The Perfect Cure for those Nasty Hangovers
We’ve all been there. You wake up with a pounding head, dry throat and blurry vision. While a hangover is a seriously unpleasant side effect of a few too many alcoholic drinks, the good news is that there are ways to speed up your recovery.
Read on to discover your next hangover cure.
What Is A Hangover?
It may seem obvious to you, but most people don’t know that the majority of hangover symptoms are a result of dehydration. Loss of water - from sweating, peeing and failing to consume enough water alongside alcohol - stops your body from being able to function properly. Dehydration causes headaches, dizziness, dry skin and fatigue.
Remember, it’s not just alcohol that dehydrates the body. Fizzy mixers containing caffeine lower your water levels too. The main indicator that you’re dehydrated is the color of your urine. Darker-colored pee points to dehydration.
To recover from a hangover as quickly as possible, the key is to get your hydration levels back to a healthy level; this can be achieved in many ways, alongside other hangover recovery techniques.
Hangover Recovery Techniques
You can avoid the worst hangover symptoms by engaging with the following techniques. From drinking more water to sleeping longer, there’s hope for even the worst hangovers.
Drink Water
This won’t be a surprise to you, but one of the best ways to make up for lost water is to drink more of it. Water is the cheapest hydration method and is usually easily accessible.
Diluted squash and fruit juice are also effective hydration methods. Drinking coffee and tea in moderation can get your water levels back up - but not everyone can stomach a hot drink during a hangover.
You can help to prevent getting a hangover in the first place by drinking lots of water in-between alcoholic drinks. Drinking plenty of water just before you go to sleep is also beneficial.
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Consume Liquid IV Drinks
Step aside water. Enter - liquid IV drinks. These super beverages have been specially designed to rehydrate you quicker than water alone can. Companies in this field have combined water with glucose and electrolytes to create a recovery drink that can hydrate you quickly and get you back to health.
The electrolytes replace those lost during the night and help your body to absorb water. Liquid IV drinks come in a range of delicious flavors. While suitable for most, these beverages shouldn’t be consumed by pregnant or nursing women.
Eat Water-Rich Foods
There are lots of home remedies you can try to boost your hydration and kick your hangover. The key is to consume lots of water-rich foods and avoid salty, processed items.
Cucumbers are the best food for hydration, being 96% water. Tomatoes are in a close second place with a 95% water content. Spinach is a great option at 93% water. Combine these three items into a delicious salad that’ll make you feel better in no time.
Broccoli, melons, strawberries and mushrooms all contain at least 90% water, making them great alternatives. While containing less water, peaches, blueberries, oranges and apples are also worth consideration.
What’s important is to prioritize these water-based treats during a hangover. Avoid salty foods, as these will hinder your efforts. Highly processed foods contain less than 10% water - a stark contrast.
Get More Sleep
Drinking alcohol vastly reduces your quality of sleep. Even consumption of low amounts of alcohol decreases sleep quality by 9.3%. Factoring this in, you should aim to get more than the standard 8 hours of sleep after a night of drinking. If possible, engage in some morning recovery and go back to sleep when you first wake up or nap later in the day.
By napping on a hangover day, you can get better quality sleep than you were able to the night before. Keep naps to a maximum of 90 minutes to avoid the disorientation of longer nap periods.
While sleep can’t prevent a hangover, it can significantly limit the severity of your hangover symptoms. With good sleep, you’ll have less intense and shorter hangovers.
Take Painkillers
Painkillers are an effective tool in the fight against bad hangovers. But knowing which one to take is important.
Paracetamol should be avoided because it can damage your liver when combined with alcohol. While aspirin will relieve a headache, it can make you feel worse if you’ve got a sensitive stomach. Ibuprofen is by far the best option, and taking one first thing in the morning will create a more optimistic outlook for the day ahead.