How To Prevent Annoying Post-Party Hangovers
There's nothing worse than waking up after a night of partying with a pounding headache or overwhelming nausea. Hangovers can leave lingering pain and misery, making you promise to never take a sip of alcohol again. While hangovers generally fade away on their own, some can last up to a full 24 hours (via Mayo Clinic). Talk about painful regret.
According to experts at Drink Aware, hangovers are caused by the toxic chemical ethanol, also known as the alcohol in your drinks. Ethanol acts as a diuretic, making you go to the bathroom repeatedly and causing dehydration. This intense loss of fluids can cause the body to feel thirsty, nauseous, tired, and achy, plus experience light sensitivity and painful headaches or migraines (via National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism). Anyone who has experienced a severe hangover knows how intense and elevated these symptoms can become, making you wish you had never picked up a drink in the first place. Luckily, hangovers are preventable and do not have to be part of your post-party experience.
Stay hydrated throughout the night
We've all been there: At a certain point of the night, your bestie starts handing you water shots while you still think it's tequila. Shout-out to your bestie, because that water could save you from a massive hangover the next day. Because the ethanol in drinks causes frequent urination, you're losing loads of vital electrolytes and minerals, compounding what could be devastating dehydration (via Healthline). When the body doesn't have enough fluids, the brain shrinks, pulling on the nerves inside your skull and causing a stressful headache (via Cleveland Clinic).
Chugging water between cocktails or right before bed will help save you from a pounding migraine in the morning. But if you do find yourself with a headache, find a drink low in sugar and high in electrolytes to help restore hydration. Drinks like Pedialyte or Gatorade may not completely halt the hangover, but they can reduce dehydration symptoms as they are loaded with vitamins and minerals (via Verywell Health). Fresh or dried ginger is also an excellent cure for vomiting and nausea, and can even be made into a stomach-settling tea (via Holland & Barrett).
Stay away from drinks with congeners
Ever wonder why your tequila or whiskey nights end up the wildest? That's because some alcohols have higher concentrations of congeners, which are toxic chemicals produced during the ethanol fermentation process (via Healthline). Experts suggest that drinks with high amounts of congeners may result in a more severe hangover because the body needs more time to break down these chemicals, creating a longer-lasting impact on the system (via WebMD). Alcohols with high levels of congeners include tequila, whiskey, cognac, brandy, and homemade beer. So clear or light alcohols with fewer congeners as a better option for avoiding headaches. Opt for drinks made with vodka, gin, white rum, white wine, or sake when deciding to dodge the regret of an early morning hangover.
Much like the buzz around congeners, some alcohol enthusiasts have raised alarms about sulfites. In the wine world, particularly, there is a growing assumption that choosing organic wine made without sulfites prevents headaches. Experts say, however, that there isn't enough evidence to support this idea (via Saveur). The bottom line is that alcohol can cause hangovers with or without sulfites. If you decide to put your body under the pressure of consuming booze, proper precautions must be taken to prevent any painful hangover aftermath. Drink plenty of water, plan to get restorative sleep, and always be responsible while partying.