How to treat your New Year's hangover
A fun night of imbibing on New Year's Eve can quickly turn into a horrendous hangover the next day, leaving you with nausea, a pounding headache, and a case of the spins -- not a good way to start the new year.
Of course, the only way to prevent a hangover is to not drink alcohol in the first place. But if you did get carried away, there are several strategies that can help ease the pain.
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate
Alcohol is a diuretic, meaning it encourages the body to lose more water than it takes in, which can lead to dehydration.
This can result in fatigue, thirst, headache, and dizziness or lightheadedness. To help prevent dehydration while drinking alcohol, experts recommend alternating each alcoholic beverage with a glass of water. Drinking water before bed can also help relieve dehydration.
If you wake up dehydrated from a night of drinking, try guzzling some electrolyte-rich fluids, including sports drinks, coconut water, or even Pedialyte, in addition to regular water.
Pop an over-the-counter painkiller
Certain over-the-counter painkillers, known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can help ease a throbbing headache and body aches after a night of heavy drinking, but they won't work as a cure-all.
Experts recommend taking an aspirin or ibuprofen, like Advil, over Tylenol, which can be extra taxing on the liver. NSAIDs can irritate the lining of the gastrointestinal tract, however, so it's important to use them with caution.
Some people say taking an aspirin before bed can help prevent a hangover the next day, but there is no scientific research to back up this claim.
Fuel up on food
While you may have heard that filling up on greasy foods can help fight off a hangover, experts say that's not the best move.
Julie Zumpano, a registered dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic, says certain other foods may help. She suggests fruits like mangoes, grapes, pears, watermelon and plantains, which have natural sugars that may help get alcohol out of your system a little faster. Salmon, rich in B6 and B12 vitamins, may also be a good boost, since lower levels of B vitamins are said to intensify hangovers.
If you're feeling queasy, another good rule of thumb is to stick to bland foods. "This is what we call the 'BRAT' diet: Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast," Zumpano said. These plain foods are easy for the body to digest and can help settle an upset stomach, a common symptom of a hangover. They also tend to contain carbohydrates, which can help boost your blood sugar.
Finally, if you have any gingerbread cookies left over from the holidays, Zumpano suggests nibbling on one, as ginger has been found to reduce nausea.
Take a long nap
While drinking alcohol can make you tired initially, after you actually fall asleep, it will cause a rebound of energy from adrenaline that will mess with your sleep cycles.
Too much alcohol means skipping the REM sleep stage -- the deepest stage of sleep -- and likely waking up as the alcohol wears off.
Napping the afternoon away can help your body heal and pass the time that it will take to feel better.
IV hangover therapy - a good idea?
Some companies, such as the Hangover Club and The I.V. Doc, are gaining traction in major cities across the country in the growing field of home-delivery IV nutrient therapy for hangovers or an everyday energy boost.
The service comes at a high price -- a couple hundred dollars per bag, depending on the additives included -- but Asa Kitfield, founder of the Hangover Club, said that for the company's high-end clientele, it can really pay off.
"When you look at some of our clientele, losing an entire day to a hangover could be very expensive. It could cost you way more than $200, it could cost you thousands of dollars. This is sort of a 'whoops' button to save the rest of your day," Kitfield told CBS News in April.
However, CBS News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook raised some concerns about the method. "None of those [health claims] have been FDA approved or validated by any kind of controlled scientific studies," he said. "In fact there's something here that specifically says, 'This product is not intended to diagnose, treat cure or prevent any disease. This service is intended only for healthy adults.' Well if you're a healthy adult, why do you need this?"
He also warned of potential complications if IV's are administered improperly, such as infections, swelling, and pain or burning at the injection site.
New Year's detox
Once the hangover has passed, some may be tempted to try to "detox" in the form of a juice cleanse or fad diet that promises to "flush out toxins."
But experts say the body will do that naturally.
"The only cleanse you need is the one with which you were born," Samantha Heller, a registered dietitian and exercise physiologist, told "CBS This Morning." "So you don't need to fast, or juice or do pills or potions or teas. Your body knows how to detox 24/7. That's it's mission."
Detoxifying enzymes in the liver break down alcohol and other drugs, and the kidneys handle water-soluble toxins, Liz Applegate, director of sports nutrition at the University of California, Davis, explained to Live Science.
Instead of a fad "detox" diet, experts recommend implementing healthier lifestyle changes that will stick, such as eating a balanced diet, getting moderate exercise several days a week, cutting down on alcohol, and if you're a smoker, quitting.
