Avoiding and Treating Hangovers

Many of us enjoy drinking a few drinks here and there and sometimes we enjoy a few more then a few. Whether your one who regularly has a hangover to deal with or you are one that it sneaks up on, you may want to work on preventing them and know how to treat them when you do have to deal with them. Careful measures before, during, and after drinking can go a long way to prevention. A few good tips for the morning of and you can be feeling better.

Eat Before You Drink.
Drinking on an empty stomach is always a bad idea. It happens a lot and people don't even think about it. Additionally, eating greasy foods can make it easier for alcohol to be absorbed and to do their damage. It is best to eat breads, pastas, and other foods known for absorbing fluids. So have the spaghetti rather then the pizza or cheeseburger. Milk before you drink alcohol is also a good idea because it coats the lining of the stomach.

Drink Water Before You Begin.
Most of the horrible symptoms people deal with from a hangover are actually the results of dehydration. Alcohol causes water to leave the body and this causes us to feel horrible. Making sure you are hydrated before you go is a good step toward making sure you are working toward avoiding the hang over.

Know Your Limits.
Okay, so knowing your limits isn't always easy to do and a lot of people end up feeling like crap cause they thought they knew and were wrong. But if you think you are nearing your limits or you think you are about to step over them, it is time to stop. After all, why make yourself feel awful all in the name of a good time?

Choose Your Drinks Carefully.
Many people don't know that the drinks they choose often decide for them how they will feel in the morning. The darker the alcohol in the drink the worse it will make you feel. Think about the alcohol used to make the drink and go from that, don't include any mixers added. For example, white wine, vodka, and gin are all light colored drinks and less likely to cause issues then red wine, whiskey, and bourbon. It is also a good idea to stick to one or two types of alcohol for the night rather then aiming for as many as you can.

Drink Water and Juice.
After each drink you should have a glass of water or a glass of juice. This will help slow you down and will also help keep your body together. They will both help hydrate you and the juice will help you keep your blood sugar even. You can also choose a sports drink which will help replace some of your electrolytes that you have lost.

Take a Vitamin.
Before bed take a multi-vitamin. This will help your body recover some of the vitamins and minerals that the alcohol drove from the body. You don't need to overdose and have several, one is plenty.

Skip the Pain Meds.
Many choose a pain medication to take the night before in the belief that this will help prevent the headache in the morning. It doesn't work this way and the pain medication can and often does react negatively with the alcohol. It is therefore a good idea to save it for morning.

Drink Lots of Water.
Before you finally call it a night have a lot of water. Aim for 32 ounces of water to prevent dehydration. You may have to get up and go to the bathroom a few times extra, but it will be worth it in the end by eliminating your headache.

Have a Snack.
Before going to bed have a light snack. Choose something with a little sugar and a some absorbent properties. You can choose a slice of toast with jam or honey, crackers with peanut butter, or instant oatmeal. This will help keep your stomach calm and help keep your blood sugar up.

Ibuprofen.
If you wake up and the headache that so often is prevalent is indeed there then take a couple of ibuprofen. Resist the urge to take more then you are supposed to since this isn't good for the body and won't help get rid of your headache anyway. Taking other types of pain reliever can be dangerous so it is best to avoid acetaminophen (Tylenol) and aspirin because they can cause serious liver damage with the alcohol.

Take Another Multi-Vitamin.
Now is also a good time to take a multi-vitamin. This will aid your body in getting back to normal.

Drink.
Some people suggest that you "drink the hair of the dog that bit you" and have a little bit of booze in the morning. This helps make you feel a little better for a short period of time because it stops the withdrawal (yep some of the symptoms of the hangover are actually from withdrawal from alcohol). However, this isn't a good idea. Instead drink lots of water, milk, and juice. If you are going to have caffeine do so in moderation because it is a diuretic (makes you have to go to the bathroom) which increases the risk of dehydration.

Eat To Fight Nausea.
When you wake up you need to eat. If you are feeling very nauseous then you should choose foods that will help you fight nausea. You can choose crackers, toast, dry cereal, or even chicken noodle soup. Whatever it is that you think will help settle your stomach is a good idea, but you must eat.

Eat to Replace Nutrients.
There is no doubt about it, drinking causes you to loose a lot of nutrients from your body. You can eat cooked eggs, fruits, vegetables, and sugars to help replace the nutrients that your body lost. This can make you feel better faster. It should be noted that this is one of the reasons chicken noodle soup is so good. Milk shakes can also be good cause they help replace nutrients and calm the stomach. Go with vanilla rather than a fancy flavoring.

Exercise.
Yep, it sounds crazy. Exercise is the last thing most people want to do when they feel awful, but it can get the blood pumping and it helps clear out toxins from the body. This in turn makes you feel better. You don't have to go to the gym and kill yourself, but a walk around the block can make a huge difference.

Rest.
Finally give your body the chance to feel better with a little rest. This isn't easy and it is best if you plan ahead the night before and prevent the hangover. But when that doesn't happen and you don't feel better by drinking lots of water, eating some, and taking a walk, rest some so you feel better.

Hangovers are never fun, but you can make it through. You can prevent most if not all of them with care and when you do end up feeling bad you can treat it quickly and easily. Living life is too important to feel awful for your good times!