Alcohol in the news; Hangover Cures; What Really Works

From WICD 15 ABC

Hangover Cures: What Really Works

Many of you will ring in the new year with a glass of champagne, maybe a beer or a cocktail. But one too many drinks leads to a hangover the next morning.

The one surefire cure is drinking in moderation. It seems like everyone has their own tips but doctors say drinking too much will leave you hungover no matter what else you eat or drink.

Technically, moderation isn't a cure, it's prevention.

"Typically a hangover is from drinking too much alcohol and not taking enough fluids in like water, things that would dehydrate you," said Dr. Adam Brown, an emergency physician at Provena in Danville.

This report contains no information about the body processing alcohol.

Remember, typically, the body takes an hour to metabolize the amount of alcohol in one drink. One drink is considered to be a pint of beer (not strong beer), a glass of wine, or a shot of hard liquor.

Most people consider a hangover to be the remainder of the alcohol being processed out of the body. However, after several hours of sleep, the alcohol should be out of your body, unless you got really drunk (a Jacob kind of drunk).

"The cure is drinking in moderation," Brown said.

After a night of drinking, Brown says you should drink water or Gatorade before you go to bed. Some people say they can sleep it off but the doctor says dehydration can keep you from getting a good night's rest.

Another common cure is coffee the following morning. Brown says the caffeine does cure headaches. However, it will also make you go to the bathroom, which could dehydrate you.

So, drink fluids, stay hydrated, and allow your body time to process the alcohol.