By Oyinlola Pelumi Adewale
A hangover is the experience of various unpleasant symptoms that occur in your body after excessive alcohol intake. Hangovers can last for several hours, sometimes up to 24 hours. As the rule states, the more alcohol you drink, the more likely you are to have a hangover the next day. Hangover comes with very unpleasant symptoms which may include fatigue, excessive thirst or dry mouth, headaches, vomiting, dizziness and the like.
Hangover symptoms usually begin when your blood alcohol level drops and is at nearly zero level. These symptoms are always in full effect the morning after a night of heavy drinking, depending on what and how much you drank. However, hangovers can be cured by taking any of these remedies.
Drink enough Water:
A full bottle of water is not only the easiest but also the fastest way to take care of hangover. Alcohol dehydrates you by increasing the amount of water you pass out from your body through ex- cess urination, sweating, vomiting and in some cases diarrhoea. Most times when you wake up, there is a high tendency of having a headache or dry mouth. This is as a result of dehydration that was caused by the alcohol. After a night of heavy alcohol intake, it is advisable to drink water before you go to bed and another bottle of water when you wake up to help keep you hydrated.
Sleep:
Alcohol, as everybody knows, disrupts sleep. Enough sleep and rest may be the best medicine for you to get over a hangover. Alcohol changes your sleep pattern, although it can make you sleepy, but it prevents deeper stages of sleep and often causes awakening in the middle of the night. At the point of hangover, your body needs an opportunity to recover. Simply stay in bed as long as you can.
Have a snack:
Drinking may lower blood sugar levels which can lead to symptoms like sweating, fatigue, and shakiness. Many people forget to eat when they drink, further lowering their blood sugar. Eating a fibre- rich breakfast may help you correct your blood sugar levels. Bananas, eggs, water-melons, toasts and oatmeal are the most recommended quick home remedies for hangover due to the rich nutrient content found in them. They may boost your blood sugar and settle your stomach.
Avoid painkillers
A standard dose of an over-the-counter pain reliever may relieve you of headache, but it can irritate your stomach. You might be feeling like your head is pounding and you need to reach for a pain reliever. This is not the best idea when you’re dealing with a hangover. Over- the-counter (OTC) products like aspirin, tylenol, and ibuprofen have side effects that are magnified with alcohol still in your system. The reason why alcohol and pain relievers do not mix in the system is because of the toxic effects they both have on the liver. So with alcohol still in your system, and a pain reliver being taken, you simply just increase the toxic effects of both substances.
Consider vitamins and supplements:
Vitamins and natural products may help with one or more hangover symptoms. Supplements like red ginseng, prickly pear, ginger mixed with brown sugar and tangerine extract can be used to improve several hangover symptoms, including nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. If you choose to drink alcohol, it is advisable you do so responsibly in order to avoid future hangovers.