We’ve all been there. Awaking, squinting into the light to find that your head is pounding, your mouth is Saharan and you’re still wearing your shoes. You may have woken up hugging your taken, or staring into the wine bottle that you emptied just a few hours before. No one likes a hangover, and whether it’s mild, medium or downright terrible variety, and everyone seems to swear by their own quick fixes.
1. Greasy Food
The classic hangover cure is filthy, greasy food. McDonald’s, KFC – anything you can get your hands on. It’s effective with mild-medium hangovers, but sometimes eating is not an option. In most cases, diet plans go out the window, and greasy calories reign. Prepare to feel very ashamed ordering 2 double whopper meals for yourself.
2. Fizzy drinks
Probably not the best thing for you, but it’s undeniable that fizzy drinks feel great on a hangover. The more luminous the better – Lucozade and Irn Bru have copiuous amounts of sugar, and so can make you feel ready to face the cruel, cruel world again. Coke and Lemonade can also do the trick, but be careful to avoid any mixers you were using the night before – cue terrible flashbacks.
3. Hair of the Dog
‘Hair of the dog that bit you’ is an age-old hangover remedy. It comes from folk medicine – one that was bitten by a canine was supposed to collect a hair from the dog that bit them. So it’s time to pick up the vodka bottle that undoubtedly mauled you last night, and take a swig. As is often noted, the Hair of the Dog technique is merely delaying the inevitable, and sooner or later you’ll have to man up and face the music.
4. Tactical Chunder
Usually a last resort. When no amount of greasy food, fizzy drinks and all the hairs of all the dogs in the world have no effect, sometimes you just need to expel the demon. That is, throw up. It may be tactical, it may be involuntary, but either way, it is one less pint of lager inside your stomach.
5. Sleep
There are some hangovers that can’t be avoided. It is karmic punishment for your drunken antics and no amount of McDonald’s, Bloody Mary’s or bottles of Lucozade is going to help you. The best thing you can do is admit defeat and go to sleep. Tomorrow is another day. Hopefully a sober one.
Written by Sarah Davis