The Nausea of Hangovers - How To Survive
One of the worst parts about a hangover is the nausea. It's
sometimes impossible to take any remedy, even an aspirin, and
hold it down until it can start to work. You probably already
know some of the things that help you when you're facing the
nausea of a hangover - or nausea for any other reason, for that
matter. But take a look at some advice you may not have thought
of.
The nausea pros - moms to be - have a hatful of tricks they use
to get their days started when nausea is threatening to put
their lives on hold. One of those is to eat something very dry
and drink something very light. Even our grandmothers said that
plain crackers or dry toast was a good thing to eat when nausea
was a problem. And they were right!
Start with only a small amount of either, then wash it down with
something very light. A weak tea is usually a good idea for a
drink - hot if you're feeling chilled or cold if you're feeling
flushed and overheated.
Some people can tolerate something heavier, and there are some
good rules to follow when deciding what you should and shouldn't
eat.
Avoid acids and grease until the nausea has subsided. Both acids
and grease tend to churn around in your stomach, making the
nausea worse for as long at it remains there - usually until you
throw up. If you're expecting the nausea of a hangover, avoid
those rich foods in the hours leading up to the drinking as well
because grease tends to take longer to digest - it'll still be
hanging around the next morning, just waiting to aggravate the
problem.
Trust your nose and your thoughts. If the smell of something
makes your nausea worse, you're probably not going to tolerate
it well on your stomach. By the same token, if simply thinking
about a particular food makes your stomach churn, that's not
likely to be a good idea either. After all, controlling your
stomach starts in your mind and if the thought of some
particular food causes a reaction, the food itself is probably
going to be worse.
Remember that dizziness and nausea go hand in hand. That means
that you're more likely to be seriously nauseated if you stand
or move around quickly. If possible, lay still for a while to
let the nausea pass. Do whatever it takes to avoid dizziness.
Eat a little. Rack your brain until you can come up with
something that you think you can eat. Then eat only a little of
it. It's important to get something on your stomach or the
natural acids will simply continue to wreak havoc. Throughout
the day, continue to eat only small amounts until you're well
past the nausea.