If you have binged on alcohol at any time in your life, you are likely familiar with the different kinds of hangovers you might have. Sometimes, you wake up with an unbeatable headache and no matter what you seem to do it just won’t leave you alone. Other times, you might have that feeling in your throat that tells you your stomach acid is just trying to find its way out the top. Regardless of the symptoms, you know the cause and you want some hangover help that actually works. While it might be neat to think about how a special morning ritual can cure any hangover, the truth is most of the hangover remedies you’ll hear are nothing more than coincidence. Still, there are a few methods out there that scientists suggest have some actual merit.
Actually, this is one remedy that is pretty much universally agreed to be bad. If you ask a doctor about this, you’ll likely find out that yes, it can help make the symptoms subside temporarily, but it could actually lead to an even worse hangover either later in the day or the next morning. Of course, you could always just keep drinking nonstop to avoid that hangover, but that’s not really socially accepted. Oh, and it will eventually kill you.
While this one isn’t likely to cause you any harm, independent research on these sorts of pills shows they pretty much do nothing. Sometimes they might have a placebo affect and treat one of the symptoms, but overall the ingredients offer nothing of value and you’re really just throwing money down the drain. Maybe if you hadn’t read this you would fall for the placebo, but now you’re likely stuck.
This is another one of those widespread myths that typically won’t do the trick. Since this type of food can often cause heartburn on its own, the doubled effect with the leftover alcohol can make it really bad for you. Instead, you should make sure to drink your water and eat something light, like simple toast. John Brick, PhD, who happens to have written “The Doctor’s Hangover Handbook” and spent his career studying alcohol as a scientist, suggests a honey sandwich. It is worth mentioning others have suggested a greasy breakfast can help if your only problem is dehydration. So, if you have no signs of stomach distress and want to live dangerously, you might give this one a try (but don’t say you weren’t warned).
In addition to the advice above, ultimately the number one best response to getting proper hangover help is to drink plenty of fluids. Water is a good choice if you have nothing else, but a sports drink is even better, as it will help replenish lost electrolytes. Just keep in mind, many of these drinks can be extremely high in sugar, so don’t overdo that one either. Another thing to consider is no one really knows for sure what the complete cause of a hangover is. Dehydration definitely plays a part, but it doesn’t account for everything. Regardless, drowning the hangover with water has the most consistent effect on the problem, leading to a much better morning after.