How To Cure Your Holiday Hangover: Tips To Solve Awful Morning Headache, Nausea

As your eyes flutter open and you gradually become aware that you made it home and still have all of your valuables, suddenly you realize, that while you had an amazing time at your office or family holiday party, you’ve also been struck with a blinding headache, evolving nausea, weakness and a general feeling of awfulness.

You’re hungover and still have to find a way to function. But how?

While previous studies have said hangovers are avoidable simply by drinking less, that’s a far less fun resolution and will likely make you the lamest person at any holiday party. So, in the effort to fight the good fight, here are several ways to treat your holiday hangover. Keep in mind, everyone’s body is different and while some of these tips may not work for some, they could help you.

Drinking Water

Many studies have debunked the idea of the downing tons of water the morning after drinking, including one conducted by a team of researchers from the Netherlands and Canada released last year.

Using 826 Dutch students as guinea pigs, the study had more than two-thirds of the students drink water while drinking alcohol and more than 50 percent of them also consumed water before heading to bed. They compared that group to 54 percent of the students who ate fat-rich foods.

Those who drank the water did show some “slight improvement” when it came to their hangovers, BBC reported.

Drink A “Virgin” Bloody Mary

The tomato juice-based cocktail, fused with vodka, is often turned to when trying to cure a hangover under the theory that having another alcoholic beverage in the morning will help your body ease away from said hangover.

However, Dr. Charles Cutler, the chair of the American College of Physicians’ board of governors told Health that another drink is the “worst thing” to do and instead encouraged avoiding more alcohol.

So a Bloody Mary, sans the vodka and perhaps some of the spices involved, could be the way to go.

Eat Simple Foods, Not A Greasy Breakfast

Cutler also told Health the common assumption that a greasy breakfast will coat your stomach and help with nausea from a hangover will likely cause heartburn, rather than assuage your hangover. He instead recommended foods that easier to digest, like toast or cereal.

Korean Pear Juice

A personal “study” conducted by a GQ reporter last year tried to see if a hangover was avoidable by drinking one cup of Korean pear juice before guzzling booze. The notion was based off an Australian study that found the subjects had fewer hangover symptoms and that the anti-inflammatories found in Korean pear juice did help with headaches associated with hangovers. However, GQ found the juice didn’t completely help.

Pain Meds

Though it might take a little while to kick in, one doctor speaking to Men’s Health said taking “nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs” like aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen can help to fight off that headache. But you should avoid acetaminophen, better known as Tylenol, which could cause liver damage after your liver was already working overtime while you were drinking.