How long does a hangover last? Plus how to cure a hangover fast
If you’re hungover, you might also take OTC pain relievers like aspirin and ibuprofen. While these medications can be helpful for headaches and muscle pains, they may also irritate your stomach lining, causing nausea. Becoming dehydrated through drinking too much alcohol can serve to make your hangover worse, and make the effects last longer. There are treatment approaches that can relieve some of the severe effects of a hangover. In addition to getting some rest, you can drink fluids, eat in moderation, and take over-the-counter (OTC) medications.
Alcohol is metabolized into acetaldehyde, a substance that’s toxic at high levels. However, concentrations rarely get that high, so that’s not the complete explanation. Fortunately, knowing the causes of hangovers, as well as different ways to cure a hangover, can help.
How can I prevent a hangover (or reduce its severity)?
For people living with heart disease, hangover symptoms such as rapid heart rate and high blood pressure can be dangerous. Pain relievers such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) filter through the liver the same way alcohol does. Healthcare professionals caution using this type of medication regularly along with alcohol as it can increase the risk of liver damage. Hangover symptoms peak when the blood alcohol concentration in the body returns to about zero. Most people who get hangovers can diagnose themselves based on their alcohol consumption and symptoms. If you feel sick after consuming alcohol, you most likely have a hangover.
Alternative medicine
If you drank too much alcohol and feel sick, try at-home hangover remedies like drinking plenty of water, eating some carbs and sleeping. You need to let your body rid itself of the alcohol and heal. If excessive drinking and hangover symptoms are interfering with your life, talk to your healthcare provider. Research has not found a correlation between the extent of electrolyte disruptions and the severity of hangovers, or the impact of added electrolytes on hangover severity. In most people, the body will quickly restore electrolyte balance once the effects of alcohol subside. A hangover is usually caused by excessive drinking (drinking to intoxication).
Lack Of Sleep
While it is not the answer people will want to hear, Dr. Basford believes “prevention really is the best cure”, although, she added there are some other measures to consider if the hangover has already hit. “In addition, many people drink less, and less regularly, as they get older, and so when they do have a big tommy lee alcohol night on the booze, they tolerate it much less well.” “The more you drink, the more likely you are going to feel these effects, and the longer you might take to recover.” Newsweek asked medical experts about what to expect from imbibing excess alcohol and how best to deal with “babalaas.”
Just wondering…why are hangovers even a thing?
There are slight differences in how quickly or slowly different people metabolize alcohol, but the physiology of a hangover is very similar between one person and another. And, you don’t necessarily have to drink every day in order for it to be a problem. For example, long recovery time after binge drinking every weekend could be an indication of maladaptive patterns of use and growing alcohol dependence. Gentle exercises are an excellent method to ease a terrible hangover because they will increase your alertness, and your body will release endorphins. These feel-good hormones can help alleviate some symptoms of a hangover.
- This means it is difficult to predict the number of drinks or the amount of alcohol that will cause a hangover.
- There were a few female drivers in attendance, but most of the guests were content creators who have attracted millions of views across multiple social media platforms.
- Lots of people have sensitivities to certain food or chemicals they don’t even know about.
- Depending on different factors, a hangover usually lasts around 24 hours after drinking.
They recommend doing this for everyone, regardless of the presence of a hangover. According to one study, about 25% of people who drink to intoxication don’t have hangovers at all. “Your hangover is going to be different from everyone else you know,” he says. For example, while one person might experience headaches and vomiting after just one drink, another might throw back whiskey gingers all night and wake up feeling tired but otherwise unscathed.
When your body processes alcohol, one of the byproducts is acetaldehyde. This substance can cause a fast pulse, sweating and nausea. In most people, the body breaks down acetaldehyde before it causes problems.