Hangovers
If you do overdo it, there are a couple of simple steps that can help offset a hangover and, if it is too late for prevention, help ease you through one.
The most important step is to rehydrate. Alcohol dehydrates the body, causing water in the brain to be absorbed, which in turn causes the brain to shrink slightly – resulting in that thumping headache and dry mouth we all know and love. Drinking plenty of water before going to bed speeds up rehydration and the process of flushing the alcohol out of your body.
Having something sweet can help, as alcohol breaks down sugars in the liver, causing you to feel light-headed and weak. Be careful with the sugar though - too much will result in high blood sugar levels, and the insulin released in the body to combat this will end up bringing you back down below par – leaving you even more tired and irritable. So don’t eat a packet of Mars bars – fruit is packed with enough natural sugars to restore, and sustain, your depleted sugar levels quickly.
Now for a couple of red herrings: coffee and the fabled hair of the dog.
The caffeine in coffee only serves to dehydrate you further, and while it may give you a small perk in the short-term, you are only making matters worse. If you do have some coffee make sure you drink plenty of water as well.
“Some hair of the dog that bit me please landlord” - the words of a very misguided man! Drinking more alcohol does not cure a hangover! It may put off the effects by keeping you drunk, but this is hardly the answer – and could be a sign that you have a drinking problem.
Ultimately though, time is the only real cure for a hangover – and the best way to do this is to sleep your way through it. So drink plenty of water, unplug the phone, get your head down and repeat the morning-after mantra: I’m never drinking again, I’m never drinking again, I’m never drinking again........
