The Christmas party season is well and truly upon us bringing a time for friends, family and festivities. And whilst having a few drinks can be fun at the time, drinking too much is likely to mean you wake up with a hangover the next morning. Although these vary in strength and intensity, they often involve a headache, nausea, dehydration, tiredness and weakness.
As alcohol makes its way out of your body, the symptoms of your hangover ease. But the liver (which eliminates most of what you drink) only processes alcohol at around a unit an hour so contrary to myths about fry-ups or flat cola, what your body really needs to recover is time. But the shocking reality is, that even though you may feel ok you could still be over the limit the next morning.
Alcohol is a toxin and hangovers are our body’s way of telling us we have overdone it. Although this is the season to be jolly, overdoing it can lead to more than just a headache the next day. It can be an accident waiting to happen. Take care and plan ahead. If you need to drive the next day or work in a dangerous environment or a zero tolerance workplace, drinking a skinful the night before may put you over the legal limit. If you don’t need to drive then think about booking a taxi or getting a lift with a friend.
Tips for pacing
Keep a note of how many units you drink – men shouldn’t regularly drink more than 3-4 units of alcohol a day and women 2-3 units. Understanding units can be hard – try the NHS unit tracker.
Avoid large wine glasses – try drinking out of a smaller glass and work out how much you are drinking e.g. half of a 12% bottle of wine is equivalent to 4.5 units, over the recommended allowance for both men and women.
Eat before you drink – try not to drink on an empty stomach. Eating food, preferably carbohydrates, helps slow the absorption of alcohol into the body.
Avoid rounds – although rounds of drinks may seem a fair way to spread the cheer, it makes it harder to control the amount you drink.
Stick to clear drinks and don’t mix them – dark drinks have additional substances (congeners) that can make your hangover worse, as can mixing.
Drink plenty of water – alcohol is a diuretic and makes you pee more often. It is also the main reason you end up dehydrated, so drink plenty of water or soft drinks.
Stop drinking early – the earlier you stop drinking the earlier your body can start processing the alcohol and getting rid of the toxins.
Various myths have been handed down about what cures a hangover. There are no real cures for hangovers beyond not drinking but there are some tips for easing the symptoms:
Drink plenty of water before you go to bed – have a glass of water by your bed to drink from if you wake in the night. Drink plenty of water or soft drinks the next day.
Take a painkiller if you need it – soluble ones help ease the headache and are gentle on the stomach. Antacids can help to settle your stomach. Rehydration sachets can help replace most minerals and salts.
Avoid caffeine – drinks containing caffeine may give you a temporary lift but may also dehydrate you further.
Eat something – bananas and kiwis contain potassium, one of the salts lost when drinking.
Get some fresh air – go out for a gentle walk to get some air and light on your face.
Avoid hair of the dog – this just delays the problem and can be seen as a sign of becoming dependent on alcohol.
Rest, relax and take a break from alcohol.
If you think you might have a problem with alcohol visit the alcohol concern website.
