Hangovers

What is a hangover?

Hangovers are the body's reaction to the toxic effects of alcohol and withdrawal from it. Hangovers begin 8 to 12 hours after the last drink and symptoms include fatigue, depression, headache, thirst, nausea, and vomiting. The severity of symptoms varies according to the individual and the amount of alcohol consumed.

People have tried many different things to avoid hangovers and there are a lot of myths about how to prevent or lessen a hangover. The only sure way to prevent a hangover is to drink less. Things that should help while drinking:

• Eat a good meal and keep grazing.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Avoid the drinking games and shots.

Things that won't help a hangover

• Drinking a little more alcohol the next day. This just delays the inevitable.
• Having caffeine while drinking. This will not help to sober up; you just get a more alert drunk. Caffeine will also lower your blood sugar and dehydrate you even more than alcohol alone.
• Giving water to someone who is throwing up. Once the stomach is irritated enough to cause vomiting, it doesn't matter what you put into it -- it's going to come back up.
• Eating bread. Just a myth.
• Taking pain relievers before sleeping. It might even be dangerous. Wait until the morning.

Things that might help a hangover the next day

• When you wake up, eat a healthy meal. Metabolizing alcohol causes a drop in blood sugar and can contribute to headaches.
• Drink plenty of water and juice to get re-hydrated.
• Take a pain reliever, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen when you wake up. Do NOT take one of these pain relievers BEFORE going to bed because it may over tax your liver. Let your body process the alcohol while you are sleeping. Don't take aspirin because of Reyes syndrome, a rare but serious illness in teenagers and children.
• Don't drink a lot of coffee because it may dehydrate you even more. Have your first cup an hour or so after you get up.
• An over-the-counter antacid (Tums, Pepto Bismol or Maalox) may help an upset stomach.
• Do not go long without food as this will increase the effect of the low blood sugar caused by the alcohol.
• Eat complex carbohydrates like crackers, bagels, bread, cereal or pasta.