only pleasant chores and anticipation of magic. These are fun friendly parties, corporate parties and … a headache the next morning, a feeling of fatigue, emptiness and other unpleasant symptoms of yesterday’s too stormy fun. There are many drugs for a hangover, but not all are fully approved by doctors – the same good old aspirin has a number of contraindications and unwanted side effects. But there are also quite safe and even pleasant methods for recovering from a nuclear party. We present five simple and at the same time effective ways.

A deep, long sleep

A still from Breakfast at Tiffany’s

The best, easiest and most enjoyable way to recover. It is during sleep that cells receive the maximum opportunity for regeneration. In particular, if during a festive feast your liver is very actively working on the processing of alcohol, then during sleep the process of its natural recovery is launched.

There are foods with fructose

Fructose helps speed up the metabolism of alcohol. If you get a little drunk at a party, then the next day it’s better to pay special attention to fruits that are high in fructose and other sugars, such as lychees, grapes or figs. Be aware that dried figs have a higher sugar content than fresh figs (same goes for raisins). Dried apricots and prunes are rich not only in sugars, but also in potassium, which stimulates rehydration – fluid replenishment in the body. Ideally, stock up on fruit snacks before the party so you don’t waste time and energy on it the next day.

You need to sweat

A still from the movie “Girl Party in Vegas”

If the next morning after the party you don’t suffer much from a headache, but you clearly feel out of your element, then you should not give up training. Moreover, you can even increase the load a little to sweat thoroughly and help the lymphatic system to remove toxins. A hot bath will also be effective, but you should not go to the sauna – excessive sweating can lead to even more dehydration and lower blood sugar levels.

Ginger

Ginger cookies have long been considered a good remedy for pregnant women suffering from morning sickness. Ginger tea or a piece of ginger grated with brown sugar will also help get rid of nausea and upset stomach and intestines after a fun corporate party. Gingerbread cookies and cookies are also good.

High-calorie food for prevention

Still from the movie “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days”

Who has not heard the good old advice to eat a piece of butter shortly before the start of a wild party? Nutritionists strongly advise to control the amount of fatty and high-calorie foods in the diet, but the eve of the holiday is the time when you can safely (and even need to) afford something very high-calorie, like pizza or french fries. And never forget the basic rule of a successful feast – do not drink alcohol on an empty stomach.

In general, the strategy for dealing with a hangover is very simple: drinking plenty of water (drinking or mineral, preferably without gas) to prevent dehydration, enough sleep, a hearty breakfast, and taking dietary supplements (ginger, ginseng, eleutherococcus).

Ginger Tea Recipes:

Lemon Ginger Tea

Ingredients:

• Medium Lemon – 1 pc;

• Ginger root approx. 2-3 cm – 1 piece;

• Honey or sugar (to taste).

Preparation:

Cut the lemon in half. Squeeze the juice from one part, cut the second part into medium slices, peel and cut the ginger. Pour the juice and arrange the lemon and ginger slices into two cups. Pour boiling water over and let brew for 3 minutes (or longer). Add honey or sugar to taste.

Ginger tea with apple and cinnamon

Ingredients:

Preparation:

Cut the apple, remove the seeds, cut into slices, peel and cut the ginger. Place apple and ginger pieces in cups, add cinnamon sticks. Pour boiling water, let it brew for 5 minutes (or longer). Add sugar to taste.

Cayenne ginger tea

Ingredients:

Preparation:

3-5 minutes. When it cools down a bit, add pepper.

Eva Zalina

Photo: Getty Images, film stills

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The information provided in the article is for guidance only and cannot be used to make a diagnosis, prescribe treatment and does not replace a doctor’s appointment. Contact your doctor!

Danger of hangover syndrome

Hangover is a pathological condition that occurs several hours after drinking alcoholic beverages. Often develops in the morning after a stormy party.

Many people confuse hangovers with withdrawal symptoms. These 2 states have nothing to do with each other. Withdrawal develops in persons suffering from alcohol dependence, while a hangover can occur in perfectly healthy people. This is a short-term condition, all symptoms disappear within a few hours or the next day.

Ethanol that enters the body is fully processed. It decomposes in the liver to acetaldehyde due to a special enzyme – alcohol dehydrogenase. The formation of acetic acid is the next step. If these stages are successful, the person does not feel worse. But sometimes the body0051 cannot effectively deal with ethyl alcohol, which leads to symptoms of poisoning.

Hangover syndrome is characterized by:

1. Dehydration. Ethanol promotes increased urination. Organs and systems begin to experience an acute shortage of fluid. Usually, dehydration is manifested by dryness and bad breath, body aches, weakness, dizziness, heaviness in the head, or headaches.
2. Micronutrient deficiencies. Frequent urination leads to the loss of nutrients, which adversely affects the functioning of internal organs. First of all suffer heart , kidneys, liver. Due to the deficiency of trace elements, the acid-base balance is disturbed, which provokes muscle aches.
3. Pain in the heart, increased blood pressure. They develop as a result of a lack of magnesium in the blood. Despite the fact that alcohol has a diuretic effect, in the morning a person wakes up edematous. This is due to improper distribution of fluid in the tissues. Any swelling is an additional burden on the heart and blood vessels.
4. Violation of the function of the central nervous system. Her work is changed as a result of a chemical reaction between ethyl alcohol and acetaldehyde, she becomes very susceptible to external stimuli. Therefore, even normal light and sound cause pain and discomfort.

Typical manifestations of a hangover syndrome are weakness, lethargy, weakness, apathy, decreased mood, irritability and some depression. When attempting physical activity, feeling of dizziness , nausea, dizziness, palpitations and other unpleasant symptoms occur. Angina pectoris, hypertensive crisis, acute pancreatitis, stroke, heart attack are the most dangerous consequences that require hospital treatment.

During a hangover, all organs and systems of the body experience stress, so during this period there is a high risk of exacerbation of chronic pathologies.

First aid after drinking alcohol

The presence of acetaldehyde in the blood contributes to prolonged poor health. In order for the body to quickly recover from alcohol, it is necessary to make some efforts. It’s good when a person with a hangover can relax, sleep and get sick at home. But if there is no time for this, you need to go to work, you can use the following tips:

1. 0051 a lot of liquid . It is better to drink mineral water in small sips. This will help prevent stomach pain and nausea.
2. During a hangover, the body needs to replenish nutrients that will improve metabolism, so you should definitely have breakfast. Low-fat dairy products are the best option. If the stomach does not hurt, you can eat boiled fish or chicken.
3. You can saturate the blood with oxygen by taking a walk in the fresh air. If a person stays at home, it is necessary to ventilate the room.
4. An effective method of dealing with a hangover is cold. Headache can be relieved with cold compress . Doctors also recommend taking a contrast shower.

If the above methods do not give good results, you can prepare a solution of activated charcoal based on the formula: 2 tablets per 10 kg of body weight. The drug has an adsorbing effect, absorbs toxins, which are then easily excreted.

Methods of treatment

The duration of a hangover is different for everyone. The maximum improvement in the condition will occur when the toxins are completely neutralized. That is why you should not hope to a quick recovery after a fun drinking. It is possible to normalize the work of organs and systems with medicines and folk remedies.

Use of home remedies

At home, you can get rid of the symptoms of a hangover with the help of alternative medicine. Such treatment is resorted to with a mild form of intoxication and when there are no medicines at hand. The most popular ways:

1. Cabbage or cucumber pickle. The drink contains potassium, magnesium and sodium salts, which compensate for the lack of electrolytes. One glass of drunk brine starts the work of organs and systems.
2. Chicken broth. solves several problems at once : prevents dehydration, restores water balance, replenishes salt deficiency, invigorates, improves well-being.
3. Tea. It is better to focus on herbal types of drink, because. green and black have a pronounced diuretic effect. Teas with rose hips, raspberries, mint and other herbs are perfect.
4. Decoction of oats. Effectively helps with dehydration, relieves headaches, swelling. Oats bind toxins together, which contributes to their faster elimination. The decoction normalizes blood pressure, restores brain function.

It is possible to prepare a herbal drink based on several herbs, for example, thyme, chamomile, linden, sage.

Drug treatment

When selecting pharmaceutical preparations, it is necessary to take into account physiological and psychological characteristics of the human body. Some medications can trigger an allergic reaction, which will only make the condition worse.

The following groups of medicines will help restore well-being after drinking:

1. Special medicines. They are taken to relieve hangover symptoms. This group includes Alka-Seltzer, Zorex, Antipohmelin, Zenalk, etc.
2. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). They relieve headache and muscle pain, relieve fever, inflammation. Paracetamol is the most popular and affordable medicine.
3. Sorbents. This is the main category of drugs that are used for hangovers. Such drugs eliminate not only the symptoms, but also the cause of feeling unwell. Activated carbon, Enterosgel, Polysorb are the best representatives of the group.
4. Diuretics. Diuretics should be taken in extreme cases, when edema is very pronounced, otherwise there is a possibility of increased dehydration of the body. This group includes: Veroshpiron, Furosemide, Triampur.
5. Enzyme products. Needed to improve digestion, normalize the work of the pancreas. You can take Mezim, Pancreatin or Creon.
6. Hepatoprotectors. Restore liver function , disturbed by alcohol intake. This category includes Karsil, Essentiale, Livolin, Heptral.
7. Cardiac preparations. Medicines such as Validol and Corvalol help restore the functioning of the cardiovascular and nervous systems. They soothe, stop the pain in the heart, remove the tremor of the limbs.

Never give medication to a person who is intoxicated. Any drug in combination with ethanol will increase intoxication.

It is impossible to say exactly which drug will be effective for a hangover. It all depends on the individual characteristics of the body, the quantity and quality of alcohol consumed, the severity of symptoms of poisoning.

House call

A severe hangover may require urgent medical attention. In this case, it is better to call the addiction clinic, which offers a house call service. The doctor leaves immediately after receiving the application on the phone, brings a set of medicines and the necessary equipment.

Detoxification is carried out at home, its purpose is to cleanse the body of ethanol and its decay products. The procedure involves setting a dropper for a hangover, consisting of several drugs. The main tasks of infusion therapy:

• removal of toxic substances;
• restoration of acid-base and electrolyte balance;
• blood thinner;
• improved breathing;
• support for the work of internal organs.

The procedure is carried out only by a medical professional. A dropper is placed already with a developed hangover syndrome, and during alcohol intoxication it is ineffective and even dangerous. In severe cases, infusion is used after gastric lavage.

The doctor may include in the dropper:

• vitamin complex;
• diuretics;
• painkillers;
• hepatoprotectors;
• nootropics;
• antiemetics;
• sleeping pills;
• sedatives.

Hangovers are almost always accompanied by dehydration , so saline and/or sodium chloride is used as the basis. These components help to quickly restore the water-salt balance, which greatly facilitates the general well-being of the patient.

Drugs injected directly into the blood work with 100% effect, unlike tablets, which are first processed by the stomach and then by the liver. The task of the physician is to choose the right medicines, taking into account the patient’s condition and the characteristics of his body.

The approach to treatment is always individual, so the composition of the dropper can be supplemented with other pharmaceutical preparations.

Healthy hangover products

During a hangover, the body has very limited ability to digest food. The abundance of food will not only not give strength, but also worsen the condition. Benefit will bring foods rich in glycine. These include jelly, fish broth or aspic. They will get rid of poisonous toxins, improve sleep, improve mood.

Also useful:

• tomato juice;
• sauerkraut;
• fish, seafood;
• spinach;
• grapes;
• bananas;
• watermelon;
• nuts, dried apricots, dates;
• ginger;
• yogurt, kefir;
• honey.