The best thing you can do to minimize or resolve a hangover? Down a glass before going to sleep and do the same as soon as you get up, recommends Dr. Waters. Mix these physical realities together and the result is a hangover, which can make you queasy and uncomfortable for a few hours or — in worst-case scenarios — knock you down for an entire day. Let’s begin with the fact that alcohol is a diuretic, which means it opens the floodgates for urine production. Every restroom visit that drains fluid out of your system sets the stage for dehydration. There are a number of things that you can do to prevent or at least limit hangovers.
How to prevent a hangover
- Contrary to popular belief, greasy foods will not help you combat a hangover.
- And if you find that hangovers are affecting your work or relationships, talk to your doctor about your drinking.
- Coffee and other caffeinated drinks act as stimulants, which may improve the feelings of fatigue that come with a hangover.
- Researchers found that hangovers were worse after a night of drinking bourbon compared to a night of drinking vodka.
- The truth is, drinking again will just throw your body back into the same destructive cycle without giving it time to heal.
- Taking antacids can reduce nausea, heartburn, and indigestion that drinking causes.
Getting food in your belly the morning after a night of imbibing can give blood sugar levels a needed boost, says Dr. Waters. But filling your already stressed stomach with how long do hangovers last greasy, heavy food isn’t the best option. The toxic effects of alcohol on your body never seem more apparent than in those hours after downing one too many adult beverages.
Boost Your Blood Sugar With Carbohydrates
Many people also use sports drinks that contain electrolytes or rehydration powders to restore the balance of electrolytes in their bodies. There is no current research about whether or not this is an effective cure for a hangover. Antacids work by neutralizing the stomach acid to relieve an upset stomach. Taking antacids can reduce nausea, heartburn, and indigestion that drinking causes. This is a good option for people who tend to feel sick when hungover.
Don’t have a drink the morning after
For soothing an upset stomach, try brewing ginger tea or simply eating fresh ginger, suggests the Cleveland Clinic. “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 https://ecosoberhouse.com/ for hangover-related nausea. 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.
Drinking water alongside your alcoholic drinks can also help, because it will both keep you hydrated and likely reduce how much alcohol you consume, Mattioli says. Some supplements, including red ginseng, prickly pear, ginger, borage oil, and eleuthero, have been studied for their ability to decrease hangover symptoms. In fact, some research suggests that maintaining adequate blood sugar levels could mitigate some of the bodily changes that occur with alcohol consumption, such as the buildup of acid in the blood (12). In one older study, 95 young adults drank enough vodka or bourbon to reach a breath alcohol concentration of 0.11%. Those drinking high congener bourbon experienced worse hangovers than those drinking low congener vodka (2).
- You might have heard suggestions like a late-night fast food run or a trendy remedy like activated charcoal to deal with a hangover.
- This symptom makes it really difficult to start your day and get things going.
- Stay hydrated throughout the following day by drinking water whenever you feel thirsty.
- The chemical compounds in ginger are believed to help ease stomach pain and aid digestion.
- You may end up feeling more restless, anxious and irritable than before you drank.
- In general, dark-colored alcohols have more congeners than light-colored ones do and produce more severe hangovers.
At NBC Select, we work with experts with specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest. Instead, methanol is discharged harmlessly from your body via your breath and urine. That’s why ethanol is often used to treat methanol poisoning (7).
Antioxidants are compounds that help mop up these free radicals. Your donation can make a difference in the future of healthcare.
Congeners are more likely to produce a hangover or make a hangover worse. But drinking too much alcohol of any color can still make you feel bad the next morning. It is important to stay hydrated, eat nutritious food, and get plenty of rest. In this article, we explore the causes of hangovers and how to reduce the symptoms. There’s not a ton of research on hangovers but experts know that dehydration and inflammation work in tandem to create that icky, rundown feeling. “Obviously, the best way to avoid hangovers is by not drinking so much,” Dr. Michael Lynch, medical director of the Pittsburgh Poison Center and emergency department physician at UPMC in Pittsburgh, told TODAY.
subtle signs you’re a people-pleaser and tips to get your life back
- They are also safe and relatively inexpensive to try, says Tuznik.
- Our experts generally recommend avoiding medications if you have mild symptoms because the side effects tend to outweigh the benefits.
- There’s not a ton of research on hangovers but experts know that dehydration and inflammation work in tandem to create that icky, rundown feeling.
- There are lots of hangover „cures“ on the market, but very little evidence to back up claims.
- A hangover is unpleasant, but symptoms tend to go away within a day or so.