1. Holidays, Hangovers, and NSAIDs
The holidays are here, and over-indulgence is part
of the season for many. Though prevention is better than cure, if you overdo it there are a few
things that can help. And a few things to avoid doing.
Hangovers are characterized by headache, nausea, diarrhea, dizziness, difficulty concentrating,
and a number of other symptoms. As a diuretic, alcohol causes the drinker to urinate more
frequently, thus resulting in dehydration. Dehydration causes much of the headache, dizziness,
and fatigue. The alcohol itself also irritates the stomach, resulting in stomach and intestinal
problems.
Primarily, it’s important to re-hydrate. Many of the problems associated with consuming too
much alcohol are related to your water content being out of balance. By drinking a glass of
water every hour, you can re-establish that balance and help flush out and residual toxins.
To relieve the immediate problem of a hangover-related headache, you can take an
over-the-counter dose of and NSAID. Ibuprofen tends to be the most available, and the NSAID
of choice for this use. It’s best to avoid aspirin, however, because aspirin has a more serious
effect on the stomach and may aggravate any nausea you might be feeling.
Also a little light to moderate exercise can help overcome the symptoms of hangover by
improving blood flow throughout the body. Sweating and breathing heavily also help remove
some of the leftover alcohol and its by-products from your system more quickly. So a brisk walk
or a stint on the treadmill may help feel better sooner.
NSAIDs like ibuprofen and similar drugs are the medication of choice for dealing with the
headache and other pains of having had too much to drink. Some people mistakenly take
acetaminophen (paracetamol) to relieve headaches. While this medication may relieve the pain,
both acetaminophen and alcohol are processed by the liver. This could put unnecessary strain
on the organ and result in liver damage, even at low doses of acetaminophen.
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2. So-called hangover pills are also not a good idea. They may work, but it’s easy enough to get
the same effect at home. An NSAID with a cup of coffee or tea is likely to have a similar effect,
especially if combined with a multivitamin. There’s no need to spend money on a specialized
“hangover pill.”
As with many conditions, it’s far better to avoid getting a hangover in the first place. Avoid
drinking excessive amounts of alcohol to avoid the worst after-effects. Drinking moderately is
far healthier. Likewise, avoid drinking beverages with a lot of artificial colorings, artificial
flavorings, or preservatives. Even after a single beverage, some of these additives can cause
hangover-like effects. Instead, take a good look at the ingredients to see what kinds of additives
it may have in it. Finally, drink water along with alcoholic beverages to prevent serious
dehydration. Drinking a serving of water in a one-to-one ratio with alcoholic drinks will go a long
way to preventing an unpleasant start to the next day.
For a fun article on worldwide hangover cures, click here.
Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.Com.
Originally published here:
http://www.nsaids-list.com/2012/12/28/holidays-hangovers-and-nsaids/
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