You wake up in your clothes from the night before, your shoes on your feet. You need sandpaper to clean your mouth and you have the name ‘Freddy’ written on your forehead. Your head feels like it’s locked in a vice grip. Part of student life is having a few stress-relieving drinks.

Sometimes, you have one too many. Everyone has their own hangover tips, from the mythic to the downright ridiculous. Here are some useful suggestions to dull the throbbing in your head.
Even before the morning-after, know that clear drinks such as vodka and gin will hurt less the next day than darker drinks such as whiskey or rum. Grab yourself a bowl of chips or a starchy snack to help slow down booze absorption. Forget that this will clog your arteries. One problem at a time.



To keep this simple, these are the dos and dont’s for combating a big night out.

DON’T
-drink any more alcohol. It actually doesn’t make you feel better. If you want more, you may have a problem and should seek some help. More booze will only make you like another bat to your head. The ‘hair of the dog’ treatment is complete non-sense.
-drink coffee. Aspirin with water helps you more.
-bother trying to find out about Freddy.

DO
-drink plenty of water before you go to bed, even if you have to keep yourself awake for an extra five minutes! You might gag but force yourself. Consuming two full glasses of water will have you feeling much better in the morning. Keep a full glass by your bed. You can drink more after your inevitable early morning trip to the loo.
-eat spicy foods. A good curry or a Thai soup will do you well. I’ve found that foods with chilli help to sweat out some toxins, providing your tortured stomach can handle it.
-drink coca-cola or some other sugary fizzy drink. Your body needs to replenish the sugar used to break down last night’s alcohol.
-try moderate exercise. You may feel like you’re in the 7th rung of hell but a walk to the shop or park will get your blood flowing and make you feel better. This will help to release some of the toxins in your beaten body. Wear some sunglasses as nobody needs to see your wrecked eyeballs!

Finally, if a previously unattractive member of the opposite sex starts to look good, stop drinking! It’s time to go home.

Yuri Singh 3/7/09