Tips for easing a hangover
The excessive consumption of alcohol upsets the stomach and causes a pounding headache. Here are some of the best remedies to help ease hangover symptoms.
Headache, dizziness, nausea – the body lets us know quite clearly the next morning when we have drunk too much the night before.
These tips can help ease a nasty hangover after a big night:
- Alcohol is diuretic and causes excessive fluid loss, so ensure you drink plenty of still water the next day. Herbal teas or fruit juice drinks are also good alternatives.
- Get out in the fresh air. This activates your metabolism and boosts regeneration.
- Rub a few drops of peppermint oil on your forehead and temples, which relaxes the muscles and eases a headache. A damp flannel on the forehead can also help.
- Ginger and camomile tea calm the nervous system. They help against nausea and heartburn.
- If you can stomach it, treat yourself to a hearty breakfast. Eat whatever you fancy. Ideally, opt for nutritious food rich in protein, such as scrambled egg and bacon. Salty food like pretzels are good for correcting an electrolyte imbalance. This regulates fluid distribution in the body.
- Do not take paracetamol for that pounding headache, as this is broken down in the liver, which is already busy dealing with last night’s alcohol. Ibuprofen is a better choice. Antacids can soothe an irritated stomach. Avoid acetylsalicylic acid if your stomach is upset.
- Hair of the dog does not cure a hangover. While it might offer some short-term relief, the symptoms will be all the more severe at a later point.
- Allow your body to rest. Have a bit of a lie in the next morning.
- Do not drink on an empty stomach. Eat food rich in fat, which will slow down the alcohol getting into the bloodstream. But note: absorption is merely delayed not prevented.
- Drink lots of water – a glass of water for every glass of alcohol. Keeping your blood diluted will help prevent dehydration from fluid loss. This is the best way to stop you waking up with a headache.
- Do not smoke. Nicotine reduces the alcohol levels in the blood, which makes you think you can drink more. So, a hangover is predestined.
- Choose alcoholic drinks that contain no or only a little sugar. Sugar slows the breakdown of acetaldehyde, which is a toxic product of alcohol metabolism.