Ways to Prevent or Remedy a Hangover

I have a confession to make. In all my thirty-some-odd years on this planet, I've never had a hangover. In fact, despite my sisters' best efforts, I've never really been drunk. I have, however, babysat (and cleaned up after) enough drunk people to have an idea about what hangovers are like. We've probably all heard the rumors about how to 'cure' a hangover-coffee, 'hair of the dog', etc, but what really helps? And, more importantly, how can we prevent hangovers in the future? While there's no 'one-size-fits-all' answer (aside from not getting drunk to begin with), here are a few ideas.

Hydration, hydration, hydration. One of the main causes of hangovers is dehydration. Have you ever heard the phrase, 'you don't buy liquor, you rent it'? It refers to the increased urination alcohol causes. If you drink plenty of non-alcoholic fluids between drinks during the night, there is less of a chance that you will get dehydrated to such a painful point. If it's 'the morning after', drinking water or sports drinks can help replenish some of the hydration and electrolytes you lost during the night. Also, eating fruits that are rich in Vitamin C can rehydrate you and lessen your 'recovery time'. Avoid caffeine, as it can make the dehydration worse.

Get your Z-z-z-z. Sleep is a hangover's best friend. If possible, try to stay in bed and sleep off the worst of it.

Take a cold shower. This advice is usually given for something completely different, but it can help here too. That surge of adrenaline you get when that cold water hits your chest helps ease the pain of a hangover.

Leave the Tylenol alone! However tempting it will be to take some sort of pain medication, avoid Tylenol. The active ingredient in Tylenol is acetaminophen, which can have adverse effects on your liver. Your liver has already taken a beating from the alcohol, so this is the last thing it needs! Aspirin, with its blood thinning properties, isn't much better. Advil and Aleve should be fine, but the best thing to do for your headache is to put some baking soda in water (usually about 1/4-1/2 tsp will do) and drink it. Yes, it tastes nasty, but its gets more water into you and is better than something that could interact badly with any alcohol that is still in your system.

Food, glorious food. Eating is probably the last thing you feel like doing while hung over, but you should get some food in your stomach. 'Bready' foods like toast and pasta are good for settling your stomach, and bananas can help replenish any potassium you lost during your many trips to the bathroom. In terms of hangover prevention, eating a meal lines your stomach and slows down the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream.

Hopefully I've given you a few ideas about how to prevent hangovers and deal with them when they do come. There are so many rumors out there that it can be hard to sort fact from fiction. Like I said before, the only 100%-sure way to prevent a hangover is not to get drunk, but trying different things will help you find out what works for you.