When it comes to hangovers, some folks have their own favorite hangover “cures.” In most cases, they’re just personal preferences and the best advice is to stay hydrated, get something to eat, and take it easy. 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 as well. There is no cure for a hangover, but there are some treatment strategies .

how long do hangover symptoms last

DT can begin as early as 48 hours from a person’s last drink and can last as long as 5 days. The duration of hangover symptoms, such as the shakes, depends on how much alcohol a person has consumed. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, alcohol negatively affects the brain, various organs (think kidney and heart), blood vessels, stomach lining, and several of the body’s systems. If you find that you are unable to control your drinking, it is essential to seek help.

ways to cure your hangover

One strategy that some find beneficial is to alternate between an alcoholic beverage and water. This will help keep you hydrated and, since you would be drinking so much liquid, it may inadvertently keep you from drinking too much alcohol. Alcoholic beverages contain ingredients called congeners, which give many types of alcoholic beverages their flavor and can contribute to hangovers.

As your alcohol and insulin levels drop back down to normal, you may experience low blood sugar levels—also known as hypoglycemia. You may get a severe hangover after a heavy drinking session in a short period, just as you might get a hangover if you drink alcohol over a long time. However, it’s important to note that if you consume more alcohol in a shorter time, the consequences can be significantly more harmful and lead to alcohol poisoning. Some people take over-the-counter pain relievers (often acetaminophen) before going to bed to minimize hangovers. It is important to recognize that the combination of alcohol and acetaminophen can be toxic to the liver.

Over-indulging occasionally is common

In his post-graduate clinical work, he later applied the tenets he learned to guide his therapeutic approach to substance use treatment. There’s no quick fix when it comes to hangovers, but there are several things you can do to make things more manageable as you wait it out. If you’re in the throes of a monster hangover, relief can’t come soon enough. As previously mentioned, the amount of time alcohol can be detected in your system depends on the type of test used. To the best of our knowledge, all content is accurate as of the date posted, though offers contained herein may no longer be available. The opinions expressed are the author’s alone and have not been provided, approved or otherwise endorsed by our advertisers.

Dr. Thomas is also a member of the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA), the leading professional organization for communicators of medical information.

What causes hangover shakes?

Norton recommends that anyone dealing with hangover queasiness consider consuming some ginger tea, or perhaps even just sucking on some crystalized ginger root. Currently there is no known “true cure” for a hangover except letting it wear off, according to Dr. Nguyen. However, even if a cure is not https://ecosoberhouse.com/ in the cards, there are ways to potentially mitigate the negative effects of imbibing a little too much. Hangover shakes can make certain fine motor tasks, such as eating, typing, or dressing, more challenging. A person might speak with a shaky voice or have trouble holding items like utensils.

An over-the-counter (OTC) pain medication may relieve hangover headaches and muscular pains. Take these medications with a meal to avoid stomach irritation or further harming your stressed liver. Drinking on an empty stomach may cause nausea or vomiting, so stop immediately and inform the person you’re with how you’re feeling.

Amount of Rest You Receive After Drinking

Dehydration is often one of the most common reasons we tend to feel unwell after drinking, as a study from Kyushu Dental University explains. So if you want to try and avoid a hangover in the future, opt for lighter spirits like gin or vodka over whisky or rum, white wine over red. You could also opt for drinks with a lower ethanol content, like low alcohol wine. You’ll get a hangover if you drink too much alcohol, but ‘too much’ is different for every person. It all depends on how quickly your liver can process ethanol, the chemical name for alcohol. Even the best of us forget to hydrate sometimes, and when alcohol is in the mix, you can end up with a cluster of uncomfortable symptoms and feelings of regret the next day.

However, a typical hangover can last around 24 hours from when you stopped drinking alcohol. Some people report hangover symptoms after consuming only two or three drinks, while some heavy drinkers never experience hangover symptoms at all. But for most people, the greater the amount of alcohol consumed and the longer the duration of alcohol consumption, the more severe the how long does a hangover last hangover symptoms. Consuming many drinks in a short period increases the likelihood of a hangover after the effects of alcohol wear off. Similarly, if your blood sugar is low, you’re more likely to feel the effects of drinking alcohol. One of the main components of alcoholic drinks is sugar, used in the fermentation process to turn ethanol into beer, wine, or spirits.

Symptoms of Alcohol Overdose

However, you can have a hangover any time of the day—they usually begin between three and ten hours after drinking. Time without alcohol use is the only true remedy for a hangover. Popular strategies such as cold showers and coffee drinking can briefly increase alertness. If a person experiences a hangover, it is best to drink plenty of fluids to rehydrate the body. Ethanol can cross the blood-brain barrier, where it produces much of its hangover effects, but acetaldehyde cannot.

Prolonged overconsumption of alcohol can also impact your body’s nutrient status, increase inflammation, affect certain organs, increase fat build-up in the blood, and raise blood pressure. Once you stop drinking alcohol, your body tries to get back in balance. As it recalibrates, you experience a mild withdrawal from alcohol, which briefly impacts your nervous system and causes mood disturbances—even causing hangover anxiety for some people. Evidence from the Boston University School of Public Health would suggest, largely, you can avoid a hangover if you only have one or two drinks. This is unlikely to elevate your blood alcohol content to a level where it would come back down substantially, so giving you the symptoms of a hangover.