National Hangover Day: How to get over a hangover

If you rang in the New Year with a little too much holiday cheer, you may be paying the price today! Besides New Year’s Day, Jan. 1 is also National Hangover Day, also referred to as Bad Hangover Day! Whether you attended a great big holiday bash or small get-together for New Year’s Eve, indulging in too much of the bubbly can result in a horrible hangover the next day.

According to Mayo Clinic, a hangover is defined as “a group of unpleasant signs and symptoms that can develop after drinking too much alcohol.” Symptoms include horrible headaches, nausea, dehydration, sensitivity to sound and light, bloodshot eyes, dizziness, shakiness and the inability to concentrate.

Mayo Clinic suggests eating prior to drinking and drinking one glass of water after each alcohol drink may help. Darker-colored alcoholic beverages, including brandy, tequila, bourbon, dark-colored beer and/or red wine, have a higher volume of congeners, which are more likely to produce a hangover. While lighter-colored drinks like white wine, gin, vodka and lighter-colored beer are less likely to cause a hangover, drinking too much alcohol regardless of color can result in a pretty bad hangover the following day.

While time is the only real cure for a hangover, there are certain things you can do to feel better:

• Drink water before, during and after you drink alcohol.

• Once the hangover hits, drink orange or tomato juice.

• Drink sports drinks or Pedialyte.

• Eat bland food.

• Take a shower.

• Exercise.

• Vitamin C and/or B may help.

• For headaches, rub a dab or two of Tiger Balm on the back of your neck and temples and massage.

• Reflexology helps speed up liver detoxification. Rub the outer edge area of your right foot, about halfway between the middle of the foot and little toe.

• Strike a pose. If you are a Yoga fan, try the Sweated Twist on for size.

• Sleep it off.

The best proven cure to avoid a hangover is to not drink at all or drink responsibly! And remember - do not drink and drive! Today is also National Bloody Mary Day!