Headache and alcohol - you know and definitely understand the connection between the two if you are a heavy alcohol drinker or if you have at least experienced alcohol drinking a few times in your life.
Ever heard of hangovers? Of course you did hear about it.
It is a severe headache due to alcohol intake.
It is a common thought that excessive drinkers are the only ones who experience hangovers.
Unfortunately, this is not true.
Even light drinkers can experience alcohol-induced headaches.
There are even times when the pain occurs after a single drink.
The Basics of Alcohol-induced Headaches Ethanol, the type of alcohol in beverages, causes the blood vessels to dilate.
This dilation results to the redness of face and headaches.
Moreover, another ingredient of some alcoholic beverages can also cause headaches.
Meanwhile, ethanol causes more urination, thus resulting to dehydration.
For your information, dehydration is another factor that triggers a hangover.
Generally speaking, a hangover results from the dilation of blood vessels, lowered blood glucose, and dehydration caused by alcoholic beverages.
How to Prevent Hangovers Below are some effective ways on how to prevent alcohol-induced headaches: • Do not drink alcohol at all.
What tip could be better than this? Reducing your alcohol intake may also be effective; but as said earlier, hangover is not exclusive for heavy drinkers.
For this, reducing alcohol intake may not be enough for some people.
• Eat fatty or greasy foods before or while you drink.
It is believed that fatty or greasy foods coat the lining of the stomach and slow the body's absorption of alcohol.
• Drink a lot of water.
Dehydration is one of the main triggers of hangover.
For this, it is advisable to drink a glass of water before and after drinking alcoholic beverages.
You should also drink water along with alcoholic beverages.
Drinking a lot of water will keep you hydrated; thus preventing alcohol-induced headaches.
How to Treat a Hangover Okay, let's say the damage is done.
The unbearable pounding pain is already there.
Below are some of the things you should do to treat a hangover: • Take over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs.
Alcohol is believed to trigger an inflammatory response; hence it is suggested that taking anti-inflammatory medicines can cure hangovers.
Just make sure to be careful in any medicine that you take.
• Eat eggs.
Eggs are rich in cysteine, a substance that breaks down toxins that cause a hangover.
For this, eating eggs is believed to be an effective remedy for hangovers.
• Drink plenty of water.
Yes, drinking water can both prevent and cure hangovers.
Hydration is the key.
When you get dehydrated, you get a hangover.
When you re-hydrate yourself, the byproducts in the stomach brought by alcohol are diluted.
Now that we have discussed the basic things about headache and alcohol, it's time for you to learn more about the further effects of alcohol to your health.
It can indeed cause serious health conditions; therefore it is important to always be careful in drinking alcoholic beverages.
Drink in moderation or if possible, don't drink alcohol at all.