After finishing finals, it’s likely you’ll find yourself itching to dance and celebrate the end of the term and the fact that you survived.
Boozing the night away seems to be exactly what many students crave after a week of hell. But the next morning, it’s quite possible you’ll end up feeling bad, with a massive headache and that queasy feeling in your stomach.
If there’s no alcohol left to mix up a Mimosa or Bloody Mary because your entire stash was consumed the night before, there are luckily many other cures for this predicament.
University senior Mike Senseman, who typically experiences hangovers every weekend, said the best feel-better solution for a hangover is a large breakfast, lots of coffee and water.
Senior Jacqueline D’Innocenti, who gets nauseous stomach hangovers, said she tries to eat potatoes the next morning to absorb the alcohol.
“I like homefries and hashbrowns,” she said.
D’Innocenti said she’s heard people say Pepto-Bismol and exercise can both help to ease the pain. However, Pepto didn’t work for her when she tried it, and working out seems like it would be difficult with a hangover, she said.
If you can muster the strength to peel yourself off of the couch or away from your new best friend, the toilet, exercising can be a great way to move past a hangover. Also, a shower and some fresh air can do wonders.
If you venture out of the house, be careful to avoid embarrassing yourself in public if you predict there might be some heaving in your future.
Other cures for a nasty hangover include Tums and ginger ale, ginger tea or ginger candy, which soothe an upset stomach and reduce nausea.
D’Innocenti said most tricks she has tried don’t help much with her hangovers.
“Once I have it, I pretty much can’t do much about it,” she said.
No day-after cure for hangovers is foolproof, and it’s always best to take preventative action the night before.
Senseman has discovered one helpful routine.
“I drink water periodically throughout the night,” he said.
Drinking water the night before works twice as well as the morning after, at which point your body is already so dehydrated that your mouth feels like a desert island and you could chug down two glasses of water and still be thirsty.
Chugging liquids the next morning can sometimes seem appealing, but it’s not always a great idea.
University graduate Michael Konowitz said, “I try and sip water, not drink it too fast, or else it has a good chance of coming back up.”
To avoid a hangover before it’s too late, Senseman recommends using common sense.
“Don’t drink excessively,” he said.
It’s important to make sure you avoid going out on an empty stomach.
“I’ve done that and it’s bad news,” Konowitz said.
It’s best to fill up on some alcohol-absorbing nutrients before hitting the bottle. Carbohydrates are the best option, especially bread.
“Apparently taking Vitamin C the night before can help,” D’Innocenti said.
Vitamin C helps the liver process alcohol, and taking Vitamin B before bed can also be helpful. Both vitamins give you energy and can decrease one common hangover symptom: the inability to move off your couch.
After finals are over, remember to drink only in moderation and know your limit to avoid a painful hangover.
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