If you’ve ever suffered from a hangover, you know it’s one of the worst feelings in the world. And is it just me, or do they seem to get worse as you get older? Every time I have a hangover I swear I’ll never drink again, but that’s a little extreme. What’s even better is finding hangover remedies that can relieve those horrid symptoms so we can still enjoy a night out drinking with our friends. If you want to know the best ways to fend off the dreaded headache, nausea and overall icky-ness that comes with a hangover, check out these hangover remedies that actually work!
What is a Hangover?
A hangover is the experience of various unpleasant symptoms that occur after heavy drinking (usually in the morning). Hangovers can last anywhere from an hour up to 24 hours, depending on how bad a hangover it is. Generally, the more you drink, the worse your hangover will be. Hangover symptoms include headaches and muscle aches, fatigue and weakness, excessive thirst, dizziness, shakiness, nausea and vomiting, rapid heartbeat, mood disturbances such as anxiety, and more.
How Long Does Hangover Recovery Usually Take?
A hangover will typically end within 24 hours, but if you drank an overly excessive amount or are very sensitive to alcohol, your symptoms may not get better after one day. A bad hangover can last up to 72 hours. Hangovers begin a few hours after you stop drinking when your blood alcohol concentration falls. Generally, a hangover recovery will take several hours, and if you use hangover cures that work, recovery will be even shorter!
6 Tips for Preventing a Hangover
1. Drink Lots of Water
This one may be seem obvious, but not enough people drink enough water after a night of drinking. Alcohol dehydrates you, which is one of the reasons you get a hangover in the first place, so make sure to chug a glass of water before you go to bed. You should also try to drink a glass of water between every drink you consume throughout the night to prevent a hangover in the morning.
2. Double Up on Antioxidants
Double up on antioxidants before a night out drinking. Inflammation and oxidative stress are two of the main issues that cause hangovers, and antioxidants help to mitigate both of them them. Drink acai or pomegranate juice, or double up on your multivitamin before you go out.
3. Don’t Forget to Eat Before Your Drink!
A great way to ensure you’ll get a hangover is to not eat before you drink. Eating before, or while you’re drinking slows down the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream. Drinking on an empty stomach will get you drunk much more quickly and can make you feel really sick, especially the next morning. And make sure you’re eating foods high in carbs, protein and fat to help you metabolize alcohol better.
4. Get a Good Night’s Sleep
Although alcohol can impact the quality and duration of your sleep, try to get as much sleep as you can after a night of drinking. Try to go to bed early (which may not be possible if you’re having a night out), or allow yourself to sleep in. Getting plenty of sleep can reduce the effects of a hangover, allowing your body to recover.
5. Clear Liquor is the Way to Go
You may have noticed that your hangovers from rum are much worse than your hangovers after the nights you drink gin. Clear liquors have less toxins and impurities in them, so they don’t have as much of a negative effect. And don’t forget, your mixer counts too. Mixers like Coca Cola that are high in sugar will do much more damage than mixers like soda water.
6. Magnesium Before Bed
Magnesium helps the body break down alcohol and eliminate it from your body. Since alcohol consumption can deplete magnesium in your cells, refilling your magnesium stores is key. Take a magnesium supplement before bed to help with hangover symptoms.
5 Hangover Remedies We Swear By
1. A Good Breakfast
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, especially if you have a hangover. Low blood sugar levels can make your hangover worse, so make sure to eat a good breakfast with the right combination of vitamins and minerals to feel better.
Eggs are a great source of cysteine, which breaks down a toxin that causes headaches that occur from alcohol consumption. Avocados can help raise low potassium levels. Salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids to decrease inflammation in the body. Scrambled eggs with smoked salmon and avocado, coming right up!
2. Drink Ginger Tea
If you’re looking for a natural hangover remedy, ginger is a life saver, especially if you’re feeling nauseous. Ginger helps with the digestion of alcohol and helps settle your stomach. It will diminish symptoms including dizziness, pain and nausea, so make a cup of ginger tea and let it work its magic.
3. Take a Shower
The last thing you want to do when you have a hangover is get up out of your bed or off your couch, but taking a shower will make you feel ten times better. It will freshen you up and wake up your senses, especially if you go a little bit cooler with the temperature than you usually do.
4. Chug Coconut Water
Coconut water is one of the best ways to hydrate yourself when you’re hungover. Not only is it hydrating and refreshing, it contains tons of electrolytes, which are essential in kicking dehydration to the curb. Stock up before a night out drinking to make sure you’re prepared!
5. Red Ginseng
Red ginseng can help your body metabolize alcohol, and it will also soothe your sore stomach and your dry mouth. Drink it as a tea or take it as a supplement. However you ingest it, it’s sure to make your hangover relief much more effective.
Hangovers are awful. But they don’t have to be. Try these tips to prevent hangovers, and if you’re feeling crumby the next morning, these remedies will do the trick!
