If you have chosen to click on this article at all, there is a good chance that you enjoy the (presumably) occasional drink. So rather than lecture you (a bit hypocritically) on the dangers of alcohol, as you may expect from a health blog, let’s just dive right in.

Now that we have established what causes a hangover, let’s discuss how to get rid of it,once and for all, before your next big night out.

Obviously the best way to avoid a hangover is to ensure that you never get one to begin with. There are plenty of steps you can take before drinking, as well as during and after, but let’s face it – sometimes you just forget (typically once you’ve already knocked back a few). So under the unfortunate circumstance that you rise the next morning in a dizzy stupor, complete with throbbing skull and  heaving stomach, despite even the noblest of efforts, well there’s still hope. Here are a few more tricks you can use to lessen the pain and continue with your day.

The following list will point out the most effective ways to prevent and cure a hangover, and dispel some of those ridiculous myths we have all been talked into at some point or another.

Preventative Measures

- Before Going to Bed

• Wait- Do not go to bed immediately after drinking – It has been established that the main cause of a hangover is the glutamine rebound that keeps you from sleeping and recovering. Thus, to minimize this effect, it is best to give yourself some time between your last drink and the moment you fall asleep.
• Raise That Heart Rate - Exercise is a great way to help you fall asleep and wake up refreshed. It will boost your metabolism to speed the alcohol through your system, and the release of endorphins can counteract many of the symptoms of a hangover while improving your mood. If that isn’t enough, the added stress of the exercise will fatigue you further and allow you to reach a deeper state of sleep – all the while burning many of the excess calories you consumed in the course of the night. Now obviously no one sober would recommend hitting the gym with a bottle of Grey Goose in hand, but there are other ways - especially if your night ended in success. (As if you needed any convincing. Just make sure to keep a bottle of water next to the bed.)
• Keep Things Relaxed – Avoid loud music and excessive noise to allow your head a chance to relax and recuperate. Trust me, it needs it.
• Let the Breeze In – Make sure to open the windows before you fall asleep. The fresh air will help relax you, and assists in the oxygenation of your blood to clear the alcohol from your body.

Before Going Out

• Don’t Skip Dinner – While it may help you fit into that tight v-neck, drinking on an empty stomach reduces your ability to metabolize alcohol and worsens a hangover. Eating something prior to drinking slows the absorption rate of alcohol, giving the body more time to process the toxins, and lessens the damage to the stomach, preventing feelings of nausea. (Eating at the end of the night may settle your stomach a bit and provide some energy for the next morning, but it is only the meal prior to drinking that assists with the hangover itself). If you are extremely health conscious (yet not so much that you’ll stop drinking altogether…) and want to avoid greasy foods altogether, then a shot of olive oil a couple hours before will coat your stomach and slow the absorption as well.
• Take a Multivitamin – This will help to replace many of the nutrients you will lose over the course of the night and lessen some of the symptoms the next morning.

While Drinking

• Stay Loyal – Find a type you like and stick to it. Mixing different kinds of liquors with beer/ each other increases the levels of congeners you consume and thus the likelihood of getting a hangover.
• Steer Clear of Sugary Mixers - Sugar will speed the metabolizing process as well as dehydrate you further. If you don’t want to drink straight liquor then try it on the rocks with a couple slices of fruit – the fructose will actually keep you hydrated, settle your stomach and prevent you from overeating later.
• Skip the Red Bull – Although the combination of energy drinks and alcohol may seem fun at first, caffeine is a strong diuretic and acts to pull more water from the kidneys (as does alcohol). Do I really need to explain this one? In any case, it will make you will crash sooner and you’l only end up spending more money for the next round.
• Carbonated Drinks – These should also be avoided as they act in a similar manner to speed up alcohol metabolism and increase toxicity buildup – they also upset your stomach if you are prone to it.

Remedies –

The Morning After

• Eat Whether You Want to or Not – The body has basically used or excreted most of its essential nutrients as well as its glycogen (main source of energy) in the process of sobering up. It is thus essential that you eat something to replace this. Eggs are the best bet, as they contain cysteine which helps break down acetylhyde – the main byproduct of alcohol digestion that causes hangovers. Fruits are also a good choice as the fructose will help replace electrolytes and liver glycogen and fuel your body. (The potassium in bananas is another bonus.) Coconut water has also been proposed as highly effective for this purpose.
• Should I Skip the Coffee? – Caffeine is known for it’s ability to constrict the blood vessels (counteracting alcohol’s vasodilating properties) which can reduce the severity of a headache, but at the same time it is a diuretic and will dehydrate you further. This one is a personal choice. (I prefer a cup with breakfast to get some energy back, but make sure to drink even more water if you do)
• Popping pills? – While pain medications are okay to use (if it isn’t too frequently), you must take precautions not to use the wrong kinds. Avoid anything containing acetaminophen (like Tylenol) which place additional stress on an already weakened liver. Look for “nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs” like Advil or asprin. (You can even take one at night before you fall asleep provided you have sobered up – if not Asprin can be damaging as well).

I didn’t see the need to mention this in each category as it should be fairly well known but DRINK WATER. You lose about 4 oz of fluids from your body for every 1 oz of alcohol you drink. This needs to be replaced or you will increase the severity of the hangover. Drink water consistently throughout the night before/during/after drinking and the next morning. (As well as any time during the night you wake up).

And the Title of Most Ridiculous Theory Goes To….

“Drink Another Beer” – Really? What drunken frat boy claims credit for this one? It seems like more of a hazing ritual/ practical joke gone awry. Sadly, all too many people have actually tried this idea - tantamount to healing an open wound by sticking a knife in it. Well in any case, let’s dispel it now. This doesn’t work. The only thing that may happen is – and this is if you drink quite a few more than one – you will get drunk again, and possibly not feel the hangover. But if the pain was so bad that you needed alcohol to cure it the first time, what do you imagine will happen when you sober up the second time…