How to Avoid Hangover?

Most people experience a common symptom after having an excess intake of alcohol, commonly called as ‘the hangover’. Issues like headaches, nausea, excessive dizziness, thirst as well as sensitivity to light or sound are commonly experienced during a hangover. As hangover has many negative health effects it is best to take necessary action to avoid it. In this article we discuss about how to avoid hangover?

Usually, people resort to illogical methods or medication to cure an extensive hangover which should be avoided. A few practical solutions to relieve exhaustion and dizziness due to hangover are to get plenty of sleep as well as drink a lot of water. It is best to plan measures to avoid hangover rather than resorting to medicines. However, when symptoms are worse, medical help may be required.

How to avoid hangover? This is a common question asked by many people who drink a lot and experience hangovers. Here are a few effective methods to avoid hangover effectively:-

It is a well known fact that the more alcohol you drink, the more hangover you will have. The severity and intensity of the symptoms of hangover increase with the increase in the alcohol intake. Various researches have revealed the fact that heavy drinkers develop a hangover on most occasions. Factors like body weight, diet, type and quantity of food, age, gender, the type of alcohol, etc. can affect the way your body reacts to alcohol and influence the possibility of hangovers. Usually, one must reach a point of concentration from 0.11% to 0.12% in their blood in order experience a hangover. Also, the amount of time you spend drinking at a stretch also determines the effects of a hangover. A person who drinks less can also get drunk very easily while many heavy drinkers may remain resistant to it. All in all, it is clear that reducing your alcohol intake is the best way to avoid hangover.

A very commonly practiced method of avoiding hangovers or curing them is to have a heavy and healthy breakfast. One straightforward explanation to this is that it helps in maintaining your blood sugar levels and hence helps avoid hangover when you drink. Low blood sugar levels may not always be the prime cause of one’s hangover but they are certainly associated with it and may lead to certain symptoms like fatigue, weakness or even nausea during hangover. In fact, according to a research, maintaining good blood sugar levels can surely help prevent certain bodily changes that take place during the hangover. So, another important step to avoid hangover is to have a healthy breakfast and maintain healthy blood sugar levels.

Congeners are the toxic chemical by-products that form in small amounts during the process of ethanol fermentation. Several varieties of alcohol drinks contain congeners that give them a frizzy taste. Through research it is known that congeners decrease the metabolism rate of alcohol and hence prolong the frequency as well as intensity of the effects of alcohol. It is recommended to have drinks like gin, rum and vodka that have little or no congeners whereas drinks like tequila, whisky and cognac have a high amount of congeners.

A study which involved 95 young men drinking vodka and bourbon showed that drinking drinks with more congeners resulted in worse hangovers than the ones with less congener. Therefore, when it comes to choosing your drink it would be best to choose the one with less or no congener in it. So, to avoid hangovers, choose your drink wisely and make sure you have healthy combinations with it.

Excessive alcohol consumption might result in decreased frequency of sleep or increased episodes of sleep disturbances. It hampers the quality of sleep for certain individuals. Although, low or moderate consumption of alcohol may help in having good sleep but excessive or chronic consumption can definitely lead to sleep disruption. The hangover gets intensified with the lack of sleep. Although it may or may not be evident in first time drinkers however for the aged drinkers, the effect of less sleep on hangover is clearly visible.

Drinking of alcohol after having insufficient sleep may lead to symptoms like fatigue, headache and irritability. It is essential for one to always get a good sleep and take sufficient rest so that the consumption of alcohol may have less effect on your body. Thus, rest and sleep is absolutely necessary in order to avoid hangover.

Drinking coffee or any caffeine based drink to break your sleepiness while experiencing a rough hangover is never a good idea. This only intensifies the condition. An excessive dose of caffeine which coffee provides, might lead to a dehydrated state that would ultimately intensify the hangover.

If you do desire an alternative and wise solution to this problem, it is best to have a sweetened tea after waking up with a hangover, as the sugar and the caffeine in the tea would help boost your energy without causing dehydration.

In case you have a craving for coffee and are unable to resist it then a glass of water after each cup of coffee is best recommended. These are some of the ways in which you can plan your coffee and tea intake in order to avoid hangover.

If you experience nausea with hangover then there are certain things you could do to cope up with it.

Stir at least ¼ teaspoon of baking soda into quarter of a glass of water and drink it. A dash of lemon juice also helps in enhancing the medicinal effect. This can help avoid hangover, particularly help to deal with nausea associated with it.

Another method of combating an upset stomach with hangover is to consume ginger. You can have ginger induced tea and even ginger extracts or solutions as well.
These are simple ways as to how to avoid hangover, especially when you have an upset stomach or nausea with it.

Ultimately, most of the methods that are very useful in managing a hangover may not be scientifically proven but are effective. Hover, it is best to prevent a hangover in every way. Try and drink alcohol moderately and take ample rest after you drink. Try and stay hydrated after you consume alcohol as it helps to avoid hangover and dehydration. You can try having some food before you drink as it gives you enough blood glucose level to avoid hangover. Another important way to avoid hangover is to avoid drinking while you are over exhausted or during illness.

Also Read:

• Why Hangovers Get Worse After the Age of 35?
• 9 Best Solutions to Get Relief from Hangover