You wake up from a night of drinking with only a pounding headache, sick stomach, dry mouth, and fuzzy memory to show for it and firmly swear never, ever to drink again.
After all, not drinking is the only true way to cure and avoid those miserable hungover mornings. However, for all those who simply are not going to stick to the novel resolution of never drinking again, perhaps the search for a few hangover remedies is the next best thing.
According to a survey commissioned by Alka-Seltzer Morning Relief, it takes only a little more than three drinks to leave you with a hangover. The amount of alcohol and speed consumed, as well as one’s weight, gender and natural tendency toward hangovers all contribute to the next morning’s misery.
The decisions that you make the night you drink make a huge difference in the way you feel the morning after. Congeners, according to about.com, are “toxic byproducts” of the distillation and fermentation processes alcohol goes through in the making. They contribute to the alcohol’s sweetness, color and smell. Likewise, they contribute to the drinker’s hangover.
Acetaldehyde is produced when the body attempts to break down the alcohol in the liver. This adds to hangover symptoms, according to Jeanne DiMuzio, director of Health and Wellness.
Different types of alcohol have different congeners, which is why it is so bad to mix assorted types of liquor. The clearer and more expensive liquors are, the less severe the hangovers will be, according to about.com. Replace red wine with white wine, or drink vodka instead of whiskey.
Contrary to popular belief, coffee is not an ideal post-drinking beverage. The caffeine only adds to the dehydration your body is already suffering from, according to DiMuzio. Virgin Radio offers up tomato juice as an alternative morning beverage. Its antioxidants and vitamins are known to help clean out toxins and replenish lost vitamins. Grab a glass of V8, not a Bloody Mary.
You may have heard that the answer to a hangover is to reach for the “hair of the dog that bit you.” This notion of drinking to mask a hangover is only a temporary solution, merely prolonging the effects of the alcohol in your system. Medical experts avidly warn against it.
Another huge health hazard can come from popping pain relievers as a quick fix. Anything made with Tylenol can have hazardous effects on the liver when mixed with alcohol. Opt for an Advil instead.
Perhaps the best pill to swallow, according to Virgin Radio, is Vitamin B. While drinking swipes vitamin A, B and C from your system, it is vitamin B that is most lacking. Taking a vitamin B pill before drinking is even better.
You may feel sick to your stomach, but eating is yet another key to overcoming hangover symptoms. Bananas refill the body’s potassium as well as contains magnesium to help with headaches and natural anti- acid to help with nausea. Eating eggs the night before will help the body in breaking down the alcohol still in your body, according to DiMuzio.
Alcohol also causes major dehydration. You should drink water before, during and after drinking.
According to Virgin Radio, your body looks to take water from anywhere it can because of the water loss from alcohol. It takes water from the brain, causing shrinkage which contributes to that really bad morning headache. Gatorade will also do the trick, while helping take care of the toxic alcohol still left in the stomach.
Water is certainly the most universal solution. Each individual’s body reacts in differently ways to alcohol. All, however, seem to be negative. When abstaining from imbibing simply is not an option, grab a bottle of ice cold Poland Spring and lay down to await recovery. Hopefully, the night before was worth it.
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