How to Avoid Throwing Up or Dying when You Are Drunk, Smashed, or Wasted Over the Holidays

The first rule for not throwing up when drinking is don't drink too much! OK, it had to be said, even though if you are already there it may be a little late. If you are a drinker, you may from time-to-time overdo it. So here are a few tips if have over indulged and want to avoid throwing up.

As for dying, get to somewhere safe. Your engine is not firing on all cylinders and you need to focus on the impending nausea, not the car bearing down on you.

Alcohol is a diuretic. It will contribute to dehydration. Drink water to maintain hydration. Take it at room temperature, never ice cold or boiled. The caffeine in coffee is also a diuretic so, contrary to conventional wisdom, don't drink it if you think you are going to feel ill. Besides the caffeine, coffee is acidic and your stomach doesn't need any additional problems.

Other than water, be careful of what you consume. Plain bread or cereal helps soak up the alcohol and delays its exit from your stomach into your bloodstream, but most other things exacerbate the already poor condition you have put your stomach in. All that alcohol is messing with your metabolism so don't make it worse with sugars; you don't want to die!

Cigarettes contain a wide variety of poisons. Too much alcohol is also toxic so don't add the toxins from cigarettes to the toxins you have already ingested; you'll die.

Try to sit or stand vertically. A horizontal posture at this time could cause you to "spin", greatly increasing your tendency toward nausea. For the same reason stay still so you don't shake up your inner ear fluids, whose equilibrium keeps you balanced.

If you feel that you can't focus your vision or if you have that cross-eyed condition, try closing one eye. You may alternate them periodically.

Weather permitting, you are better off outside. Cool fresh air will help. And take slow deep breaths.

Be aware of the sound and lighting of your immediate environment. Keep the room well lit, although not extremely bright. A blacked out room creates a "tunnel effect" in your brain; you might die. Don't watch television. The blinking effect makes you loose your reference point and will confuse your inner ear. Loud noise will also cause problems. Your favorite rock band has its place but this isn't it; you don't want to die.

If you are going to over do it, at least understand a few simple ways to avoid throwing up or dying.