Updated June 08, 2015.
Written or reviewed by a board-certified physician. See About.com's Medical Review Board.
A hangover is a common experience the morning after drinking excessive alcohol. There are several unpleasant symptoms of a hangover, including dry mouth, headache, nausea and stomach cramps. A hangover will gradually improve on its own, but there are steps you can take to cure a hangover and feel better more quickly.
Here are the main remedies for a hangover.
Rehydration
Alcohol enters the bloodstream, acting as a diuretic and causing dehydration, and resulting in toxic substances overloading the body.
Rehydration -- replacing lost water and flushing out the alcohol and other toxins -- is an important part of recovering from a hangover.
Drinking water helps, but it is important not to drink too much water too quickly, as you need enough electrolytes -- essential salts and minerals -- along with water to rehydrate properly. Excessive water consumption without the accompanying electrolytes your body needs can sometimes even lead to water intoxication, which can cause serious physical problems, and in extreme cases, can be life-threatening. So although you might not feel like drinking anything other than water, drinking diluted fruit juice or soup as well as plain water will help you feel better fast.
Caffeine
A popular approach to treating a hangover is to drink caffeinated drinks, such as coffee. If you usually consume caffeine, your headache will probably be eased somewhat by a caffeinated drink, but try to delay your first caffeinated drink until after your first drink of water or diluted juice, to avoid increasing dehydration.
If you do not usually consume caffeine, and you do not have to be alert -- for example, if you have the day off work -- you might be better off skipping the caffeine and having water and resting.
Pain Management
Headaches, muscle pain and stomach ache are common symptoms of a hangover. While over-the-counter painkillers, such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen, are usually effective, it is a good idea to rehydrate yourself and eat before taking pain medications.
There are two reasons for this:
- Headache pain can often be relieved by adequate hydration and regulating your blood sugar;
- Pain is the body's way of letting you know you need to rest and recover, so using relaxation, rest, and nutrition -- including hydration -- to reduce pain is a healthier, more productive approach than blocking out the pain.
Healing the Body
Eating protein, found in eggs, meat and beans, and vitamin C, found in fresh fruit and vegetables, and available in supplements, along with adequate hydration, and taking adequate rest, is the best way to heal the body.
Ideally, you should avoid activities such as smoking and drinking more alcohol.
Some important organs, particularly the brain and the liver, can be permanently damaged by excessive and long term use of alcohol. It is not always possible for these organs to completely heal from the damage done by alcohol. Quitting or cutting down on alcohol and other drugs, and good nutrition, will prevent further damage and will increase the chances of these organs recovering as much as possible.
Driving and Operating Machinery
It is safest to avoid driving while you have a hangover. You may still have enough alcohol in your system to be over the limit, and you could fail a breath test if pulled over. Even if you are not over the limit, you are cognitively impaired, so you put yourself and others at risk by driving or operating machinery. If you are required to do so at work, it is best to call in sick and take the day off to recover.
Lifestyle Reassessment
If you find you are having a lot of hangovers, it might be time to think about your lifestyle and the long term impact of binge drinking on your physical and psychological health. One of the reasons that many heavy drinkers give for cutting back or quitting alcohol is dealing with constant hangovers. Alcohol is extremely harmful, especially when consumed in binges or over the long term, and even moderate drinking has been found to be associated with a large number of chronic diseases.
Making changes to your drinking habits is straightforward, and is described in the article, How to Drink Responsibly.
If you are under peer pressure to drink, you can find ways to politely decline alcohol in the article, Five Ways to Say No to Alcohol.
Sources
Finnigan, F., Schulze, D., Smallwood, J., Helander, A. "The effects of self-administered alcohol-induced 'hangover' in a naturalistic setting on psychomotor and cognitive performance and subjective state." Addiction, 100:1680-9. 2005.
Howland, J., Rohsenow, D., Allensworth-Davies, D., Greece, J., Almeida, A., Minsky, S., Arnedt, J., & Hermos, J. "The incidence and severity of hangover the morning after moderate alcohol intoxication." Addiction, 103:758-65. 2008.
Rohsenow, D., Howland, J., Winter, M., Bliss, C., Littlefield, C., Heeren, T., Calise, T. "Hangover sensitivity after controlled alcohol administration as predictor of post-college drinking." Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 121:270-275, 2012.
Robertson, B., Piasecki, T., Slutske, W., Wood, P., Sher, K., Shiffman, S. & Heath, A. "Validity of the hangover symptoms scale: evidence from an electronic diary study." Alcoholism, Clinical & Experimental Research 36:171-7. 2012.