Hangovers can be painful enough to encourage vows never to drink again and make you wish you never went out in the first place.
The severity of a hangover varies from person to person, but symptoms usually include a headache, nausea, tiredness and dehydration.
One of the main causes of discomfort during a hangover is dehydration, which causes other symptoms.
Days can be lost to a hangover as it can leave you feeling irritable and sensitive to light.
How to prevent a hangover
To avoid the recurrence of hangovers, keep track of what you're drinking and stay within the low-risk drinking guidelines by not exceeding more than 14 units of alcohol per week.
Spreading your drinks out evenly over the course of the week is also a good way to prevent a hangover.
Knowing the number of units of alcohol per drink will also allow you to make informed decisions while out to prevent a hangover.
- Small shots of spirits (25ml) are 1 unit
- Gin, rum, sambuca, tequila, vodka, whisky in a single large (35ml) 1.4 units
- Alcopops (275ml) and a glass of wine (125ml) 1.5 units
- Bottle of lager, beer or cider (330ml) 1.7 units
- Can of lager, beer or cider (440ml) 2 units
- Pint of lower-strength lager, beer or cider (568ml) 2 units
- Standard glass of red, white or rosé wine (175ml) 2.1 units
- Pint of higher-strength lager, beer or cider (568ml) 3 units
- Large glass of red, white or rosé wine (250ml) 3 units
However, opting for drinks at the top of the list, which has fewer units of alcohol, isn't always the best option to avoid a hangover as you can drink them quickly and then buy more.
If you choose a drink with more units, take your time and don't rush it into you.
Other helpful tips to avoid a hangover include:
- Avoid drinking on an empty stomach as food helps slow down the rate your body absorbs alcohol.
- Try not to get into rounds. They make it harder to control how much you drink.
- Drink plenty of water or soft drinks in between alcoholic drinks to avoid dehydration.
- Depending on your weight and other factors, it takes about one hour for a healthy liver to process a unit of alcohol. Consider stopping drinking before the end of the evening, so the process can begin before you go to bed.
- Drink plenty of water before sleeping and keep a glass by the bed.
How can you cure a hangover?
- The only hangover cure is prevention, either through drinking moderately or not at all.
- Drink plenty of water and if you really need it, take a painkiller. You could also try a rehydration treatment sachet – they replace lost minerals and salt.
- Avoid the hair of the dog – it only delays the problem. And routine 'hair of the dog' drinking can lead to increased tolerance of alcohol, leading to alcohol dependence.
