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Get Over A Hangover With Less Stress

Sometimes when people want to fete themselves, they simply go on binge drinking. In the office, people try to kill what they regard as boredom by contributing money with which they buy spirits and wines, which they share under a convivial atmosphere.

The problem here is that because it’s a ‘buddy’ thing, it’s possible for people to drink beyond what their bodies can tolerate. Those who make it home in one piece may wake up to discover that they have a headache, feel sick, dizzy, sleepy, confused and thirsty.

In sum, physicians say these feelings could be summed up in one word: hangover.

Family Health Physician, Dr. Kunle Liasu, says a hangover is the consequence of having consumed too much alcohol.

He warns that in reality, a hangover is an accumulation of several factors such as urination, as alcohol makes people urinate more and ultimately raises the chances of you becoming dehydrated. When you are dehydrated, Liasu says, it will give you a sensation of thirst and also make you become lightheaded.

He says a hangover can occur at any time of the day, even though it is usually more common several hours after a night of heavy drinking.

Of course, experts say, the severity of your hangover is closely linked to how much alcohol you drank, and whether or not you had enough sleep. And since the human body metabolises beer, wine or any alcoholic drink in about 60 to 75 minutes, the faster you drink, the faster your blood alcohol level rises.

Scientists say it’s absolutely impossible to say the quantity of alcohol that would give an individual a hangover. Rather, they say, it depends on the individual, his circumstances that day, how tired he was before his drinking started, whether he was already dehydrated before the drinking began, whether he drank plenty of water during his drinking session, how much sleep he got afterwards, etc.

Generally, Liasu says, people begin to experience a hangover when their blood alcohol drops considerably several hours after the binge. And symptoms include accelerated heartbeat, anxiety, bloodshot eyes, body and muscle aches, diarrhoea, dizziness, bad breath, headache, excessive salivation, flatulence, tiredness and listlessness, nausea, vomiting, stomach ache, thirst and erratic motor functions, among others.

Food experts say it’s not only the ethanol in alcohol that gives a hangover; rather, they note, when you drink an alcoholic beverage that contains impurities or preservatives, you can develop a hangover, even if you drink little. Some of the impurities may be other alcohols besides ethanol, they say.

And of course, if you drink excessively, you risk a hangover more than someone who drinks moderately.

Tackling a hangover

Naturally, physicians say, the only way to avoid a hangover is to stay off alcohol. But then, people drink and develop hangovers! This being the case, how do you tackle a hangover?

Drink water! While we are not encouraging you to imbibe, now that you’re suffering the effects of a night of debauchery, the first remedy is water. In any case, Liasu says, alcohol is a diuretic – the more you drink, the more trips you’d make to the bathroom. So, to reduce your stress, drink as much water as your stomach could contain before hitting the bed.

“This will ameliorate the hangover effects,” the physician says.

He counsels that it’s even more advisable to have a glass of water with every beer you drink and alternate between the two in order to replace lost fluids as you go.

Liasu warns against drinking more alcohol when you have a hangover, as some people are wont to do. “It’s like postponing the evil day,” he says; warning that it would only make things worse.

Food helps a lot, too, experts say; especially when you have a full stomach before you start drinking.

Liasu says drinking on an empty stomach would make the alcohol to reach your bloodstream earlier than you can imagine.

“Food helps slow the absorption of alcohol, and the longer it takes the alcohol to reach your blood stream, the longer you’d be able to hold out,” the doctor submits.

A food such as egg is considered okay. “Eggs provide protein to help stabilise blood sugar, while the cystine in protein may help break down toxins. Eggs quickly help replenish the body with B vitamins after they’ve been drained by drinking alcohol. They are also a potent brain food and eating a couple of them may help combat a hangover symptoms.

Milk is also desirable, because it rehydrates while also supplying calcium, which may ease a hangover.

So also is banana. “If you’re feeling a little shaky after a night of drinking, reach for a banana to help restore your body’s potassium levels and improve muscle function,” experts counsel.

But then, watch the type of pain reliever you take to tackle your headache! Experts say while it may be alright to take a couple of aspirin to deal with a hangover, you should avoid Tylenol tablets because they may lead to lethal liver damage.

Coconut water is also good, as nutritionists say it contains high electrolyte levels that will help bring your body’s chemistry back into balance.

And if you’re able to lay your hand on unadulterated honey, that will help a lot. Nutritionists say real honey is loaded with antioxidants and concentrated fructose, which will help flush any remaining alcohol out of your system more quickly.

Liasu does warn, however, that continuous drinking will make you to become alcohol dependent, no matter what trick you employ. As such, the best cure for a hangover is staying off alcoholic drink.

@iamsmartayo