How Long Can a Hangover Last? We Asked the Experts
If you take any medications, always check with your healthcare provider before drinking alcohol to avoid negative interactions that may prolong your hangover. Drinking to ease the symptoms of a hangover is sometimes called taking the hair of the dog, or hair of the dog that bit you. The notion is that hangovers are a form of alcohol withdrawal, so a drink or two will ease the withdrawal. Drinking may lower blood sugar levels, so theoretically some of the fatigue and headaches of a hangover may be from a brain working without enough of its main fuel. Moreover, many people forget to eat when they drink, further lowering their blood sugar.
Amount of Rest You Receive After Drinking
It’s possible that some chemicals in wine and how the body responds to them could result in a headache after drinking wine. More research is needed to find the exact cause of wine headache. More-serious symptoms from heavy drinking may be a sign of alcohol poisoning — a life-threatening emergency. Alcohol poisoning is a serious and sometimes deadly result of drinking large amounts of alcohol in a short period of time. Drinking too much too quickly can affect breathing, heart rate, body temperature and gag reflex.
The best way to prevent hangovers is to avoid alcohol entirely or drink in moderation, giving the body plenty of time to process the alcohol before consuming more. A person can limit the risk of a hangover by drinking plenty of water alongside any alcoholic beverages, or eating a meal after drinking alcohol. It is important to stay hydrated, eat nutritious food, and get plenty of rest to prevent the symptoms of hangover. A hangover is unpleasant, but symptoms tend to go away within a day or so. If you drank too much alcohol and feel sick, try at-home hangover remedies like drinking plenty of water, eating some carbs and sleeping.
In addition, some people may be born with a genetic predisposition to developing worse hangovers than others. “This can be made even worse if you have not kept yourself hydrated with soft drinks. Becoming dehydrated through drinking too much alcohol can serve to make your hangover worse, and make the effects last longer.” However, if you can’t keep water down or if you’re unable to stop throwing up after 24 hours, it’s a good idea to get medical attention. It’s also important to get medical help if you have dehydration symptoms. If you’re vomiting frequently, it’s important to be mindful of dehydration symptoms, like dark-colored urine, decreased urination, and fatigue. “Drinking too much or binge drinking on a single occasion or over time can take a serious toll on your health,” says Valerie Agyeman, RD, a dietitian at Flourish Heights, who specializes in women’s health.
And, Blood in urine hematuria Symptoms and causes it could potentially be part of a larger alcohol use disorder. MAT combines medication with counseling and behavioral therapies to treat alcohol addiction. Drugs such as naltrexone, acamprosate, and disulfiram can help reduce cravings and prevent relapse.
Hangover Symptoms
But by inhibiting ADH, water is instead urinated out at a faster rate than you’re adding fluids back. Hydration can help to ease a hangover but it does not completely alleviate the symptoms. Dehydration occurs because alcohol inhibits the effect of a hormone called antidiuretic hormone (ADH). Normally, ADH stimulates the kidneys to reabsorb water from urine to prevent dehydration. Understanding what causes a hangover headache can help you take steps to mitigate the symptoms, plus give you a heads-up on how to avoid another one in the future. “It’s also worth mentioning that it’s more likely to be lifestyle factors which play the biggest part in making us feel worse during a hangover.
When to see a doctor
- Read on to learn more about what congeners are, which drinks to avoid, tips for recovery, and more.
- Your body’s already under a little bit of strain during your period, and since alcohol can dehydrate you, it can deplete your energy even more on your period, says Dr. Cox.
- There are some reports online of them lasting for up to 3 days, but we can’t find much evidence to back this up.
- Ease the pain by staying hydrated—alternating every glass of booze with a glass of water, he says—and make sure to keep drinking water even when you really don’t feel like it the next day.
- Time without alcohol use is the only true remedy for a hangover.
- If you choose to drink alcohol, doing so responsibly can help you stay away from hangovers.
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. At least one small study has shown some hangover treatment benefits from an over-the-counter remedy that contains milk thistle, thiamine, and antioxidants, but more research is needed. Certain supplements and herbal remedies have been touted as hangover remedies, but there is no solid evidence backing up this claim. If you’re feeling queasy, avoid rich, greasy foods and stick to dry, bland foods like toast and crackers.
Toast and juice is a way to gently nudge levels back to normal. The key ingredient seems to be “drinking to intoxication”; how much you drank to get there is less important. In fact, several studies suggest that light and moderate drinkers are more vulnerable to getting a hangover than heavy drinkers. Yet there’s also seemingly contradictory research showing that people with a family history of alcoholism have worse hangovers. Researchers say some people may end up with drinking problems because they drink in an effort to relieve hangover symptoms. Alcohol is the main culprit in a hangover, but other components of alcoholic beverages might contribute to hangover symptoms or make a hangover worse.
The effects usually begin hours after drinking alcohol and can last for a whole morning or even for several days. A hangover refers to a set of symptoms that occur as a consequence of drinking too much. Typical symptoms include fatigue, weakness, thirst, headache, muscle aches, nausea, stomach pain, vertigo, sensitivity to light and sound, anxiety, irritability, sweating, and increased blood pressure. But much more research needs to be done to verify any supplement or intervention as a legit hangover cure. Some people take over-the-counter pain relievers (often acetaminophen) before going to bed to minimize hangovers.
Ironically, race day (Saturday) itself is often pretty quiet until the lights go out, but the highlight of every weekend is the starting grid. I’m also intrigued by which celebrities manage to sneak into a race undetected. Last year, Rihanna fans didn’t even realize she was on the premises until she was spotted on the broadcast in the Ferrari garage. This time, Bradley Cooper and Adele were both pictured in the McLaren garage at points throughout the weekend, but almost nobody saw them coming in or out. The only guaranteed way to prevent a hangover headache is to avoid alcohol, or at least drink in moderation.
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. A 2020 study found evidence to suggest that red ginseng may reduce hangover symptom severity by reducing the ethanol concentration in the blood. Some companies use misleading advertising to claim that their products can prevent hangovers. But the only guaranteed way to prevent a hangover is to not drink alcohol.