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The world is literally (figuratively) flooded with alcohol. There is a veritable cornucopia of booze options available for consumers. From wine to whiskey to beer to grain alcohol, there are is a seemingly unlimited amount of boozy decisions. Sometimes, because of all of the different choices, we end up imbibing a little too much and mixing together different forms of alcohol.
Nobody wants to feel like they’re on a tilt-o-whirl at the end of the evening, but it’s the brain-melting headache and achy stomach the next morning that really put a damper on the festive atmosphere.
Have no fear. There are ways to combat the harmful effects of alcohol. Here’s our list of common and not-so-common hangover remedies.
Drink Water
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Any attempt to stave off the side effects of drinking should start with water. Part of why your head hurts so much is because you woke up extremely dehydrated. You should be aware of this since after you “broke the seal”, you visited the bathroom three-hundred times during your evening of alcohol consumption. If you were smart, you would have matched a glass of water for every drink you imbibed. If you didn’t, chug a giant cup of water (or two) before hitting the sheets.
Take Medicine
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On top of downing a glass of water, you should probably also take a pill or two. Aspirin and Ibuprofen are probably your best bet. Make sure you read the bottle to check out the dosage. Don’t take too many and beware of medication that contains acetaminophen, however. Your liver is already being pushed to the limit by metabolizing the alcohol in your system and acetaminophen could cause liver damage.
Get a Good Night’s Sleep
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If you took a pill and chugged a glass of water, your next step in fighting the effects of alcohol is a good night’s sleep. If you hop into bed at 3am and you have to be up for work at 6:30, you’re probably going to have a bad day. Strive for at least 6-8 hours of sleep after a night of drinking. The more rest you get, the less likely it is that you’ll end up with a massive headache.
Drink Coffee
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People think that drinking coffee is guaranteed to make you feel better. If you are the type of person who enjoys a cup (or five) every morning, you definitely should start your post-drinking morning off with one. The potential for caffeine withdrawal (yes, it’s a real thing) could end up making your hangover worse. The two things to remember: 1.) coffee is a diuretic so be sure to drink more water after. 2.) Caffeine raises your blood pressure. Pay attention to how you feel after the first cup and wait a half hour before making a second.
Hair of The Dog
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The expression “hair of the dog” means to immediately drink more alcohol the morning after a night of heavy drinking. It’s a reference to the idea that if you suffer a dog bite, you should put some of the dogs hair on your wound before bandaging it up to somehow magically prevent infection. In fact, that seems like the worst choice to prevent a horrible, painful infection. Drinking more alcohol when you’re hungover will cure it, at least at first. Eventually, you’ll need to sober up and the hangover will probably actually be worse. If you are going to try this, I suggest a nice bloody Mary or Corpse Reviver.
Sports Drinks
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Gatorade, Powerade and other sports drinks are a great way to limit the effects of alcohol consumption. They are good hydrators if you require some flavor in your water. They also contain electrolytes. They do quite a lot for your body. Electrolytes help in digestion of alcohol, transportation of fluid across cells, temperature control, bladder control, glucose metabolism, energy production and a million other functions that can help you feel better when you’re hungover. Be sure to grab an energy drink that is either low in sugar or contains no sugar. Your body definitely doesn’t need any extra sugar after the night you had.
Exercise
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Exercising after a night of heavy drink might seem like the last thing you want to do when you wake up feeling like someone jammed ice picks into your eyes. But, it will definitely make you feel better. Imbibing alcohol slows your brain activity. This is why you feel extra tired and depressed when you wake up the day after drinking heavily. You need to find a way to get your blood pumping while helping your brain function at a higher level. I’m not saying that you should go run a marathon, but taking a walk, swim or quick jog will release endorphins that will help to make you feel better, quicker.
Greasy Food
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You might not be happy to hear this. Eating greasy food won’t technically make you feel better. For years, we believed that greasy food helped the absorption of alcohol. This is just not true. Even though, this myth is debunked that doesn’t mean that a tasty, cheesy, greasy breakfast won’t make you feel better after a night of heavy drinking. Just having anything in your stomach is bound to make you feel at least a little better. Just like water, if you can eat a greasy, filling meal before you head out for the night, you’ll end up less hungover. The oils will coat your stomach lining and help prevent the absorption of alcohol. You’ll get less drunk and therefore feel less sick the next day.
Alka Seltzer
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“Plop plop, fizz fizz. Oh, what a relief it is!” Alka Seltzer is widely known as a hangover remedy. It contains sodium bicarbonate and will help settle your stomach. It won’t really do much for your headache though, so be sure to also drink water and take aspirin. Also, if you didn’t already know it, sodium bicarbonate is backing soda. So, think about that the next time you use this remedy.
Responsible Drinking
The best hangover cure is to not have one at all. Responsible drinking leads to fewer hangovers. Don’t have more drinks than you can handle and be sure to drink water throughout the night. You’ll thank me later.
