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After a long night of overindulgence, many people experience the dreaded hangover. Headaches, nausea, body shakes and, sometimes, a feeling of dread or regret, are all things many people experience the day after. If taken care of correctly, hangovers can be avoided or cured with almost little to no difficulty.

Avoiding the Hangover

The main cause for a hangover is that alcohol dehydrates the body by increasing the amount of urine production in the drinker. Dry mouth, shaking and headaches are caused from dehydration, and will persist until the body is hydrated through drinking water or other hydrating beverages.

A hangover may be avoided by limiting oneself to drink a set amount of cocktails during the night. Once the limit is reached, water or another non-alcoholic beverage should be substituted. Drinking a glass of water between each drink is also an excellent way to keep oneself hydrated.

For many people, eating greasy foods or taking vitamins prior to drinking also works, but may not be the end-all-be-all. Over drinking, no matter what precautions are taken, will most likely cause a hangover.

The simplest way to avoid a hangover then is to not drink, period. This eliminates the chance of dehydration and any other negative side effects that consumption of alcohol will cause. Any unfortunate behavior associated with alcohol that causes the psychological hangover can also be avoided.

The Psychological Hangover

On occasion, some drinkers will be faced with a psychological hangover. This hangover will not cause headaches, dry mouth or nausea, but will leave the drinker with a feeling of regret or shame. There may or may not be a reason for the person to feel regret or shame, but they feel it nonetheless. The most likely explanation for this is that alcohol is a depressant, and will give the drinker symptoms of depression. It is also likely, since alcohol lowers the inhibitions of the drinker, that bad choices were made the night before and there is a reason for the regret.

Curing a Hangover

There are many solutions for curing a hangover. Most experts agree that time, ibuprofen, rest and hydration are the best ways to overcome the sickness of the next day.

However, there are alternate ways of curing a hangover, including the following:

Food

Number one on the list of hangover cures is eating. According to Lifehacker.com, researchers in Britain found that eating concentrated doses of carbohydrates and protein after overindulgence can speed up your metabolism and provide the amino acids needed to start feeling better. Translated, eating foods like a bacon sandwich, eggs and toast or a greasy burger will make a hangover go away faster.

The Hair of the Dog

It’s also been suggested that having a drink, such as a Bloody Mary, will take the edge off. While this may allegedly work for some, it’s actually putting the body back into the state prior to the hangover, rather than helping to take it out.

Having an Orgasm

A lesser known and possibly more fun cure is to engage in sex, or more specifically, have an orgasm, while hung over. It will release oxytocin, which will increase the body’s pain threshold and make the hangover less severe.

Exercise

Exercise may also be helpful. Many people may not want to get up and move when experiencing a hangover, but sweat will help cleanse the body of toxins by increasing circulation. Do not overdo it, however. Too much exercise may increase dehydration.

Although the best way to avoid a hangover is to keep hydrated while drinking, or by not drinking at all, it is possible to cure a hangover by eating correctly, resting and drinking plenty of water. It may also be possible to use alternative methods to alleviate the sick feelings after a night of drinking. It is important to remember, however, that there is no magical cure, and that only time will truly fix what ails you.