Hangovers seem to be the body’s way of warning us about the bad things that can happen when we drink too much. In terms of physiology, it’s a group effort: The most common signs are diarrhea, tiredness, headaches, feeling sick, and shaking.
When the “fight or flight” reaction is turned on, systolic (the top number) blood pressure goes up, the heart beats faster than usual, and the sweat glands make too much sweat. Some people can’t handle sound or light. Others feel like they are spinning (vertigo).
It leads to pure misery. It can help to know what causes hangovers and how to get rid of them in different ways.
What Causes Hangovers?
As different as the symptoms are, so are the reasons. Acetaldehyde is a poisonous chemical that is made when alcohol is broken down. But amounts don’t really get that high, so that’s not the whole story.
Since drinking makes it hard for the brain to work while you sleep, a hangover may be a sign that you didn’t get enough sleep. Hormones that control our biological clocks get thrown off by alcohol. This may be why a hangover can feel like jet lag and vice versa. Migraines can also be caused by alcohol, so some people may think they’re drunk when they’re actually suffering from a migraine caused by alcohol.
When your blood alcohol level starts to drop, you start to get a hangover. Some experts say that the worst signs happen when levels drop to zero.
It looks like “drinking to intoxication” is the most important part. It doesn’t matter how much you drank to get there. Several studies show that people who drink light to moderately are more likely to get a hangover than people who drink a lot.
However, study that seems to go against what you think shows that people with a family history of alcoholism have worse hangovers. Researchers have found that some people may develop drinking problems because they drink to get rid of the signs of a hangover.
How Long Does A Hangover Last?
You probably want to know how to get rid of a hangover quickly, but there isn’t much you can do to feel better faster.
A hangover will start to bother you hours after you stop drinking. How bad your hangover symptoms are will depend on how much and what you drank. When your blood alcohol level goes back to normal, you’ll feel the worst. Having a hangover can make you feel bad for a day or even longer.
Myths: Ways To Sober Up
It’s too bad that nothing can drop your BAC or make you less drunk. To get sober, you have to wait for your body to break down the booze you drank.
There are, however, many lies about getting clean quickly. Here are some of the most popular myths about things that are said to help you get sober.
You may have read one of these tips if you’ve ever searched for ways to get sober in 30 minutes or stop feeling drunk. However, there is no quick way to get sober; the only way to get over being drunk is to give yourself time.
Does Throwing Up Make You Less Drunk?
Since alcohol gets into your system very quickly, throwing up won’t help unless you feel sick right away after drinking. But drinking too much could make you sick, and throwing up might help you feel better. Also, throwing up might help you feel better after a night of drinking, but it doesn’t lower your BAC.
Does Eating Sober You Up?
It doesn’t help you get sober to eat after drinking. As it turns out, it’s better not to drink on an empty stomach because eating before drinking may lower the amount of alcohol your body absorbs, keeping you from getting drunk. But eating after drinking won’t help you get sober faster.
Does Drinking Water Sober You Up?
Combining alcohol with water helps keep you from getting dehydrated. You should drink a full glass of water with every alcoholic drink. This will help you control how much booze you drink. Staying wet during a night of drinking will also help you avoid having a hangover the next day. Water, on the other hand, does not help you get clean.
Does A Cold Shower Sober You Up?
Taking a cold shower might help you wake up and feel more alert, but it won’t get you clean. To get clean, your body needs to take a break. Taking a cold shower is the exact opposite of what you want to do to relax. The body always gets rid of alcohol at the same time. So, taking a cold shower might help you feel better after getting drunk, but it doesn’t lower your BAC.
How Long Does Alcohol Stay In Your System?
To find out how long alcohol stays in your body, you should look at the different kinds of BAC tests, like a breathalyzer or blood test. It takes different amounts of time for different body systems and tests to show that someone has been drinking.
You can look forward to a good outcome for about:
- Urine: anywhere from 12 to 24 hours or up to 80 hours, based on when and how much you drank.
- Blood—for up to 90 days
- Hair—for up to 90 days
This doesn’t mean that you aren’t sober for this long. It just means that small amounts of booze stay in your body for that long.
How to Sober Up Fast
1. Hydrate
By making you pee more, drinking alcohol dehydrates you. In other words, if you have a headache, drink some water. Even though water is very important, sports drinks or Pedialyte can help you feel better a little faster than just water. This is because they contain electrolytes, which help the body get water to the places it needs it most.
2. Sugar Boost
Low blood sugar happens when you drink. Adding a glass of juice or eating a breakfast high in carbs can help your blood sugar rise while the booze leaves your body.
3. Coffee
When you drink alcohol, your blood vessels get bigger, which can lead to headaches. Caffeine in coffee speeds up the heart rate and makes blood vessels narrow because it is a stimulant.
So, says Dr. Shafer, that’s also why some headache drugs, like Excedrin, have caffeine in them. Along with getting rid of headaches, caffeine in coffee can give you more energy. Don’t forget that you don’t have to drink a lot of coffee to feel its benefits.
4. Multi-Vitamin
Don’t forget to take your multivitamin every day. It’s not likely that this will help you a lot, but it won’t hurt either. A B vitamin, which can help with energy, is found in many multivitamins. That being said, if you take too many vitamins, your body will clear them out.
5. Go To Bed With An Empty Stomach
A lot of people say that eating after drinking is good because the food can soak up the booze. But Dr. Shafer says this is not a good idea. It’s likely that being full of food at the end of the night will make things worse. When you drink too much alcohol, your stomach takes longer to empty, which can cause more heartburn, sickness, upset stomach, or even vomiting. For the same reason, she said that if you have a hangover, you should skip a greasy meal.
6. Potassium
This fluid can be found in sports drinks or Pedialyte. Getting a little more potassium from foods like bananas can help ease muscle pain.
7. Stop Drinking
Alcoholically drinking something else in the morning won’t help your case. Having a hangover is a form of booze withdrawal. So, if you drink something else that contains alcohol, your blood alcohol level will rise, and your hangover will last longer.
8. Acetaminophen or Ibuprofen
Over-the-counter painkillers can help, but you should be careful when you use them. You should not usually use alcohol and acetaminophen together because they both pass through your liver. If you do, you could hurt your liver. Both ibuprofen and booze can cause stomach problems, like bleeding and ulcers. When you take two drugs that can cause the same side effect, your risk goes up.
9. Eat Carbs
Your blood sugar goes down when you drink. That could explain why some people feel sick and shakey after a night out. Carbs are food for your brain. If you want to get your blood sugar back to normal, eat some whole-grain snacks or wheat toast. You’ll also feel more energized.
10. Drink Korean Pear Juice
Most over-the-counter medicines for hangovers won’t help much, but there is one pill that might. You’ll just need to plan ahead. Thai pear (Asian pear) juice is an old-fashioned way to get over a hangover.
According to studies, drinking about 7½ ounces of alcohol lowers the amount of alcohol in the blood and lessens the severity of hangovers. The catch is that you have to drink it before you drink alcohol. It won’t work if you drink it later.
Some researchers think that Korean pears may help your body break down booze more quickly. One of the proteins in the extract reduces the swelling that can happen when you drink too much.
That could keep you from getting a hangover. It’s not even close to proof that this hangover cure works because only a few studies have been done on it. You might want to try a glass of Korean pear juice before going out to drink, if you can find it at your local grocery store.
11. Take Ginseng
For a very long time, this root has been used in Chinese medicine. People who work as herbalists use it to treat everything from asthma to stress. A small study found that a drink made from red ginseng helped people who had a hangover.
Siberian ginseng extract, which is a different plant with the same name, also helped with hangover symptoms like headaches, nausea, and stomachaches. It’s not the Siberian type, though, that’s used in Chinese medicine.
Not many people can get sick from ginseng. If you have diabetes or high blood pressure, talk to your doctor before you use it. There is some proof that it might have an effect on blood sugar and blood pressure.
12. Take Phyllanthus Amarus Extract
Along tropical beaches, this herb grows and is used for medicine. It helps people with stomach, liver, and kidney problems. To lower blood alcohol levels, ease hangover symptoms, and boost happiness in heavy drinkers, taking Phyllanthus amarus extract twice a day for 10 days was looked at in a small study.
You can buy this herb’s extracts online and in health food shops. The name for some of these items is “stone breaker” plant. That’s because it might make you less likely to get kidney stones.
13. Take A Pain Reliever
An over-the-counter (OTC) pain killer will ease the pain of a severe headache. Be careful. There are some risks that come with them.
Pain killers called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are easy to find and should help with your headache from the hangover. But taking more than the recommended amount can hurt the lining of your stomach and make you feel sicker. Some common NSAIDs are:
- Ibuprofen
- Naproxen sodium
- Aspirin
Another well-known pain killer is acetaminophen. But if you drink booze and then take it, it can hurt your liver. If you’re drunk, it’s best to stay away from it.
Hangover Prevention
There are a number of things you can do to avoid or at least lessen getting a hangover.
1. Drink Less
For some people, the only way to escape getting a hangover is to never drink alcohol in the first place. Some people get drunk and then get a hangover. On the other hand, some people never get hangovers, no matter how much they drink. That doesn’t mean you should drink too much, though! That’s why you shouldn’t drink too much if you don’t want to get a hangover.
2. Don’t Drink On An Empty Stomach
It’s better to eat before drinking because it slows down the process of booze entering your body. Eat a big meal before going out for the night. This could lessen the effects of the alcohol on your body.
3. Drink Water
After every glass of beer or other alcoholic drink you drink, have a glass of water. This will keep you from getting thirsty. Besides that, it might keep you from drinking too much.
4. Slow Your Pace
Don’t drink more than one drink every hour. That may help you stay sober by giving your body time to handle the alcohol. It’s very important to drink slowly when you’re drinking sparkling wine or other alcoholic drinks with carbonation. These bubbles can speed up the process of your body taking in alcohol.
5. Steer Clear of Darker Alcohols
Remember the congeners we talked about earlier? These chemicals are found in large amounts in bourbon, scotch, whiskey, tequila, dark beers, and red wines. They make hangovers worse. Instead, pick white wine, gin, vodka, or light beer. You’ll probably feel better when you wake up.
Takeaways
If you drink, you don’t have to get a hangover. Don’t drink too much, stay hydrated, eat a good meal, and drink slowly. You should be fine. But if you wake up feeling awful the next morning, stay patient, drink some water, and take an aspirin if you need one. Stay in bed until you feel better. You’ll feel better.
Hangover Cure FAQs
How Do You Make A Hangover Go Away Faster?
It’s not possible. Time is the only thing that can help. The only thing that will help is to ease the symptoms and wait it out.
How Do I Stop Feeling Sick From A Hangover?
If you have an upset stomach, bland foods like toast and crackers, ginger tea, and water at room temperature can help.
Can Anything Really Help With A Hangover?
You can feel a little better by taking over-the-counter painkillers for your headache and eating bland foods to settle your stomach, but your hangover is likely to last all day. If you can, take a nap to get some rest and pass the time.
What Drink Helps With A Hangover?
Water. It’s easy to get to and helps people who are thirsty. You can also drink juice, soup, sports drinks that are high in electrolytes, and any other liquids that your stomach can handle. Don’t drink more booze.