You have a stomachache, you have a headache, and your get-up-and-go is gone. You have a hangover.
When the experts are presented with the question, “how to cure a hangover?” They aren’t quite sure how to answer. Some theories suggest that alcohol withdrawal is the culprit, while others report that it disrupts biological rhythms. According to research, impurities are produced when alcohol is distilled, making you feel nauseous. Remember, the sweeter the drink, the more impurities it would have. For this reason, red wine and malt liquors are very toxic.
Ever want to remind yourself about the hazards of overindulgence? Let the hangover do the talking. If we look at it physiologically, it’s actually a group effort comprising shaking, nausea, headache, fatigue, and diarrhea. These are, in fact, some classic symptoms. Often, sweat glands overproduce, the heart beats faster than normal, and the systolic blood pressure goes up – clearly indicating that the response of fight or flight is revved up. Few individuals become sensitive to sound or light while others experience a spinning sensation or vertigo.
While the symptoms vary greatly, the causes are no different. Alcohol metabolizes into acetaldehyde, which is a substance that’s toxic at high levels. However, this isn’t the complete explanation because concentration rarely gets high.
During sleep, drinking interferes with brain activity so that a hangover may take a sort of sleep deprivation. Alcohol disturbs the hormones that regulate our biological clocks, which is why a hangover may feel like a jet lag and vice versa. Alcohol is also notorious for triggering migraines, so some people may think they’re hungover when what they experience is just an alcohol-induced migraine.
When the blood alcohol levels start to decline, hangovers begin. In fact, some experts say that the worst symptoms are seen when levels reach zero.
‘Drinking to intoxication’ seems like a core ingredient; the quantity you drank to get there isn’t of much importance. Precisely, a variety of studies advise that light to moderate drinkers are far more vulnerable to get a hangover than their heavy counterparts. However, another study demonstrated contrasting findings, indicating that people with a family history of alcoholism suffer the worst hangovers. According to some researchers, few people may end up with drinking problems because they want to relieve hangover symptoms. Looking for a hangover cure? Following is the rundown on some hangover remedies that you can use to cure your hangover:
Increase your fluid intake
It is probably the best hangover cure. Because alcohol inhibits the release of vasopressin, a hormone that reduces the urine volume made by the kidneys, it promotes urination. If your hangover is inclusive of vomiting, sweating, and diarrhea, you might even be more hydrated. While nausea can make it difficult for you to get anything down, even some sips of water may assist your hangover.
The hair of the dog
Taking the hair of the dog means easing the symptoms of a hangover through drinking. It also refers to the hair of the dog that bit you. The idea is that hangovers are a kind of alcohol withdrawal, so expect the withdrawal to ease after a drink or two.
Doctors say there may be something to it. In fact, alcohol and some sedatives, for instance, benzodiazepines, such as valium or diazepam, interact with GABA receptors on brain cells. It has also been mentioned that when short-acting sedatives start wearing off, some people have withdrawal symptoms. This may be due to the brain reacting similarly to the declining blood alcohol levels. Therefore, it is advised that alcohol shouldn’t be used as a hangover remedy because the hair of the dog doesn’t enable you to recover; it just perpetuates a cycle.
Avoid alcoholic beverages that are dark in color
According to some experiments, clear liquors like gin and vodka tend to cause less frequent hangovers as compared to the darker ones like tequila, red wine, and whiskey. In alcoholic beverages, the main form of alcohol is ethanol. However, the darker liquors comprise compounds that are chemically related or congeners, including methanol. The same enzymes process methanol and ethanol, but the metabolites of methanol are especially toxic, causing a worse hangover.
Fill your system up with some carbs
How to get rid of a hangover? Use carbs. Drinking may drastically lower blood sugar levels, so theoretically, some of the headaches and fatigue of a hangover may be from a brain working without its necessary fuel. Additionally, when drinking, many people forget to eat, which furthers lower their blood sugar. To nudge these levels back to normal, a juice or a toast may be handy.
Drink tea or coffee
While caffeine may not have any particular anti-hangover powers. However, as a stimulant, it can help with the grogginess. Coffee is a diuretic, exacerbating dehydration.
Use a pain reliever besides Tylenol
Ibuprofen (for example, Motrin), Aspirin, and other NSAIDs (or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) may assist with the overall achy feelings and headaches. However, NSAIDs may irritate a stomach that’s already irritated by alcohol. However, taking Tylenol or acetaminophen isn’t recommended because it may accentuate the toxic effects of acetaminophen on the liver if alcohol is lingering in your system.
Vitamin B6
According to an old study, people would have lesser hangover symptoms if they take roughly 1,200 milligrams of vitamin B6 before, during, and immediately after drinking to get drunk. However, because the study was done on a small-scale, nobody really replicated it.