In need of some hangover self-care? Many of us have been there. You plan a night with your friends that involves celebration, comradery, stories, and (many, oh so many) alcoholic beverages. While it’s some of the most fun you’ve had in a while, the morning-after hangover wreaks so much havoc on your body due to nausea, headache, dry mouth, and overall fatigue that you wonder if any of it was even worth doing in the first place. And it only seems to get worse the more you age. The only way to avoid a hangover is to avoid alcohol altogether.
Understanding how alcohol affects your body is important when utilizing these effective self-care tips for dealing with hangovers from BetterBrand®.
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What Causes Hangovers?
There are a number of factors that can help cause a hangover. But ultimately, the effects of alcohol are the main reasons for your hangover.
Alcohol Metabolism
When your liver breaks down the alcohol in your system, a harmful chemical known as acetaldehyde is produced. This causes an increase in inflammation in several organs.
Dehydration
When you drink alcohol, your brain and kidneys don’t communicate like they should. This causes you to urinate more frequently, and in turn, your body loses more fluids than it usually would. Due to this fluid loss, there is slight dehydration, which causes the typical hangover symptoms of weariness, headache, and thirst. However, there is little data to support the theory that dehydration causes hangovers.
Inflammation
Cytokines are proteins released by the immune system during alcohol consumption that help regulate inflammation in the body. These cytokines can cause hangover symptoms like headache, exhaustion, and nausea and may contribute to "blacking out" or memory loss. They may also predict the severity of the hangover, as inflammation may be the cause of various hangover symptoms.
Poor Sleep
Alcohol disrupts the proper functioning of the brain during the sleep cycle, so a hangover may be a result of sleep deprivation. Because alcohol messes with the hormones that control our body clocks, experiencing a hangover can have the same feeling that jetlag brings from traveling.
Electrolyte Imbalance
Alcohol messes up the electrolyte balance in your body. Electrolytes are minerals such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium, that help you replenish lost nutrients and quickly rehydrate.
Low Blood Sugar
Drinking increases lactic acid production, which in turn reduces blood sugar production. This leads to fatigue, shakiness, sweating, and hunger, which is more common in individuals with alcohol use disorders.
Hangover Symptoms
Common hangover symptoms include:
- Nausea
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Stomach irritation
- Hangxiety (a hangover-induced anxiety)
- Sensitivity to light and sound
How Long Does a Hangover Last?
Hangover symptoms are inevitable, and they can last for hours after you stop drinking. The severity of these symptoms depends on the type and quantity of alcohol consumed. As the blood alcohol content returns to normal, the worst symptoms occur. It's important to know how to quickly recover from a hangover, as they can (in some cases and depending on the person) last up to a day.
Hangover Treatment and Relief
Hydrate
Alcohol can dehydrate you by increasing urine production and causing fluid loss through sweating, vomiting, or diarrhea. As a diuretic, alcohol makes you urinate a lot and lose a lot of liquid, leading to symptoms like dry mouth and headache. If you drink alcohol, drink water before bed to curb morning effects, and keep a bottle by your bedside. Drinking water when you wake up can help keep you hydrated.
Best fluids for rehydration:
- Drinking water can slow the body's absorption of alcohol and keep your blood alcohol level lower.
- Sports drinks are designed to replenish lost nutrients and aid in quick rehydration.
- Coconut water uses potassium to both rehydrate you and help replenish your electrolyte balance.
Replenish Electrolytes
Electrolytes quickly rehydrate you while helping replenish lost nutrients.
Foods and drinks rich in electrolytes:
- Non-fizzy sports drinks
- Pretzels
- Medium bananas
- Cooked spinach
- Almonds
- Foods rich in water, like watermelons, cucumbers, strawberries, and cantaloupe
Eat Carbs
Alcohol can lower blood sugar levels, leading to fatigue, irritability, and weakness. Boost your blood sugar level by eating a snack that is high in carbohydrates and sugar, such as toast with honey. However, greasy foods won't help combat hangovers as they won't absorb the alcohol, which has already passed through the liver. Greasy foods may sound good at the moment, but they won't actually make the body feel better.
Examples of foods to eat:
- Wheat toast with honey
- Chicken noodle soup
- Whole-grain crackers
Rest
Many treatments can help alleviate the symptoms of a hangover, but waiting for the hangover to pass is the only surefire approach to curing one. Your body needs to accomplish a lot of tasks for you to feel healthier. You should try to get as much sleep throughout this period as you can. Take it easy; even though you are sober now, you won't be performing at your best while you heal. Your body needs time to:
- Filter the poisons your body created as a result of the alcohol you consumed.
- Rehydrate
- Heal the inflamed tissue in your gut.
- Restore regular function to both your brain and immune system.
Try Ginger
Alcohol can cause hangover-related nausea. Ginger is a natural remedy for upset stomachs, which are often caused by hangovers. It aids digestion and eases stomach pain. Ginger's chemical compounds can reduce vomiting and fatigue. Examples of ways to try ingesting ginger are eating fresh ginger, adding a slice of ginger to a glass of water, brewing ginger tea, or taking supplements that include ginger, such as BetterMorning®.
Drink Tea
Herbal teas provide a number of benefits that may help relieve the discomfort of a hangover. You may want to add some honey to help bring up your blood sugar level. You may want to stick with herbal teas over-caffeinated teas, as caffeine is a diuretic and can worsen headaches.
- Ginger tea helps with nausea symptoms.
- Peppermint tea aids in headache/nausea relief.
- Chamomile tea lends a naturally calm and relaxing feeling to help combat anxiety induced by hangovers.
Take an Over-the-Counter Remedy
Alcohol-induced pain is likely due to the immune system's response, which triggers the release of cytokines. These proteins aid in recovery but also contribute to post-drinking symptoms. To alleviate headaches and achiness, consider using over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen, naproxen sodium, or aspirin. However, only take them if advised to do so by a doctor, as they may irritate the stomach.
Avoid products containing acetaminophen (such as Tylenol, for example), as it's metabolized in the liver and can have toxic effects if taken in high doses and with excess alcohol in the system.
Try BetterMorning®
A natural supplement, BetterMorning® is a better alternative for hangover relief than OTCs. BetterMorning® features powerful, clean, and safe ingredients intended to help alleviate headaches, fatigue, thirst, dizziness, and nausea, making the process of recovering from a hangover more comfortable.
Reduces "Hangxiety"
Dihydromyricetin (DHM) is best known for its ability to minimize GABAa rebound to combat “hangxiety” and the Sunday Scaries.
Fights Morning Nausea
BetterMorning® includes ginger and other ingredients that help reduce feelings of sickness and discomfort in the morning and make it easier to recover.
Supports Liver Detoxification
Licorice root is used to soothe digestion and stomach acid while promoting healthy liver enzyme production.
Hangover Self-Care FAQ
What is the best drink to cure a hangover?
While there is no cure for a hangover, drinking too much alcohol will dehydrate you. Rehydration is best achieved with water, sports drinks, and coconut water. Water slows the body's absorption of alcohol, sports drinks replenish lost nutrients, and coconut water uses potassium to rehydrate and maintain electrolyte balance.
Can eating greasy food help with a hangover?
Despite what many people think, eating greasy food won't make you feel better after a hangover. The grease will not absorb the alcohol because it has already been processed by your liver. It won’t actually make you feel as good as it may seem at the moment. Your body is most likely just craving salt and hydration. That being said, you do want to eat a decent-sized breakfast to help bring your blood sugar level back to normal and rehydrate yourself thanks to the previous night.
How long does a hangover last?
It's critical to understand how to get over a hangover quickly because it can, depending on the individual, linger up to a day in some situations. Experiencing hangover symptoms is unavoidable if you drink too much, and they may persist for hours after you stop drinking. The kind as well as the amount of alcohol ingested will affect how bad your hangover symptoms will be. The severe symptoms appear as soon as the blood alcohol content returns to normal.
Why do some people get worse hangovers than others?
Factors like genetics, drinking habits, and overall health can all help determine why some people seem to get worse hangovers than others.
Is there a way to prevent hangovers entirely?
The only way to totally prevent a hangover is if you drink a small amount or if you do not drink any alcohol at all. However, there is a combination of things you can do to try to minimize hangover symptoms, including staying hydrated, replenishing your electrolytes, eating carbohydrates, getting rest, eating or drinking ginger, drinking herbal tea, or taking an over-the-counter remedy. But our favorite way to help minimize hangover symptoms is by taking BetterMorning® by BetterBrand®.
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