How to avoid or cure a hangover – NHS

HAIR of the dog doesn’t work, according to the NHS but instead they have shed light on what a hangover actually is and how to best prepare your body to get over one.

The important thing to remember is that alcohol is a diuretic, so removes fluids from the body, leading to dehydration which is the trigger for most hangover symptoms.

NHS advice warns cures are myths, splitting headaches, sickness, dizziness and dehydration are a result of drinking more than your body can handle and the NHS is keen to remind us that the best way to avoid this is to know your limits.

How many units of alcohol are in your drinks?

• a can of standard lager, beer or bitter – 1.8 units
• a pint of standard lager, beer or bitter – 2.3 units
• a small glass of wine (125ml) – 1.5 units
• a large glass of wine (250ml) – 3 units
• a measure of spirits (25ml) – 1 unit

Tips to avoid a Hangover

don’t drink on an empty stomach – eat a carbohydrate heavy meal to slow down the body’s absorption of alcohol

you could be sensitive to dark drinks, natural chemicals called congeners irritate blood vessels and tissue in the brain – making hangovers worse

be aware carbonated (fizzy) drinks speed up the absorption of alcohol into your system

drink at least a pint of water before going to sleep and keep water by your bed

How to deal with a hangover

step one is to re-hydrate your body by drinking plenty of water, soda water or isotonic drinks

Paracetemol-based medicine can help with headaches and muscle cramps

aspirin can further irritate the stomach, increasing nausea

sugary foods and antacids can take away the shakes

vegetable soup is easy for a fragile stomach to digest and is full of vitamins and minerals

The NHS warns that if you’ve had a heavy drinking session, drinking again the morning (Hair of the dog) will not cure a hangover, it simply delays the appearance of symptoms until the alcohol wears off again.

Doctors advice that after drinking a lot of alcohol, hangover or not, you should wait at least 48 hours before drinking again in order to give your body tissues time to recover.