Hangover Cure: Science-Approved Ways to Get Rid of the Pain

For years, people have wondered how to get rid of a hangover. The word first entered the English lexicon during the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Over the years, people have devised a slew of bizarre therapies, but some have more scientific backing than others.

Here are a few things you should know about hangovers.

(Photo: Johannes Simon/Getty Images)
MUNICH, GERMANY - SEPTEMBER 22: Revelers enjoy drinking beer inside the Hofbrau beer tent during the opening weekend of the 2019 Oktoberfest on September 22, 2019, in Munich, Germany. This year's Oktoberfest, which will draw millions of visitors from all over the world, runs through October 6.

What is Hangover?

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), a hangover is the body's reaction to heavy drinking. You can suffer various symptoms, including headaches, muscle pains, hunger, stomach pain, nausea, exhaustion, and sensitivity to light and noise, among other things, while you have a hangover.

Joseph DeSanto, MD, a BioCorRx internal medicine physician specializing in addiction medicine, told Parade that hangover is one of the most frequent side effects of drinking too much.

The severity of a hangover can vary from moderate to extreme. It depends on your physiology, your body's effectiveness at absorbing alcohol and extracting poisonous elements from your body, as well as how much and how quickly you drank. The symptoms of vomiting increase the effects of a hangover.

What Causes Hangover?

Hangovers can be caused by several causes, according to the NIAAA:

Mild dehydration: Alcohol inhibits the production of vasopressin, a brain hormone that causes the kidneys to store urine by sending signals to them. As a consequence, alcohol causes increased urination and fluid loss. The resulting moderate dehydration is likely to lead to hangover symptoms like thirst, exhaustion, and headaches.

Sleep disruption: People who drink alcohol can fall asleep quicker, but their sleep is fragmented. They appear to wake up earlier. This leads to exhaustion and decreased productivity.

Gastrointestinal irritation: Alcohol irritates the stomach lining and enhances acid production. This can cause nausea and stomach pains.

Inflammation: Alcohol causes the body to become more inflamed. Inflammation plays a part in the malaise that people get when they are ill, but it may also be a factor in hangover symptoms.

Alcohol digestion, mainly by the liver, produces the poisonous, short-lived byproduct acetaldehyde, which leads to inflammation in the liver, pancreas, brain, gastrointestinal tract, and other organs.

Mini-withdrawal: When intoxicated, people can feel calmer, more relaxed, and even euphoric, but when the brain struggles to maintain equilibrium, it easily responds to those positive effects. As a result, after the buzz wears off, people can feel more restless and anxious than they did before drinking.

It's impossible to say how many drinks can trigger a hangover because everyone is different. When people drink to the point of overdose, there's a possibility they'll wake up with a hangover the next day.

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How to Get Rid of Hangover

Harvard Medical School has shared some often suggested tips for dealing with the pounding headache that has you swearing you'll never drink again. They won't heal your hangover or make it go away any faster, but they will make you feel a little better.

Drink plenty of water.

Since alcohol is a diuretic, people will need to pee after a few pints. Excessive alcohol necessitates frequent toilet visits, dehydrating the body over time. Dehydration is one of the causes of a hangover, so removing missing water should prioritize many people.

Take a relaxing cup of tea.

Caffeinated beverages, such as coffee and some teas, are diuretic and contribute to dehydration. Fruit teas, on the other hand, are an excellent substitute for a hot beverage for irritated stomachs. Ginger tea, like everything else with the root at its foundation, has a lot of stomach-friendly properties.

The hair of the dog

The hair of the dog is a tried-and-true way to get out of a hangover. But the benefits come from temporarily raising blood alcohol levels.

This means that these numbers will eventually decrease, and the hangover will return to normal.

Many that insist on sticking to the tried-and-true formula will benefit from a Bloody Mary, which would add fresh alcohol while still providing much-needed vitamins.

Take painkillers, but avoid Tylenol

Aspirin, ibuprofen (Motrin, other brands), and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can relieve headaches and other aches and pains. However, NSAIDs can irritate a stomach that has already been aggravated by alcohol. Taking acetaminophen only if absolutely necessary (Tylenol). If you have alcohol in your system, the adverse effects of acetaminophen on the liver can be amplified.