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Waking up after a crazy night filled with booze, beers and whatever else? Are you now bothered by an awful headache? You may have thought you could handle all those bottles or shots. But guess what: you drank way too much, and now your body is paying the consequences the morning after. I guess you’re not the superman you thought you were. It looks like you find your kryptonite is a night of heavy drinking.
How Long Can A Hangover Last?
According to John Hopkins Medicine’s Health Library, “Hangovers can last up to 72 hours after drinking, but most are shorter in duration. Again it depends on how much was consumed, how dehydrated you became, nutritional status, ethnicity, gender, the state of your liver, medications, etc.” Virtually all hangovers make you feel like sh*t, so thankfully, most people don’t have those treacherous 72-hour-hangovers. Most hangovers end within 24 hours. So, if you’re planning on going out for a night of hard drinking: just make sure that you have your schedule clear for the next day. And remember to drink responsibly or you’ll feel the consequences one way or another!
But don’t worry. There are ways to combat these horrible hangovers. Even though you may feel hopelessly sick, you can still conquer that b*tch of a morning after. Look below to see the best ways to get rid of your dreaded hangover. Keep reading, and you’ll most likely not spend the next few hours clinging to a bed or hugging the toilet.
Do Not Drink Anymore Alcohol Today
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Some people may suggest that the cure to a hangover is to keep on drinking. Do not listen to them. More booze will not cure a hangover, it will only make the symptoms much worse in the long run. The “hair of the dog” myth is a big farce. Dr. Hall-Flavin says that drinking alcohol after a hangover is generally “a bad idea.” He also adds that “It will provide a numbing effect, but all you’re doing is prolonging the inevitable, and it will likely make your headache worse.” So, it may numb the pain for a little while, but you’ll only be creating an even bigger hangover when that numbness gives way to terrible headaches. Experts also say that drinking alcohol with the aim to alleviate the symptoms of a hangover can increase the risk of alcohol abuse and can lead to alcohol dependency. You wouldn’t want to end up b*tched out by the bottle, would you?
Water
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We need to talk about that good ‘ole H2O once more. This liquid is a must to cure or prevent any nagging hangover. A night of boozing can lead to multiple trips to the bathroom, so drinking water can help prevent you from dehydrating. Alcohol is a diuretic, as it increases the production of urine as well as the excretion of water. So, water is a must. Daniel K. Hall-Flavin, M.D., a consultant in addiction psychiatry at the Mayo Clinic, suggests that you should down about 16-20 ounces (2-2.5 glasses) of water before you go to bed. Dr. Daniel also recommends that next time you go out drinking, you should order a glass of water with every beer you drink. This will also decrease your chances of dehydration or waking up in the morning with a pounding headache.
Toast, Cereal or Crackers
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Foods such as toast, cereal and crackers are very easy to disgust. You might feel as sick as a dog right now, so you’re going to want to eat foods that you can actually keep down. These carbs can help bring up your blood sugar levels, and help you not feel like complete sh*t. Usually your liver would produce more glucose from stored carbs, but since it’s still processing that big night of boozing, it’s going to need some extra help. You’ll need to eat some toast, crackers or cereal to increase your blood sugar levels unless you like feeling tired, groggy and irritable. Don’t feel like a complete turd. Pick up that toast, bro!
Exercise
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Feel sluggish and, well, like complete sh*t? To help your mood, grab a bottle of water and go out jogging. Make sure to stay hydrated, so you don’t collapse right then and there. That bottle of water is very, very important. Exercising is also very important. You just woke up after a long-night in party mode. You may feel like sh*t, but you’re going to need to push yourself and put some exercise in or you’ll most likely feel that way all day. Exercising like going on a morning job will release endorphins in the brain, which can greatly improve your mood. You’ll also be able to burn those extra calories you’ve packed on after a night of drinking. You can work off a hangover without having to build up much of a sweat. Take it easy with a morning jog or just take a casual walk through the park or neighborhood.
Greasy Foods (Balance Out The Booze With Food)
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Hamburgers, fried chicken and pizza. Can these greasy food items really help with your hangover? No, not at all. Greasy foods won’t cure your hangover the day after, it may even make you feel worse like a hangover coupled with some serious heartburn. But if you eat greasy foods the night before, your unhealthy food choices may actually work in your benefit. How so? It takes longer to get drunk if you’re eating because food slows down the absorption of alcohol in the body. The more you eat, the slower it will take the alcohol to hit your blood stream. These greasy foods may be bad for your health in the long run, but they can offset the effects of alcohol, which can effect how you feel the morning after. But if you do wake up with a hangover then I’ll give you the advice of John Brick, PhD, an alcohol research scientist and author of The Doctor’s Hangover Handbook. “No specific foods are recommended, although honey sandwiches are helpful to some people,” says Dr. Brick.
Bonus: Sex
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Do you have a horny hangover? The sex method may help improve your mood. “There is no research that shows that sex will make a hangover go away, but maybe it will make the time go faster,” says Joris C. Verster, Ph.D., assistant professor at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. “If it makes you happy, go for it.”
