The day after dealing with hangover

CEBU, Philippines – With the Sinulog celebration just over with, a hangover may be a problem among many people in the city. It is probably easy to sell something labeled "hangover cure" the day after a wild night. People suffering from a hangover are sure to buy anything that promises to ease the headache, nausea, and overall sense of feeling like crap.

Hangover might sound like a light word, but it's really a big hassle. If the experts - either the heavy drinkers or the health professionals - are to be asked, there's no one solution to fix all the symptoms of a hangover. But a few things are good to keep in mind in trying to alleviate specific problems.

Water

Water is a must. Alcohol is a diuretic, the reason why people frequent the comfort room during a drinking session. So, alcoholic drinks can cause dehydration. It is advisable, before going to bed after a drinking session, to take 16 to 20 ounces of water, says Daniel K. Hall-Flavin, M.D.,  consultant in addiction psychiatry at the Mayo Clinic. Further, Dr. Hall-Flavin recommends downing a glass of water with every bottle of beer.

Sports Drinks

"Even though the diuretic effect of alcohol may cause the body to lose some electrolytes, it's not so much that you need to replace them right away," says Samir Zakhari, Ph.D., director of the Division of Metabolism and Health Effects at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism in the U.S. Research has shown that quick-absorption sports drinks are no better for a hangover than water from the tap.

Coffee

Lots of people - with hangover or not - use a cup of coffee to rouse them up and feel alert at work. But while coffee works with some people, it does not really give lasting benefits; caffeine can both treat and cause headaches and migraines. If coffee is taken, it is good to drink water, too, since studies suggest that caffeine also causes dehydration.

Toast or Crackers

Moms give their kids a toast when the little ones couldn't keep anything down. This is also good advice for adults who've spent the night throwing up into the toilet bowl. Dr. Hall-Flavin says that while no food can halt the roller coaster in the stomach, carbohydrates can help keep blood sugar at normal levels the morning after. Normally when blood sugar levels dip, the liver reacts by producing more glucose from stored carbs. But with those who've been drinking too much, the liver is busy metabolizing the alcohol and can't handle the extra work, so blood sugar levels stay down, and one can feel irritable and tired.

Greasy Food

What is eaten after drinking doesn't matter - it's what is taken in before the drinking session that can help lessen the pain the next day. Food, greasy food especially, helps slow the absorption of alcohol, and the longer it takes the alcohol to reach the blood stream, the longer it is for the drinker to become intoxicated. But one must be careful: Greasy food can also cause hyperacidity in some stomachs.

Pain Medication

Ease a pounding head with a pill (or two, depending on the recommended dosage), but stick to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (or NSAIDs, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen), not acetaminophen (for example,Tylenol). Says Dena Davidson, Ph.D., former associate professor of psychiatry at Indiana University School of Medicine, "While [acetaminophen] is okay for a headache, when combined with a liver that's working overtime to metabolize alcohol, it can cause liver damage or be deadly."

Vitamins

Those that normally take multivitamins may go ahead. But no studies have found that any particular vitamins do anything for a hangover. And one night of intoxication isn't enough to throw off the levels of nutrients in the body to the point where one needs to worry and try to replenish.

Exercise

One drink - say, a 12-ounce beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of hard liquor - is metabolized by the body in about an hour. So the whole "sweat it out" theory is myth. Well, the endorphin release from exercise could boost mood. And burning off a few calories may ease the drinker's guilt about how much he drank. But, again, it is advisable to keep a bottle of water handy in order not to become even more dehydrated.

Prevention - The Best Cure

A smart man drinks responsibly. But just to remind him: Limit your drinks to about one every hour. Your body metabolizes each beer (or wine or shot) in about 60 to 75 minutes. Drink faster, and your blood alcohol level rises faster. Eat before you drink and follow Dr. Hall-Flavin's "a glass of water to a beer" rule - and drink the water, don't let it just sit on the table.

Finally, "moderate drinking" is defined as two drinks a day. More than five in one sitting is considered "heavy drinking." Thus, it is advisable to think before ordering an extra round.

(Reference: www.menshealth.com)