The Traveler

Issue date: 1/25/07 Section: Life & Style

Media Credit: Joelle Storet

Too much of a good thing isn't so good, at least when the subject matter is alcohol. Drinking too much beer, wine, hard liquor and other alcoholic beverages can lead to a hangover.

Headaches, nausea and dehydration are three main symptoms when experiencing a hangover, according to the WebMD Web site. To help cure these symptoms, many college students are finding ways to treat hangovers with personal remedies.

"What I tend to do is drink lots and lots of water before I go to bed. Another good thing to do, although it might sound odd, is to set an alarm about two hours before you actually need to be up and alive, then get up, put down some Advil, chug some water and get back to bed. The sleep mixed with the Advil will usually kill whatever ails you," said sophomore Nick Montague.

"Hold off on food as long as you can because you are obviously going to make your stomach even more unsettled. However, bread or crackers before you go to bed can do the trick to soak up some of the stuff," he said.

The symptoms people can experience during a hangover might be a lesson learned and can often lead to the expression, "I told you so" by parents and friends.

However, this expression has been used for years and has yet to stop students from drinking or getting hangovers, so the remedies continue.

"You mix club soda with this stuff called bitters and drink it," said senior Lauren Leach. "You can find it in the grocery store. It takes away the nausea and headaches."

Some students recommend that "just sleeping it off helps," said senior Laci Lawlis. Others have more in-depth methods.

"To cure my hangover, I take a 30 minute shower, get into my car and roll the windows down to give myself some fresh air and go eat greasy food," said senior Brittany Keopple.

The UA health center provides pamphlets to students that give information about over-indulging on alcohol based on the student's weight.

"If a student comes in and shows signs of having a hangover, the pharmacy will recommend rest with lots of clear, water-based, non-carbonated liquids," said Lisa Terry, a UA pharmacist and the acting director.

"We recommend following each drink [beer] with at least eight ounces of pure water during the evening to prevent these hangover side effects," she said.

"We recommend both before and after drinking/hangover to eat foods that are lower in fiber and not spicy or pungent to lessen chances of vomiting. It is better to munch on small snacks all night rather than have a heavy dinner before drinking," Terry said.

Some students resort to pain medication, such as Tylenol or Advil but severe problems could occur if not taken properly.

"Motrin, Advil, Aleve, Ibuprofen and Naproxen are other pain relief choices over the counter, but do sometimes cause stomach upset," she said. "Read the label and warnings to make sure it is safe.  Many medications interact with this last group so ask your doctor what is right for you."

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools