Experts say there is no such thing as a cure for a hangover. Sure, there are old wise tales and grandma’s secret elixir but none of them provide a cure.
However, there are certain things you can do to prevent a hangover. There are also things you can do to ease your pain in the morning. Fortunately, your pain is only temporary and it will last between 8-24 hours. Doctors say your temporary pain is probably from dehydration and electrolyte or hormonal imbalance. Some of the hangover symptoms may also be due to low blood sugar or the toxic effects of alcohol.
Before you start drinking consider eating a fatty meal or a combination of healthy carbohydrates and fats. Dr. Oz recommends a turkey burger on a wheat bun or cheese and whole-grain crackers. According to Dr. Oz, to digest food, your body closes the valve into the small intestine, where alcohol is most quickly absorbed, so you're less likely to get buzzed.
Also, drink a glass of water between each drink or alternate your drinks with a nonalcoholic beverage. This will help you slow down and stay hydrated.
Opt for pale spirits (vodka, white wine, gin) over red wine, bourbon and whiskey. Dark alcohol contains more congeners. Congeners are chemicals that increase inflammation in the body and intensifying a hangover.
Avoid diet soda drinks and energy drink mixers. Diet drinks empty out of the stomach quickly and can make you tipsy faster. You should also avoid energy drinks as mixers. The caffeine makes you feel less buzzed than you are, so you may not realize when you've hit your limit.
Here are some before bedtime tips:
• When brushing your teeth, wash your hands and face, too. Alcohol suppresses the T cells the body needs to defend itself. This leaves you vulnerable to germs and makes hangover symptoms worse.
• Drink a glass of water before bedtime to prevent dehydration. Gulp a glass or two of water. Dehydration (a side effect of alcohol, a diuretic) reduces the liquid around blood cells, making your brain shrivel and leading to headaches, dizziness and nausea.
• Take ibuprofen before bed.
Next morning tips:
• Drink water and sports drinks the next morning to rehydrate and replenish electrolytes.
• Brew peppermint tea with honey or pour a glass of 100 percent fruit juice. Mint soothes your stomach, and honey and fructose (fruit sugar) help the body metabolize alcohol faster.
• Take ibuprofen the next morning to ease a headache. Ibuprofen inhibits prostaglandin, a pain messenger linked to increased hangover severity. Avoid aspirin because it can irritate your stomach. Also avoid acetaminophen because it has to be metabolized by your liver, which is already working overtime from the alcohol.
• Sleep late. "Alcohol disrupts brain chemicals that regulate sleep, so you'll spend less time in restorative sleep and more in light sleep," Dr. Oz says.
• Eat eggs for breakfast. Eggs contain cysteine, which may help the liver break down acetaldehyde which is a hangover-causing toxin in alcohol. Other good breakfast choices are broth and bananas which restore the sodium you lost during the night's frequent bathroom trips.
"The worst thing to do is to have another drink," says Charles Cutler, M.D., an internist in Norristown, Pennsylvania, and the chair of the American College of Physician's board of governors.
Finally, if you're a regular coffee drinker, skipping the java when you're hung over may -- or may not be -- a good idea, said John Brick, Ph.D., an alcohol research scientist and author of "The Doctor's Hangover Handbook."
"You may wind up layering a pounding caffeine-withdrawal headache on top of your hangover woes if you miss your morning fix,ʺ says Brink. "Caffeine narrows your blood vessels and boosts blood pressure. Both of these may make the hangover worse. If you drink coffee regularly, you might try a very small amount in the morning. Wait 30 to 60 minutes and see how you feel."
What is your favorite hangover helper?
Sources:
http://www.self.com/health/2011/01/cure-any-hangover-slideshow
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/health&id=7873774
http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/12/30/hangover.remedies/?hpt=C2
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/40856378/ns/today-today_health/