BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD)— After a night of heavy drinking, the next morning may be quite unpleasant. The sufferer may experience symptoms like diarrhea, fatigue, headache, nausea, and shakiness.
These symptoms, commonly known as a hangover, are difficult to nip in the bud. This may be why there are so many myths about how to cure a hangover.
In ancient Greece, for example, hangovers were treated by consuming a breakfast of sheep lungs and two owl eggs.
But for modern-day sufferers who have no interest in sampling a breakfast that includes sheep lungs, a number of medical experts have provided advice on how to minimize the effects of a hangover.
Some of their suggestions are listed below.
Drink Plenty of Water– In an article by Mic, Dr. Petros Levounis of Rutgers New Jersey Medical School is quoted on the subject of hangovers and explains that “Alcohol can cause your body to lose water through vomiting and frequent urination, which can explain why your head hurts, or your heart won’t stop racing.” To combat these symptoms Levounis says it’s helpful to fill up on water as well as drinks that contain sugar and electrolytes as these more closely mimic the composition of fluids in your body.
Sleep It Off– In the same article mentioned above, Dr. Timothy Fong, a physician who sees patients at the UCLA Addiction Medicine Clinic, says, “If you drink more than your body is used to handling, it’s going to work on overdrive to metabolize the alcohol.” This means the body becomes absolutely exhausted, both mentally and physically. Fong explains that the solution is to rest, saying, “It’s basically physical and psychological soreness. The best way to reduce that is sleep.”
Take Pain Medication, but not Tylenol– Harvard Medical Publishing also interviewed several physicians on the subject who suggested taking a pain reliever, but avoiding Tylenol. The article states that while Aspirin, ibuprofen, and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may help with the headache and the overall achy feelings, acetaminophen (Tylenol) might combine with any alcohol left in your system and worsen the acetaminophen’s toxic effects on your liver.
Eat light foods– Unfortunately, the ancient Greeks had the wrong idea about how to cure a hangover, according to most modern-day physicians. The Cleveland Health Clinic suggests that hangover sufferers eat light meals that assist in rehydrating their bodies and are easy on the stomach. Cleveland Health’s article states, “Good choices would include water-rich foods such as watermelon, strawberries, and cantaloupe. Toast or a bagel also can pump up blood sugar levels while being gentle on the stomach.”
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In the Cleveland Health Clinic’s article on the subject, emergency medicine physician Dr. James Roach is quoted as summarizing the gist of the suggestions by saying, “It just takes time. There’s no magic pill, no miracle cure to make a hangover go away. Your body has to catch up and metabolize the alcohol you consumed.”
Essentially, resting and staying hydrated are the way to push through until you’re on the other side of a hangover.
Many medical professionals also suggest preventing hangovers altogether by limiting alcohol intake to what your body can handle.
Click here for suggestions on how to enjoy a few drinks without going overboard.