How to Cure a Hangover
Posted on January 16th, 2009 by Marck
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The old folk remedy for a hangover was to “bite the hair of the dog that bit you.” Some people swear by the remedy, taking an alcoholic beverage as a “morning-after” cure for a really bad hangover. Yet as much as folk remedies have surprising results, you’ll likely only end up with a worse headache, a really bad stomachache, and a heavy feeling of malaise if you attempt to cure your hangover with another drink.
No matter how mild or serious it is, a really bad hangover should be treated like any other illness. A hangover is your body’s way of telling you that you’ve overindulged in alcohol, and you need to take some time off to recover from the damage you dealt your own body. Here are some tips you can use to cure your hangover.
Rehydrate
When you drink alcoholic beverages, you displace some of the water in your body to make room for alcohol. Beer, wine, liquor, and other alcoholic beverages don’t do much harm in moderation, but they can seriously mess up the delicate balance in your body if you drink too much. If you do end up with a bad hangover, you need to restore water and electrolyte levels in your body slowly, surely, and steadily. Here are some beverages you can try.
- Water. A glass of plain, cool water usually does the trick to help rehydrate your body. A small amount of salt also helps to balance out electrolyte levels. You can also add some flavor to the water by adding a small amount of lemon juice or iced tea powder to the glass of water.
- Flat soda. Open a can or bottle of clear, non-caffeinated soda, and pour it into a glass. Wait for five to ten minutes for the drink to lose the carbonation, and slowly sip it.
- Sports drink. Sports drinks are convenient, easy ways to balance electrolytes and restore your water levels. Don’t drink sports drinks ice-cold; the best way to drink a sports drink is to drink it slightly chilled.
Remember not to guzzle fluids; you’re sick enough as things stand, so take your time when rehydrating.
Take it Easy on Your Stomach
If you have a bad hangover, there’s a good chance that you’re hungry. The problem is that your digestive system is still too weak to handle solid food. Here are some foods that you can eat to help calm a bad hangover:
- Bananas. Bananas are rich in potassium, B-vitamins, and other nutrients to help restore chemical and electrolyte balance. Bananas are also soft, and won’t have any adverse effects on your stomach and digestive system.
- Weak coffee and crackers. Make a pot of weak coffee, using just enough coffee to color the hot water and give the drink some flavor. Add a few plain salted crackers to the coffee, and eat the resulting mush as a meal. The dish may not be appealing, but it helps to keep you from going hungry until you can fully recover from the hangover.
- Chicken soup. Stay away from premade chicken soup mixes, or chicken soup made from bouillon cubes. It’s best to make chicken soup with fresh ingredients, but stay away from heavy seasonings and go easy on the salt.
Get Plenty of Bed Rest
If you think than an ibuprofen or an aspirin will cure your hangover, think again. Medications are not meant to be drank with alcohol; there may still be enough alcohol in your stomach that the pill may end up burning through the stomach lining and cause an ulcer. Ulcers and other gastrointestinal problems are far worse than the feeling of a bad hangover. Instead, you should take as much sleep as needed for your body to recover. Cancel all your appointments, take leave from work, and recuperate the way Nature intended.
Drinking in moderation is great for both your body and your social life. In case you do drink too much, these tips can help your body recover from the horrible morning after a drinking party.
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