How to deal with a hangover: What actually works versus the myths that make you feel worse

You woke up. The light hitting the bedroom wall feels like a physical assault, and your brain seems to be throbbing two sizes too big for your skull. It’s that familiar, rhythmic pounding. You're probably scouring the internet for a magic bullet, but honestly, most of the stuff you’ve heard about how to deal with a hangover is total nonsense.

Alcohol is a literal toxin. When you drink, your body breaks down ethanol into something called acetaldehyde. This stuff is nasty. It’s actually significantly more toxic than the alcohol itself. Your liver is working overtime to turn that acetaldehyde into acetate, but it can only go so fast. While you wait, you’re stuck with the nausea, the "hangxiety," and that weirdly specific thirst that a gallon of water can’t seem to quench.

Why your morning-after strategy is likely failing

Most people go straight for the greasy spoon breakfast. You want the bacon, the eggs, the hash browns dripping in oil. Does it taste good? Sure. Does it help? Not really. By the time you're hungover, the alcohol is already out of your stomach. The "soaking up the alcohol" phase ended hours ago while you were still at the bar. In fact, heavy, fatty foods might just irritate your already sensitive stomach lining, leading to more indigestion.

Then there’s the "hair of the dog." This is perhaps the worst advice ever conceived. Drinking a Mimosa or a Bloody Mary might make you feel better for exactly twenty minutes because you're raising your blood alcohol content again. You're just numbing the symptoms. You aren't curing anything; you are literally just scheduling a second, potentially worse hangover for later in the afternoon. It's a physiological debt you can't outrun.

The science of the biological crash

We need to talk about congeners. These are minor compounds produced during fermentation. Think tannins in red wine or the complex chemicals in bourbon and brandy. Research, including studies cited by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), shows that drinks high in congeners generally lead to more severe hangovers. If you spent the night drinking high-end vodka, you might feel better than if you spent it drinking cheap whiskey. It’s not just snobbery; it’s chemistry.

Dehydration is the headline act, but it isn't the whole show. Alcohol is a diuretic. It suppresses vasopressin, a hormone that tells your kidneys to hold onto water. Instead, your kidneys just send everything to the bladder. This leads to that electrolyte imbalance that makes your muscles ache. But even if you chug water, you’re still dealing with inflammation. Your immune system is actually freaking out, releasing cytokines—the same proteins the body uses to fight off a cold. That’s why you feel "flu-ish."

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Salt, Sugar, and the Blood Sugar Rollercoaster

Alcohol causes your blood sugar to plummet. This is a huge reason why you feel shaky and irritable. Your liver is too busy processing toxins to maintain your glucose levels.

Instead of a massive burger, try something with complex carbohydrates. Toast with a little honey or a banana. Bananas are great because they give you potassium, which you likely peed out at 2:00 AM.

1. Get some fruit juice. It contains fructose, which some studies suggest can actually help speed up the rate at which your body gets rid of toxins.
2. Hydrate with intention. Plain water is okay, but an oral rehydration solution (like Pedialyte) or a sports drink is better because of the sodium and magnesium.
3. Eggs are actually useful. They contain an amino acid called cysteine. Cysteine helps break down that acetaldehyde we talked about earlier. So, maybe skip the grease, but keep the eggs.

Medications: Proceed with extreme caution

This is where people get into trouble. You reach for the bottle of Tylenol (acetaminophen). Don't do that.

Mixing acetaminophen with alcohol—even lingering alcohol in your system—is notoriously hard on the liver. It can lead to serious damage. If you absolutely need a painkiller to survive the day, ibuprofen (Advil) or naproxen (Aleve) are generally safer bets for your liver, though they can be tough on your stomach. If your stomach is already doing somersaults, you might want to skip the pills entirely and stick to a cold compress on your forehead.

The "Hangxiety" Factor

Ever wake up feeling like you’ve committed a crime even though you just sat on the couch? That’s hangxiety. Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant. To counter it, your brain ramps up its excitatory chemicals (like glutamate) and dials down its calming ones (like GABA). When the alcohol leaves, your brain is still in "overdrive" mode. You're physically overstimulated.

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The only real fix here is time and a dark room. Deep breathing helps. Remind yourself that the feeling of impending doom is a chemical reaction, not a reflection of reality.

Real-world tactics that actually move the needle

If you really want to know how to deal with a hangover effectively, you have to play the long game. There is no "cure" other than time, but you can certainly mitigate the disaster.

• The 1:1 Rule: It’s boring, but it works. One glass of water for every alcoholic drink. It slows your consumption and keeps your hydration levels from cratering.
• Don't drink on an empty stomach: Food in the stomach slows down the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream. This gives your liver a fighting chance to keep up.
• The "Dark Liquor" Warning: If you are prone to migraines or severe hangovers, stick to lighter spirits like gin or silver tequila. The congener count is lower.

Let’s talk about "H-Proof" and supplements

You’ve probably seen the ads for patches, pills, and powders. Some contain milk thistle, prickly pear cactus, or red ginseng. There is some limited evidence that prickly pear extract can reduce the inflammatory response associated with hangovers. Red ginseng has also shown some promise in small studies for speeding up metabolism. However, none of these are "get out of jail free" cards. They might reduce symptoms by 10% or 20%, but they won't save you from a night of ten tequila shots.

Actionable steps for right now

If you are reading this while currently suffering, do these things in this exact order:

First, drink 16 ounces of a drink with electrolytes. Not coffee—the caffeine is a diuretic and might make your headache worse by narrowing blood vessels.

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Second, eat a small amount of "gentle" carbs. A piece of toast or some crackers. This stabilizes your blood sugar.

Third, if you aren't nauseous, have two eggs. Boiled or poached is better than fried to avoid the fat.

Fourth, sleep. Your body does its best metabolic repair work while you are unconscious.

Finally, recognize the limit. If you’re vomiting uncontrollably, experiencing cold sweats, or feeling confused, that’s not a hangover—that’s alcohol poisoning or severe withdrawal, and you need a hospital, not an article.

The reality of how to deal with a hangover is that you're just managing a recovery process. Your body is healing from a self-inflicted injury. Give it the tools—water, electrolytes, and rest—and stay away from the "miracle" cures that usually just cost $30 and leave you with a different kind of headache.