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Worse for wear? Here’s how to fix your hangover

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Shutterstock

Unfortunately doctors all agree on one thing – there is no cure for a hangover.

While more recent attempts to fix the age-old hangover include IV infusions and beer with added electrolytes, the best thing to do is really the most simple – enjoy alcohol in moderation.

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Of course, that’s easier said than done and if you’re waking up on the first day of 2015 with a splitting headache and a bout of nausea, rest assured there are many things to ease your pain.

Read these tips from doctors and medical professionals to make the day a little more bearable.

Have a nap

Ever had too much to drink, slept for 10 hours, but still woken up feeling groggy? That’s because alcohol interferes with the restorative REM stage of sleep.

sleeping

Feeling shady? Just head back to bed.

According to Dr Charles Cutler, an American College of Physicians fellow, having a nap and “sleeping it off” the next day when you’ve processed some of the alcohol will help your body return to its natural state.

“The body’s got an amazing capacity to heal on its own,” Dr Cutler told CNN.

Eat some carbs

Low blood sugar levels caused by alcohol are one of the main reasons you feel so fatigued and weak after drinking too much.

Eating carbohydrates like toast for breakfast will bump up your blood sugar levels and make you feel better, Keele University professor and alcohol researcher Richard Stevens claims.

“The most effective hangover cures are ones that administer glucose,” Professor Stevens told The Atlantic.

Alka-Seltzer tablets

Alcohol causes an increase in your stomach acid which results in general gastrointestinal unhappiness and feelings of nausea the following day.

Alka-Seltzer tablets contain bicarbonate soda which has been proven to settle upset stomachs, as well as aspirin, which will give you some relief from that headache.

bread-loaf

Doctors say carbs are the closest thing to a hangover cure.

Be warned the aspirin may upset your stomach more, so if you’re looking for pain relief, England’s National Health Service recommends paracetamol.

“Paracetamol-based remedies are usually preferable, as aspirin may further irritate the stomach and increase nausea and sickness,” the NHS site says.

Hydrate

Alcohol is a diuretic which pushes fluids out of your body, drawing it from organs like your brain and leaving you with a nasty headache.

Drinking fluids may be the oldest trick in the book, but it’s the best thing to get you back on your feet.

Try fruit juice to boost your blood sugar and energy, or coconut water which is full of hydrating electrolytes, making it nature’s Gatorade.

Don’t go near orange juice since the acidity can upset your stomach even more.

What not to do

Exercise: If you’re already dehydrated, excessive sweating can be harmful and case a sudden drop in blood pressure. You’re better off just resting in bed.

Drink coffee: You may hope that coffee will give you more energy, but it’s a diuretic that will only dehydrate you more. Coffee also causes blood vessels to shrink, amplifying your headache.

Eat greasy food: There’s no evidence greasy food helps with your hangover, and is instead likely to just give you heartburn. Dr Cutler recommends easy-to-digest food like toast.

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