A hangover is unpleasant physical pain resulting from the consumption of alcohol.
It can consist of nausea, fatigue, weakness, stomach pain and headache.
An intense throbbing headache is one of the most common symptoms of a hangover.
The best way to prevent a hangover headache is to either not drink alcohol, or to limit alcohol consumption to one drink per day.
Since this is not always realistic, there are other ways to avoid waking up with a piercing headache.
In order to prevent a hangover headache, it is important to understand what causes a hangover.
Alcohol is a diuretic, which causes dehydration due to more frequent urination.
Alcohol also has an effect on prostaglandin, which regulates pain.
It can cause inflammation, which results in swollen blood vessels.
Alcohol causes the liver to make less glucose, which puts a strain on cells in the brain.
It also disrupts sleep, which can contribute to a hangover.
There are several tricks to avoid waking up with the excruciating headache that usually accompanies a hangover.
Eating a greasy meal before consumption of alcohol will slow the absorption of alcohol by the body.
Eating a lot of carbohydrates will allow the body to stock up on the glucose that will not be produced due to the alcohol in the system.
Drinking fruit juice between alcoholic drinks will also help replenish the glucose that is lost by alcohol consumption.
Drinking water during and immediately after drinking will help combat dehydration.
Drinking alcoholic beverages slowly will allow the body time to process the alcohol.
Clear alcohol is a better choice than dark as clear beverages have less of an inflammatory effect on blood vessels.
Sometimes aspirin can be helpful in preventing a hangover.
One important thing to note is that Tylenol or acetaminophen should never be taken in combination with alcohol as it can affect the functioning of the liver.
Even if all of the above tips are followed, it is still possible to wake up with a bad headache.
Many people think that coffee is the solution to a hangover.
Caffeine can help combat the inflammatory effect of alcohol but coffee, like alcohol, is also a diuretic and will only cause the body to become more dehydrated.
Small doses of caffeine can be beneficial but they should be combined with large doses of water to help replenish lost fluids.
The stomach is in an acidic state after drinking alcohol.
Avoid acidic juices like orange juice and drink apple juice instead.
Sports drinks such as Gatorade and Powerade are helpful.
B complex vitamins are known to combat stress and can be useful in combating a hangover headache.
Some people believe having an alcoholic beverage in the morning known as "hair of the dog" can be useful because while the body is concentrating on the new alcohol it will ignore the old alcohol in the system.
The downside to this remedy is that the body will eventually have to break down the new alcohol so the relief is only temporary.
Doctors usually don't support the "hair of the dog" approach to curing a hangover.
The best remedy for a hangover headache is time.
In time the effects of the alcohol will be gone completely and everything will be back to normal.