A hangover can make you feel uncomfortable. In some cases, you will suspect that you are having a stroke or a heart attack. A hangover can also affect your ability to function.
As a parent, you might forget to take your child to school or be unable to drive. As an employee, you might not be able to handle heavy machinery or organize your thoughts to finish tasks.
A hangover is a type of mini-withdrawal episode. Your body had gotten rid of most of the alcohol that you consumed hours earlier, and it is now reacting to all the effects of having that much alcohol in the system.
In some cases, symptoms like these can be very serious and have consequences for someone’s life. So, most people who have hangovers want a quick fix. The question is, is there a quick fix for a hangover? Let’s find out.
How to Fix a Hangover Fast
A hangover can impede your activities because it comes with symptoms like headaches, muscle weakness, dizziness, and stomach aches. To carry on with your daily activities after having a lot of alcoholic fun the previous day, you will need to find a way to minimize hangover symptoms enough to function.
There are things you can do to reduce symptoms, but keep in mind that these things won’t get rid of the hangover. They will just reduce the symptoms. The actual cure for a hangover is time. Only your body can totally defeat a hangover, and it will need time to do that.
So, below are things you can do to fix a hangover fast.
Drink Water
A hangover is caused by your body recovering from taking in and processing a lot of alcohol. Dehydration is one of the effects of alcohol.
The best way to counter the effects of dehydration is to rehydrate. However, the amount of water you drink won’t magically put you back on your feet. So, drink water in moderation. To prevent an episode of vomiting, take the water in sips, not gulps.
Water will nourish your cells, and that might help you get back on your feet quickly enough to resume your tasks.
Drink Coffee or Tea
Caffeine is a stimulant found in coffee. It wakes up your brain and increases the amount of energy created within your body.
A hangover comes with a feeling of fatigue and general body weakness. Taking coffee in small, controlled amounts might help fight the feeling of exhaustion and fatigue.
However, if you take large amounts of coffee in a bid to fight a hangover, you might begin showing symptoms of caffeine overdose. This, in combination with a hangover, might worsen your current state.
So, take caffeine or tea in manageable quantities and know that this trick won’t always work.
Carbs Might Help
Depending on the type of alcohol you had a few hours ago, you might not feel hungry now that you have a hangover. Alcohol can also crash your blood sugar and, in serious cases, cause hypoglycemia.
This is where carbohydrates come in. Your body is starved of essential sugars, and you will need these sugars if you want to beat the hangover.
Eat meals with amounts of sugar that match the daily requirement. Don’t skip breakfast. However, eating food that tastes bad might exacerbate nausea and vomiting.
Take Antioxidants
When you take alcohol in large quantities, you will increase the number of free radicals in your body. These free radicals increase the effects of a hangover.
The best way to mop up free radicals is to take antioxidants. It might help with your symptoms.
You can take vitamins like Vitamin C and E, which are great antioxidants. Vitamin B has also been considered a good vitamin to take for hangovers. Combining such vitamins with your breakfast will be a great way to fight the symptoms and get back on your feet.
Note that these vitamins and antioxidants are more effective when taken before you start drinking.
Take Painkillers
One very popular symptom of a hangover is a headache. The dilating properties of alcohol contribute to this. It dilates the blood vessels in your body, including the blood vessels in your brain, and this causes headaches.
Painkillers like Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are a good way to fight headaches. You should be careful with the opiate class of painkillers, as they might make you euphoric and unable to function.
Also, avoid taking Tylenol (acetaminophen) when you have a hangover. It is processed by your liver, which is already stressed out from handling all the alcohol you drank. You might run the risk of Tylenol poisoning if you take it with alcohol in your system.
Balance Your Electrolytes
Alcohol affects the filtering activity of the kidneys. It makes you urinate everything, including electrolytes that are good for you. This is why you should take not only water but also electrolytes.
You can get electrolyte powders and mix them with water. This would be the best fluid to take in the morning after a night of drinking.
The imbalance of electrolytes in your body can contribute to your hangover symptoms. Balancing it out by taking in some electrolytes might just be what your body needs now.
It would be a good idea if the electrolytes you want to take have zinc. Zinc will help your body recover faster from a hangover.
The Best Hangover Cure
A hangover can ruin your job or put you in serious trouble. This is why people usually look for cures. Some things that will help with the symptoms include drinking water, taking electrolytes, eating a good meal, and even taking some painkillers.
However, these aren’t cures. They are just managers of symptoms. The best hangover cure is mindful drinking.
The more you drink, the higher your chances of having a hangover are. If you stay within the recommended amount of alcohol, your chances of struggling to function the next day are slim.
How can you be mindful of your drinking? One great step you can take is to contact Sunnyside. We have a binge-drinking app that can tell you what your limits should be and signal you when you are exceeding those limits. The app also connects you with coaches that can motivate you on your journey.
