Dealing with a hangover

If you are drinking at home it’s even harder to keep track of what you are drinking. Home measures are frequently generous to say the least, so you could be sewing the seeds of a hangover sailing through the unit guidelines without even realising.

Avoiding wine glasses the size of gold fish bowls in favour of smaller glasses is an easy way to make sure you are not pouring half a bottle with each drink. Also use the amount of wine in the bottle before and after pouring as an indicator of how much you have in your glass. There are 9 units in a 12% bottle of wine, if half of that is in a single wine glass, whether you are a man or woman you are already well above the unit guidelines.

Further tips for a pain free morning after:

• Try not to drink on an empty stomach; eat something – preferably carbohydrates - before you start drinking. The food will help slow the body’s absorption of the alcohol.
• Avoid getting into rounds because it makes it harder to control how much you drink.
• Stick to clear drinks (that don’t contain congeners that can worsen the hangover).
• Drink plenty of water or soft drinks in between alcoholic drinks.
• Your body takes about one hour to process each unit of alcohol. Consider stopping drinking well before the end of the evening, so the process can begin.

If you do end up with a hangover, what can you do to treat the symptoms?

• Drink as much water as you can before hitting the sack and keep more by the bed to slurp if you wake in the night. Continue drinking plenty of water the next day. Also have some fresh juice to give yourself a vitamin boost.
• If you really need it, take a painkiller – a soluble one is good for a headache and gentle on the stomach.
• Take an antacid to settle your stomach.
• Try a rehydration treatment sachet – they replace lost minerals and salt.
• Avoid caffeine (tea or coffee or energy drinks) – these may give you a slight temporary lift, but they may also dehydrate you further.
• Eat something – bananas and kiwis are a good source of potassium (something you lose with the diuretic effect of alcohol).
• Go for a gentle stroll if you feel able and get some fresh air and light on the face.
• Avoid hair of the dog – it only delays the problem. Falling into the habit of attempting to drink off hangovers can be seen as one of the first signs that you are becoming dependent on alcohol.
• Get plenty of rest and relaxation, take a break from alcohol, and when you do next decide to drink, remember our hangover prevention tips to avoid another painful morning after.

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Page last updated by

Unknown, 10 May 2012.

Page checked on

10 Oct 2008