Hangover Cures: Effective Home Remedies Supported by Science
For some people, as little as one drink can trigger a hangover. And the more congeners there are, the more likely you are to develop a hangover. If you find that you are experiencing frequent hangovers, consider talking to your healthcare provider about your alcohol use.
Drinking coffee or tea
- Aspirin and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) can cause your stomach to make more acid, which can irritate your stomach.
- These effects can begin while you are still drinking, and can last for longer than the typical effects of a hangover.
- If you do decide to drink, you’re more likely to get one if you drink more than you normally would.5 Drinking less will lower your risk of a hangover.
- If you’re prone to migraine attacks, you’re also more likely to have problems with hangovers, particularly hangover headaches, because alcohol is a common migraine attack trigger.
- Researchers don’t know why, but they think it may have to do with how nicotine works on your nervous system.
Alcohol abuse can cause health problems, as well as social, interpersonal, and work issues. With alcohol ingestion, the effects on the liver are generally long term how long do hangovers last effects that are not noticeable until years of liver damage have caused liver failure. In some instances, however, delayed short term effects can be symptomatic.
Hangover ‘cures’ to avoid
Eating a good breakfast can help maintain your blood sugar levels, provide important vitamins and minerals, and reduce the symptoms of a hangover. In addition to helping reduce certain hangover symptoms, eating a healthy breakfast can provide important vitamins and minerals that may become depleted with excessive alcohol intake. Some studies have found that consuming drinks high in congeners could increase the frequency and severity of hangovers. Congeners may also slow the metabolism of alcohol, which can prolong your symptoms (1). Some people say that getting fluids through an IV can help ease hangover symptoms.
When should I see a healthcare provider?
Waiting is typically the most common way of dealing with hangovers because they tend to resolve on their own. However, you may not want to sleep all day and have other obligations like work or school. Headaches, for example, are triggered by alcohol’s vascular changes in the brain and by dehydration.