Hangover cures are something which most of us have tried or at least tried to find at some point in our lives. Drinking alcohol has a well established place in Western culture and these beverages are celebrated for their taste, their suitability as an adjunct to many foods and of course their efficacy as social lubricants, besides the euphoric state they can produce in imbibers. However, as with anything else, overindulgence comes at a price and with alcohol that means a hangover.

Hangovers typically consist of headaches, a feeling of general dehydration including dry mouth, feeling groggy and generally “out of it” as well as increased sensitivity to light and sound. It usually passes within a few hours and with a good amount of water, but still a hangover is one of those unpleasant experiences we’d all rather avoid.

The feeling of dehydration which comes with a hangover is exactly that – alcohol has a powerful dehydrating effect on the body, including the fluid levels within the brain. It is this dehydration which causes may of the symptoms of a hangover. Because of this, one of the sure fire (but not instant) hangover cures is to drink plenty of water the next morning. In fact, you can alleviate any potential hangover or in some cases prevent one from occurring at all by drinking water throughout your evening of consuming alcoholic beverages. The more hydrated you are to begin with, the less dehydrated you will be as a result of your alcohol intake. Drinking plenty of water along with alcoholic beverages also helps you to eliminate waste products and metabolize alcohol better, so don’t neglect to do this.

People swear by all manner of home remedies as hangover cures; from a raw egg to mixtures of various herbal ingredients. Everyone metabolizes alcohol a little differently, so while you are certainly welcome to try any hangover remedy which strikes your fancy, but remember that your mileage may vary. There are also over the counter hangover treatments available and the same advice will definitely apply here – they may or may not produce any relief for your hangover, so don’t go into such a purchase expecting a miracle.

The best way to treat a hangover remains the oldest and simplest of all – don’t overindulge and you won’t have a hangover in the first place. Of course, this is the sort of advice which always comes too late to be of much help. Simply remembering to drink plenty of water before and during drinking alcohol as well as eating if possible (the nutrients contained in food can be helpful in slowing the absorption of alcohol and lessen the effects of a hangover the next morning). Trying to keep your alcohol intake moderate, steering clear of cheaply made liquor which has not  gone through as much of a refining process (it’s usually a good idea to go with top shelf products if you will be drinking) and if you do wind up with a hangover, try aspirin, lots of water and if you like, one of the commercially available hangover cures can help stop the throbbing in your head and let you get on with your day.