What Is A Hangover?
Alcohol is the culprit that causes a hangover, but one of the main reasons is that it’s a diuretic that creates dehydration and vitamin depletion by causing you to urinate more often than usual.
Drinking also throws off your electrolyte balance, disrupts your sleep, causes gastrointestinal upset, and temporarily disrupts your immune system.
All of these issues create the symptoms we associate with having a hangover. Also, alcohol contains chemical byproducts called congeners that can make a hangover more severe.
Why Are Festival Hangovers So Difficult To Get Rid Of?
The primary reason it’s so difficult to get rid of hangover fast during the holidays is over drinking in general.
People tend to overdo it during the festivities, consuming more alcohol than they would generally in the course of the celebrations.
As the liver is only capable of metabolizing one drink per hour, taking in more than that can lead to a hangover with symptoms that may last for quite a few hours.
And if you’re going to be drinking for several nights during the holiday period, the effects could be compounded. For the best post-Christmas detox, you may want to avoid alcohol from boxing day until New Year.
How Bad Are Your Hangovers?
There are a number of factors that affect the severity of your hangovers, including size, weight, and the amount of alcohol you consume. However, according to twin studies, there may actually be a genetic component influencing hangover seriousness[1].
When you drink alcohol, it breaks down into byproducts by enzymes and converts it to acetaldehyde. This is the real culprit when it comes to hangovers. However, people get rid of acetaldehyde at different rates based on genetics.
There may also be a connection between the gut microbes and the severity of a hangover as there is some evidence they also release harmful toxins after alcohol is broken down. The stronger your gut microbiome, the less likely it will worsen your hangover[2].
It’s crucial to follow a highly nutritious and diverse diet, including plenty of fiber to support gut health, especially if you drink a lot of alcohol.
Is A Hangover A Sickness?
A hangover is not a disease, but according to the definition of sickness as “the condition of being ill,” it can be defined as such[3]. It is a temporary disruption in your physical functioning due to the presence of alcohol-related toxins in your system.
It leads to impairments in functioning like low blood sugar, dilated blood vessels, dehydration, and difficulty sleeping.
It’s a short-term illness that is self-induced by the consumption of too much alcohol. In 2019, a German court officially ruled that a hangover was an illness with the reasoning that it deviates from the bodily norm[4].
If a hangover is a sickness, it stands to reason that there are medications and other remedies that can help deal with the symptoms or possibly cure the condition. If you want to know how to cure a hangover, try some of the following methods.
7 Best Hangover Cures
Are you interested in knowing how to cure a hangover? While you party during the holidays, remember and implement some of these methods for getting rid of your after-drinking symptoms.
1. Drink Water
When you drink too much, you get very dehydrated, so it stands to reason that one of the best ways to get rid of hangover fast is to hydrate. If you drink water before you go to sleep, you may avoid some of the symptoms, and you should drink when you get up in the morning. If your nausea is really bad, take small sips of water throughout the day to help replenish your system.
2. Get Some Exercise
Getting out into the fresh air for some exercise is a great way to get rid of hangover fast, if you’re up for it. Exercise gets your blood flowing, promotes alertness, and leads to the release of endorphins.
These are chemicals made by the body which boost good mood and decrease feelings of stress and discomfort. Even a short walk around the block should help you feel significantly better and maybe one of the best post-Christmas detox methods.
3. Take A Painkiller
Although it may not be a hangover nausea cure, taking a painkiller can help alleviate other symptoms like headaches and aches and pains. Avoid Tylenol, which may exacerbate the toxicity in your liver. You can take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, like ibuprofen, however, keep in mind that they could further upset your stomach.
4. Sleep
If you really want to know how to cure a hangover, consider having a relaxing sleep to reset your system. It will help you recover from some of the rest you probably lost due to alcohol disruption.
If you have time and you’re really feeling lousy, take a nice long nap. However, if you have a busy day, try to fit in a power nap for about an hour to eliminate some of your symptoms. Resting is a great hangover nausea cure and should have you waking up feeling much better.
5. Shower
One excellent method for how to cure a hangover is taking a nice hot steamy shower or bath. This will cause you to sweat, which can eliminate some of the toxins built up in your system from the alcohol. Naturally, you want to ensure that it doesn’t cause you to get further dehydrated, so be sure to drink water before and after you soak.
6. Eat Carbs
When you drink, your blood sugar levels decrease. Some of the symptoms associated with hangovers are due to the lack of fuel in your system, and the best cure for that is eating carbohydrates.
Make sure to also include some protein and healthy fats for health, so your blood sugar doesn’t drop further. As it turns out, your best post-Christmas detox may be eating leftovers!
7. Take A Vitamin Supplement
If you’re still looking for ideas on how to cure a hangover, consider taking vitamin supplements. When you drink too much, you deplete the nutrients in your body, and part of the recovery is replenishing them. The vitamins to take in are C and Bs. But, you can take a multivitamin before you drink, including the next morning, to cover all of your bases.
Frequently Asked Questions
Throwing up could very temporarily make you feel better the day after drinking, but it will also dehydrate you further. Keep in mind that the alcohol has already been processed by your system, all that remains is the toxic byproducts, so you won’t get rid of hangover fast by vomiting.
Many people believe that drinking a cup or more of coffee is how to cure a hangover. However, coffee is high in diuretic caffeine which will only serve to dehydrate you further. Your best bet when you have a hangover is to drink water.
Generally speaking, CBD will not lead to a hangover, and it may even be a great hangover nausea cure. In some people, however, CBD may cause side effects like fatigue or even exacerbate nausea. In this situation, it could worsen the hangover.
There are several teas that are helpful as a hangover nausea cure, but ginger is arguably the best. You can make it easily at home by chopping up some ginger and adding it to hot water.
Ginger contains gingerol, which is effective at decreasing feelings of nausea. In addition, it’s extremely healthy and rich in antioxidants which boost the immune system. This may be one of the best post-Christmas detox methods available.
Conclusion
With the Christmas and New Year season coming up, you may be planning to celebrate and that could involve alcohol. If you’re wondering how to cure a hangover, you should know that there are a number of helpful methods to help you get through the discomfort.
Naturally, the very best method involves pacing yourself and not over drinking during the holiday season. If you limit yourself to one drink an hour, you should avoid the dreaded day after during the holidays and likely have a better time overall.
