Struggling with hangover? Check out this guide and find out its myths and facts.
Are you celebrating the first day of the week with a hangover?If so, you might be looking for a method to ease your misery. There are certainly a lot of so-called hangover cures, some dating back centuries.
In truth, the only cure for a hangover is time, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism….“A person must wait for the body to finish clearing the toxic byproducts of alcohol metabolism, to rehydrate, to heal irritated tissue, and to restore immune and brain activity to normal,” according to the institute. That recovery process can take up to 24 hours.
Are there things you can do to ease your transition? Possibly, experts say, but many common hangover “cures” may make your hangover worse. Here’s how to separate fact from fiction.
•Fact:Drinking coffee can speed up recovery
The answer is yes, depending on hangover symptoms, If you’re a coffee drinker, skipping your morning cup of joe may lead to caffeine withdrawal on top of your hangover.But coffee can irritate the stomach lining, which is already inflamed by alcohol.So if you are queasy and nauseous, coffee may only make matters worse.
“If you have a hangover, have a quarter of a cup of coffee. “See if you feel better — it takes about 20 minutes for the caffeine to start to have some noticeable effect….“If coffee doesn’t make you feel better, don’t drink anymore. Obviously, that’s not the cure for your hangover.”
•Myth: Eating greasy food helps
Eating greasy food also doesn’t make much sense. The alcohol we drink, called ethyl alcohol or ethanol, is the byproduct of fermenting carbohydrates and starches, usually some sort of grain, grape or berry. While it may create some tasty beverages, ethanol is also a solvent.It cuts through grease in your stomach much the same way it cleans grease off oily car parts.Instead, experts suggest using food to prevent hangovers, by eating before you have that first drink….“Eating food loaded with protein and carbohydrates can significantly slow down the absorption of alcohol.The slower the alcohol gets to your brain, the less rapid the ‘shock’ to your brain.”
•Fact: Electrolytes help
Alcohol dehydrates, so a headache and other hangover symptoms may be partly due to constricted blood vessels and a loss of electrolytes, essential minerals such as sodium, calcium and potassium that your body needs.If you’ve vomited, you’ve lost even more electrolytes, and all of this can lead to fatigue, confusion, irregular heart rate, digestive problems and more.Replacing lost fluids with water or a type of sports drink with extra electrolytes can help boost recovery from a hangover.
•Myth: Taking acetaminophen before bed can prevent a hangover
Taking over-the-counter pain meds can be dangerous, especially if you take too many while intoxicated, experts say. Taking an acetaminophen, such as Tylenol, can further damage your overtaxed liver, while aspirin and ibuprofen can irritate your stomach lining.
“You should never, never take alcohol with acetaminophen or Tylenol, “You can actually cause liver damage from an overdose of Tylenol.But aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen are “theoretically” OK…“Even though they tend to be anti-inflammatory in the body, they can cause inflammation in the stomach. “Don’t take them on an empty stomach; always take anti-inflammatories with food.”
•Fact: Drink as much water as you can
While most alcohol is handled by the liver, a small amount leaves the body unchanged through sweat, urine and breathing.Get up, do some light stretching and walking, and drink plenty of water to encourage urination.“Before you go to sleep and when you wake up, drink as much water as you comfortably can handle,” he said. You can also take a multivitamin “before you hit the shower in the morning (to) replenish lost vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.”
N/B; What works for a hangover?…”Time”… It will take time for your body to release all the toxins causing your misery, experts say. And the only way to prevent a hangover is to abstain.
Article By Suzy Nyongesa.