AFTER THE PARTY: HOW TO CURE THE HANGOVER.
We all have had plenty of the days that followed the nights that turned into one big blur of faces, drinks, music, and velvet ropes. Some of us have actually been known to keep bottles of Ibuprofen in our nightstands, cases of Powerade in our trunks, and have developed routines that can transform even the scariest of morning hangovers into a memory almost as distant as half of the things that we had done the night before.
What is the best way to feel better fast? Is it truly possible to push the limits and not feel it the next day? Some believe so.
A few things to ALWAYS keep in mind….
- Drinking plenty of water throughout the night, getting plenty of sleep, rehydrating yourself throughout the next day, and taking another nap or two is the fool proof method for healing a hangover.
- We couldn’t find one instance where someone actually died from being hungover. You will eventually feel better, tough it out.
- There are numerous over the counter products available that can help curb the effects of a hangover if you remember to take them before or immediately after drinking. Your nightlife guides have tested all of them, some are better than others.
WHAT A HANGOVER ACTUALLY IS…
Hangovers vary from person to person, and can range from a simple early morning headache to an entire day long urge to vomit and feeling of “blah.” All of this is a result of your body going through a state of dehydration, and strangely enough even a little withdrawal from all of the alcohol that was recently in your blood stream. Explaining why sometimes drinking more occasionally makes you feel better – at least temporarily. Physical symptoms of a hangover include fatigue, headache, increased sensitivity to light and sound, weak stomach, nausea, lack of appetite, redness of the eyes, muscle aches, and thirst.
QUICK WAYS TO AVOID THEM…
- Know your limits. Don’t drink too much.
- Eat before you go out, and snack throughout the night.
- Drink a bottle of water in between drinks.
- Purchase over the counter hangover prevention products before you go out.
- Take a couple of Ibuprofen before going to sleep.
- Don’t drunkenly agree to go to the strip club at 5AM.
WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT NOW?
- Avoid coffee early in the day.
The first thing many people do after a night of drinking is to head straight to Starbucks and grab a coffee to help “energize them and make them feel better.” If you are really feeling bad, this isn’t a good idea. Caffeine will only dehydrate your body more, and if there are any dairy products in your coffee – you might make your stomach feel even worse.
- Drink plenty of water.
To put things into perspective: If you were stranded in the middle of the desert about to die from dehydration, it would pretty much feel like a really bad hangover. In spite of the fact that you have been consuming a ton of liquid, alcohol crosses your body’s wires and dehydrates the hell out of you. Drinking water, or similar fluids, is absolutely essential as it is the most important thing you can do to help relieve hangover symptoms. Start drinking water before you go to sleep, and drink A LOT of it throughout the day.
- Take a couple of Ibuprofen.
These products are for headaches and soreness, and obviously will help to relieve your headaches and soreness. Take with food and if you think you might still have any alcohol in your system, you will want to AVOID taking anything with Acetaminophen in it (usually found in Tylenol). This can be a dangerous mix and could in extremely rare cases cause your liver to explode straight out of your body. We don’t want that now do we?
- If you can keep it down, eat something.
It might be 2 or 3pm before you can even think about eating a meal, but you should try and get something in your system as soon as you can. Toast, fruits, or anything with some protein in it is a good start. It kind of goes without saying that if you are still feeling at all queasy, take it slow or you will puke your brains out. Again.
- Get more sleep.
Depending on why you are in Las Vegas, this may not be entirely possible….but nothing is more refreshing then a nice mid-day nap. You go to bed with a headache, fall into a very deep sleep, dream about someplace better, and wake up feeling just as good as you did when fell out of your mother’s womb. Doesn’t that sound relaxing?
- Exercise (Yes, as in physically moving).
A little-known hangover relief is to do the unthinkable: Go running, lift weights, hiking, and / or anything that will help get your heart rate up and remind your body it’s still alive.