Another Year is upon us...and if you partied hard on New Years Eve you may have awoken with a major headache. Good thing that January 1st 2012 fell on a Sunday. Most people had the day off today, so it still felt like a holiday. Hopefully enough time to get over the headache you are feeling.
Some people suffer from migraine or tension headaches on a regular basis- that is one thing. But what about the headache after a night of too much alcohol consumption? You want it to be over with asap.
What makes a hangover headache so uncomfortable? You feel the the discomfort and pain of a hangover headache the morning after because alcohol causes the blood vessels to swell or dilate which, in turn, triggers headache pain and may cause slight sweating. In addition, the alcohol also acts as a diuretic, which leads to dehydration.
The National headache foundation has some tips for easing the pain of a "hangover headache"...
* Have a glass of tomato juice. It's ingredients include fructose and it helps the body process alcohol faster.
* Consume fluids and foods that contain minerals and salts. Liquids rich in minerals and salts such as bouillon offer relief from the dehydration caused by alcohol consumption.
* Drink sports drinks to replenish your body's fluids. For example: Gatorade.
* Get the Coffee Machine going as soon as you get out of bed. Caffeine may provide some relief in alleviating the headache symptoms and decreasing the duration of pain. Caffeine acts as a vasoconstrictor and eases the dilated blood vessels.
* Take ibuprofen: it is gentler on the stomach than aspirin and provides pain relief. At the neck pain support blog this is not our first solution, but it can help ease the pain of a hangover headache.
Source: The National Headache Foundation
Additional Reading Resources:
- Neck Posture
- More Headache Remedies
- Bringing to Light the Pain of a Migraine Headache
- The Right Pillow for Headaches
- Your Body Also Knows When It needs Aligning
