Suffering from too much beer and barbecue You must be hungover after yesterday’s festivities. You celebrated our nation in style, well done, but if you are still facing the consequences here is a few ways to help out with your early morning/late afternoon/all day (God, make it stop!) hangover.
Let’s start out with a list of things to avoid while regretting your very existence and that of alcohol:
• “Hair of the dog”- For those of you who think that Bloody Mary might get you back on your feet, think again. The alcohol content may be a short-term relief, but it can cause alcohol dependency and merely delays the body’s recovery process. Tomato juice and celery: good. Vodka: bad.
• Caffeine– There are varying opinions of whether withdrawal from coffee in some as it could create another source of withdrawal in those that drink it regularly. However caffeine affects the body in a way that constricts the blood vessels and can cause some hangover symptoms to worsen.
• Pills– This refers to pain medication like Advil/Tylenol as well as any other “miracle hangover cures” that exist that have been proven to be ineffective. This is for the best because when you’re hungover the last thing you should be doing is worrying about a childproof cap. The only exception to these is vitamins, which might help your body and cause some relief.
• Dehydration– While some exercise may cause an increase in endorphins and provide quick relief, excess sweating can intensify the withdrawal symptom and create more problems within your body. If you must work out, keep a water bottle handy. Without exception, avoid the sauna and “sweating it out,” that is ineffective and potentially dangerous.
Now that you’re growling about the things you can’t do, here is what you should have to make the pain go away:
• Liquids– No, don’t drown yourself. But lots of water is a good idea for your very dehydrated body, it can also dilute the amount of toxins floating around your body and causing you pain/nausea. No matter what you need to refill what you lost, so you should be drinking plenty of something: water, juice, Gatorade, it doesn’t matter, so long as it lacks alcohol and caffeine it should be fine.
• Food– While there are a lot of greasy foods that claim to be the cure, they have the added potential to come back up as quickly as they go down. The best choices for settling your stomach are toast, cereal and crackers.
• Sleep– If you have the time and inclination, letting your body take care of itself while you drift off among the clouds is a good idea. For those of you taking this road instead of going to work, sitting in a chair and staring blankly at your computer screen… Good for you.
Overall while these things are helpful, the only real cure for a hangover is moderation the night before. Practice safe and responsible drinking and maintain a healthy lifestyle that can withstand a night of fun. But for now, pound that water and hope for the best. Happy Memorial Day! See you again after Fourth of July.
By- Chase Cunningham
