Ways to Help Prevent or Get Rid of a Hangover

So you had some drinks and now you woke up feeling groggy with a pounding headache and maybe some nausea? You may not be able to get rid of your hangover completely, but at least you can help to calm it down some. Everyone's body is different so what may work for someone else, may not work for you, these are just suggestions.

When you are done drinking for the night, start drinking water. The reason you feel may feel so bad the next day is because you are dehydrated. I personally drink at least 2 full 16 oz bottles of spring water before going to bed. If I wake up in the middle of the early morning hours, I reach for more water and just keep myself hydrated. I notice that I when I finally get up the next day, my hangover is not nearly as bad as if I hadn't drank any water. You want to flush the alcohol out of your system quicker by drinking a good amount of water. I think drinking enough water is the most effective idea for preventing and getting rid of a hangover.

Eat some greasy foods. A friend told me that when I am hungry in the morning after a night of drinking, to reach for some greasy foods because it will absorb some of the alcohol and coat my stomach. I noticed after eating greasy foods, like eggs or hashbrowns in the morning, that I actually did start feeling better afterward as opposed to eating cereal or some other non greasy food.

Take an over the counter pain reliever. I know that some pain relievers can cause damage to the organs in your body if they are taken over an extended period of time and are mixed with alcohol. I recommend pain relievers for the pounding headache. They may cause some nausea if taken on an empty stomach. I personally find that ibuprofen works best for me, but ibuprofen can irritate your stomach lining. Other people I know take Excederin, because it contains caffeine which is good at calming down a pounding headache. As long as you don't overuse these medications, you should be okay.

Alcohol may interfere with your sleep. You may feel groggy and somewhat disoriented the next morning because you didn't get enough sleep. Try drinking some water and going back to sleep. You are probably waking up because your body needs hydration. If you are tired throughout the day, try taking a nap, if you can.

In order to try and prevent a hangover, make sure you eat a good amount of food while drinking. Also, like I said before, drink water to dilute the alcohol in your system. Make sure you have something in your stomach before you go to bed to absorb some of the alcohol.

Try to stick with one type of alcohol throughout the night, instead of mixing them. For instance, if you are drinking vodka, try to stay with vodka. Do not mix it with beer, wine, or any other type of alcohol. I'm not saying that you won't have a hangover, but it may help to lessen the symptoms of the hangover if the alcohol is not mixed with other alcohols. Some alcohol can make you feel worse than others, and only you can tell that by the way your body reacts to it.

If you are at a party or place where there is music, try to get up and dance for awhile. Dance can be a form of exercise and exercise or a lot of physical movement can help get your blood flowing and flush some of those toxins out of your body. I notice that after a night of dancing, that I don't feel as bad in the morning as when I drink and don't do anything physical the night before. Sometimes I've felt that I was going to have a bad hangover the next day because I overdid it with the alcohol, but then after dancing for awhile, I noticed that I was almost starting to sober up and feel better. Plus exercise and dance can put you in a good mood and you might feel better the next day.