After countless nights out drinking I had come to accept hangovers as a natural part of my life, but I knew there had to be a better way then just struggling to stay alive the day after drinking. I was tired of seeing all the sites saying the only way to prevent a hangover was to stop drinking. It was then that I decided to start my search on how to avoid a hangover. The most difficult part dealing with a hangover is that everyone will experience different symptoms. Because of this my first part will be going through some general tips on how to avoid a hangover, then from there expanding out to many different ways and remedies.
The first main group of symptoms is the nervous system. I wanted to start of course with the most popular and publicized hangover symptom, the dreaded headache. Headaches are caused both by dehydration as well as the expanding of the size of the blood vessels. Tip one on how to avoid a hangover is the most obvious and preached way which is to drink water while drinking. It’s obviously pretty hard to have a glass of water for each shot/drink you take, especially when going out to the bar. Because of this I suggest staying hydrated throughout the day as well when pregaming and before bed. Try and take water every chance you get.
Another main symptom when dealing with hangovers is along with a headaches come the lack of concentration as well as mood can be affected. Dehydration as well as “acetaldehyde” (one of the by-products of the breakdown of alcohol) are the main culprits in a lack of concentration. Low blood sugar and lack of serotonin will also take there toll on the mess that is your mind the next day. This is thankfully one of the symptoms you can deal with the next morning. Tip two on how to avoid a hangover is simply making sure you eat a good meal in the morning, as well as relax and keep happy. Sit out in the sun in the morning and having a meal will replenish some of the lost vitamins and minerals that you may have lost drinking and can help balance your mind.
The third main one I wanted to talk about today is for some like myself, the worst. Nausea, stomach pain and just all in all a disaster of your insides can be the most troubling. Keeping you stuck at home not wanting to do anything, feeling like absolute garbage. This is of course caused by a number of factors; alcohol irritating the stomach lining, the by-product acetaldehyde, as well as an increase in digestive juices by the pancreas can all attribute to the culprit on the beast that is a hangover. The third tip on how to avoid a hangover is a combination of things. Water, keeping to stomach sensitive food, as well as getting extra sleep can all help.
All of these factors all contribute to hangovers as well the advice can help you deal with them. One important thing to remember is everyone experiences different hangovers and you have to find out what works best for you. I will continue to experiment with different things until I learn exactly how to avoid a hangover in full. Water, food, sleep, as well as other remedies such as ginger, probiotics, and green tea can all be effective in their own way. Remember don’t ever let a hangover stop you from partying and have a good time, you only live once; live it up.