How to Avoid or Ease the Pain of a New Year's Day Hangover

It's that special night when many people will be ringing in the new year with a glass or two of their favorite alcoholic beverage. But then there is the morning after–headaches, vomiting and other after effects that aren't wanted. But you can avoid a hangover or at least minimize those nasty side effects.

While drinking, you can follow these bits of advice from doctors and partygoers to prevent a hangover:

1. Sip slowly. Doctors say this gives your body a chance to absorb toxins in alcohol slowly rather than slamming it with it all at once.
2. Eat fatty foods. Foods with high fat content slow down the absorption of alcohol into the body.
3. Avoid carbonated drinks. Doctors say that carbonation speeds up the rate of absorption of alcohol into the body, so forego the rum and coke.

If it’s already too late, and you partook in too much alcohol on December 31, then you can try these tips to ease your morning after pain:

1. Drink plenty of water, coconut water or other beverages with electrolytes. Alcohol is very dehydrating and when you’re dehydrated your body is depleted of potassium and sodium, which is part of the reason why you feel so bad.
2. Be wary of caffeine. Although caffeine can help soothe an aching head, it is also a diuretic and can cause further dehydration.
3. Take aspirin or ibuprofen the next morning if you have a headache, and NOT Tylenol. Tylenol is processed by your liver, which makes it work overtime with the alcohol that needs to be processed from the night before and the medication.
4. Go to bed. Most hangovers are over in 8 to 24 hours. However, consider pulling out your Smartphone and recording yourself while still in this phase of feeling crappy and describe how horrible you feel while repeating: “I will not overdrink again, I will not overdrink again”.
5. Avoid having a morning-after drink like a Bloody Mary. True, staying drunk will keep the pain of a hangover at bay, but drinking more means a worse hangover later.

Have a happy new year and be safe!