How To Cure A Hangover ?
A hangover is nothing but a combination of unfriendly physiological and psychological effects that foster after consumption of an excess alcohol. A person getting frequent hangovers will face poor performance at work. It might lead to conflicts in the workplace.
As a general rule, the more alcohol you consume, the more chances that you will face hangover the next day. However, there is not a magic formula to tell how much alcohol to drink to avoid a hangover. Irrespective of the unpleasant nature most hangovers go away on its own. However, if you choose to drink alcohol, you should do it responsively to avoid a hangover.
What Are The Symptoms Of A Hangover?
The symptoms of hangovers begin when the alcohol level in your blood drops significantly and reaches near zero. In general, they are in full-effect the next morning. You will experience them after a night of heavy alcohol consumption. Based on the level of your drinking, you will notice the following symptoms
- Rapid heartbeat
- Mood Disturbances like irritability, anxiety and depression
- Decreased ability to concentrate
- Shakiness
- A sense of room spinning or dizziness
- Increased sensitivity towards sound and light
- Decreased or poor sleep
- Stomach pain, vomiting or nausea
- Muscle and headaches
- Dry mouth and excessive thirst
- Weakness and fatigue
What Are The Effects Of Alcohol?
There are many ways in which Alcohol directly contributes to hangover symptoms.
Electrolyte Imbalance and Dehydration
Alcohol consumption can increase the urine output. It causes dehydration that in turn leads to hangover symptoms. The symptoms include light-headedness, dizziness, dryness of mucous membranes, weakness and thirst. Also, diarrhea, vomiting and sweating also occur due to excessive drinking. The result is that the body might lose the electrolytes and fluids.
Gastrointestinal Issues
When you consume more alcohol, it will irritate the stomach and the intestines. In turn, it will lead to the inflammation of the stomach lining and there will be a delay in stomach emptying. Further, alcohol can contribute to intestinal and pancreatic secretions. It will increase the level of gastric acid. All these things can lead to vomiting, nausea and abdominal pain.
Sleep Disturbance and Other Disturbances In The Biological Rhythms
If you sleep due to alcohol consumption, the sleep will generally be of poor quality. Also, the sleep will be of shorter duration than you sleep normally. In turn, you will experience fatigue during a hangover. Further, it will lead to changes in the body temperature. There will be changes in the release of cortisol and many other disturbances in the body.
Low Blood Sugar
The consumption of alcohol can disturb the production of glucose in the body. In turn, it will bring down the glucose reserves from the liver. When the blood sugar level reduces, your brain will not get the required energy. In turn, you will experience mood disturbances, weakness and fatigue during hangovers.
Read more on Alcoholism
Hangover Remedies
Now, you know about the effect of drinking excessive alcohol. Your question will be how to prevent or get rid of alcohol hangover. Thanks to some home remedies that will help you with safe relief from a hangover. Let us explore here.
1. Ginger
From many centuries, people consume ginger to treat vomiting and nausea. Ginger breaks down alcohol and soothes stomach. It effectively works to give fast relief from hangover.
How To Use?
- Take sweetened ginger tea by adding some honey to ginger tea
- Munch on slices of ginger or you can take ginger pickle
- Drink ginger ale to ease an upset stomach
How Does Ginger Help?
Ginger is an excellent remedy for settling an upset stomach. When you take ginger with honey, the fructose present in honey will help body metabolize and burn off alcohol still remaining in your system.
2. Peppermint
Peppermint is another home remedy to treat hangover. You can take peppermint in different ways to reduce the symptoms of alcohol hangover.
How To Use?
- Take peppermint tea
- Prepare this tea by adding a spoon of dried peppermint to a cup of boiling water
- Filter out the leaves , peppermint tea is ready to drink
- Taking one or two cups of this tea will help with alcohol hangover relief.
Alternative Method
You can also directly chew some peppermint leaves. These leaves are known for their carminative properties. You can also prepare a tea using peppermint, thyme and honey. This will work as a potent agent to fight alcohol hangover.
How Does It Work?
Peppermint is a carminative herb. It will do the best work in removing accumulated gas from the intestines and from the stomach.
3. Take Some Eggs
Eggs are known for their properties to keep liver healthy and prevent it from damage. Proteins and amino acids in egg help in cleaning liver.
How To Use Eggs?
- Scramble eggs with vegetables. It will act as an antioxidant
- When you prepare egg scramble, it is better to avoid too much of grease and fat. These substances can make you even more nauseated.
How Does Egg Work?
In addition to the taurine content that relieves liver damage, an egg is rich in cysteine that breaks down the toxins. They contribute a great share in preventing a sick feeling after alcohol consumption. As the egg can help with getting rid of these toxins, you will quickly feel better.
4. Lemon
You can use lemonfor both treatment and prevention of alcohol hangover. Lemon has citric acid and aroma of lemon will also help you less nauseated.
How To Use?
- Rub a lemon on your armpit before you start drinking
- It will effectively prevent alcohol hangover the next morning.
Alternative Method
Alternatively, you can take a full glass of water and take at least one lemon or lime. Squeeze the lemon to the glass of water. You should squeeze in such a way that the water looks cloudy. Now, drink this lemon water to get rid of hangover.
How Does It Work?
Nice aroma and citric acid of lemon will transform acidic condition of body due to alcohol consumption to alkaline. It brings change in pH level of body that ease the symptoms of hangover and also controls blood sugar. It will help with preventing hangover caused by excessive alcohol consumption.
5. Bananas
Bananas are rich in potassium content. The loss of potassium when drinking is one of the common reasons for a hangover.
How To Use?
- Take a banana fruit for your breakfast on the next day of your alcohol consumption
- Otherwise, you can mix up banana slices with other fruits and take it for breakfast
- You also have the option to use a spoon of honey with the slices of banana. Both will work together to relieve hangover symptoms.
How Does Banana Work?
Banana is rich in potassium content which helps in easing the symptoms of hangover. However, some nutritionists are of the opinion that this fruit contains only minimal potassium. Nevertheless, it works against alcohol hangover because of its richness in carbohydrates.
6. Take Coconut Water
When you drink a lot, you will lose a lot of water content from your body due to frequent urination. So, a hangover is an important effect of dehydration. You can avoid it with coconut water. You can take coconut water once or twice to get rid of a hangover.
How Does It Work?
The important reason to consider coconut water is that it is easy to consume. It contains more electrolytes than any sports drink, more potassium than banana. Due to electrolytes inclusive of potassium, it will rehydrate your body. These are substances that your body needs after over indulging in alcoholic beverages to get rid of hangover.
7. Take A Shower
When you have a hangover, you will have a hard time in getting out of your bed. But if you wish to get out of the hangover, you should get out of your bed and should take a shower.
How Does It Work?
Taking a cool shower in addition to cleaning up will also wake up your senses. Even, some people alternate between hot and cold water when taking a shower. However, you should remember that when you have a hangover, never shock your body by doing it. It might cause even more damage to your system.
8. Take A Fruit Juice
Taking any fresh juice right in the morning will help with increasing your blood sugar levels. In turn, it will replenish your body with the reduced vitamin levels. However, if you have a raging hangover, it is better to avoid fruit juices that are highly acidic.
What To Avoid?
- When you rely on fruit juices, take fruits with less acidic content
- Also, keep yourself away from caffeinated beverages. They are diuretics that can worsen the symptoms of hangover.
9. Drink Plenty Of Water
Water is a natural remedy that prevent alcohol hangover. You are recommended to drink plain water in between your glasses of alcohol. When you do this, you can prevent alcohol hangover. If you do not want to do it, you can just take a big glass of water before going to bed after an alcoholic session.
How Does It Work?
One will urinate more when they drink excess alcohol. It will head to dehydration, which is the major contributor to a hangover. To avoid this, drink a glass of water after every glass of alcohol. It will ease your stomach.
10. Asparagus
Asparagus has a natural biological function to alleviate the hangover. In addition, it will also safeguard your liver from the damage caused by alcohol.
How To Use?
- Include asparagus in any form in your diet
- Use it for snacking in-between your alcohol consumption
- In addition to relieving a hangover, it will also prevent hangover. You can achieve this when you consume it as a snack in-between the drinks.
How Does It Work?
Asparagus is known to be an effective remedy to safeguard your body from booze. In general, the cells in the human body break down alcohol. The amino acid content in asparagus is known to improve the speed of how the cells break down alcohol. In turn, it will prevent some long-term damages caused by alcohol.
11. Tomato Juice
You might feel surprised to know that tomato juice will relieve alcohol hangover.
How To Make and Use Tomato Juice?
- Cut one or two ripened tomatoes
- Add them to the mixer and grind well
- Add some sugar or honey to the tomato juice and consume it
When you take tomato juice in-between your alcohol consumption, it will prevent hangover. Even, you can consume it after alcohol consumption the next morning to get rid of the hangover.
How Does It Work?
Tomato juice has the ability to bring down blood sugar levels. It reduces alcohol three times more in blood than consuming regular water in-between alcohol consumption.
12. Oil Pulling
You might have heard that oil pulling is an act that is known for its excellent anti-toxic effect. So, it will help you relieve a hangover.
How To Use?
- Take a spoon of coconut oil. Take the oil into your mouth and swish it such that the oil reaches each and every corner of your mouth
- Continue to do this for about 15 to 20 minutes
- Spit the oil out and rinse the mouth completely.
Tips To Remember
It is better to do oil pulling when you have the worst hangover when you wake up in the morning. Do not swallow the oil and do oil pulling as the first thing in the morning before even brushing your teeth.
How Does It Work?
With the natural detoxifying property, oil pulling will help with getting rid of toxins. Toxins cause hangover symptoms to a great extent.
Conclusion
Remember that “Prevention is always better than cure”. So, you can prevent alcohol hangover by having a check on your alcohol consumption.
