How Massage & Water Can Cure A Hangover

From Christmas parties to New Year’s Eve celebrations, the end of each year is traditionally full of reasons to drink more alcohol than usual. In fact, it might as well be called the Hangover Season!

Got lots of money and looking for the quickest hangover cure? Read on ...

What causes hangovers?

Before we discuss how best to cure a hangover, it is worth considering what causes hangovers.

Of course, we already know – drinking alcohol in excess! But what exactly is happening when you drink too much alcohol? What causes you to wake up the following morning feeling nauseous, exhausted and nursing a headache?

The main reason is loss of water from within your body, leading to dehydration.

Ever noticed how alcoholic drinks make you urinate more than usual? This happens because every alcoholic drink contains a chemical known as ethanol. This toxic chemical is a diuretic substance which means the more you consume, the more water you lose. And once you have lost too much water you may start suffering from hangover symptoms.

The best way to reduce the chance of a hangover when drinking

A common - if somewhat misguided - piece of advice on how to best avoid a hangover is to not to drink alcohol at all or to only drink in moderation. However, as many of us know, actually following that advice especially when at a party where you want to let your hair down and have fun rather than be the party pooper, is very difficult indeed.

A much easier to follow rule is this: drink one glass of water in between every alcoholic drink. That’s it. Easy to do in a natural way without breaking the flow of the party atmosphere. You can even do this secretly (if you feel you really must) without others noticing – just pop to the loo after each drink and down a glass of water on your way there or back.

A good way to help cure a hangover

If you wake up with a hangover despite following our simple tip above - or you have reached this article too late - then you can still improve your chances of a speedier recovery with another natural tip: get yourself a hangover massage at home.

To clarify: do not get any type of massage whilst you are actually drinking alcohol or still feeling drunk. But if you are suffering from a hangover several hours after finishing your last drink then it should be safe to receive a therapeutic massage to assist your recovery.

Hangover massages work by focusing on using natural methods to boost blood circulation all around the body and also applying a soothing touch to the scalp area.

The increased blood flow helps boost the lymphatic system, which in turn can speed up the removal of hangover inducing toxins, such as ethanol, from your bloodstream.

A head massage feels good when you have a hangover because headaches are one of the most common side effects suffered. Therapists who are experienced in acupressure canuse specialist techniques to ease the pain through trigger point therapy applied at the temples of the head. A warm room with dimmed lights and soft music can also contribute to creating a calm and relaxing environment in which to recover.

The best medical experts agree that the best cure for a hangover is simply rest and hydration. A good professional massage is synonymous with relaxation so you can help yourself feel better again by drinking plenty of water and receiving a rest inducing massage.

Quickest cure for a hangover

If you live in a big city and really need to cure your hangover as soon as possible, you could opt for some rather exclusive intravenous drip therapy. Specialist spas, like Reviv in London, offer these kinds of treatment for around £200 a time. The process promises to leave you feeling sober and alert again in as little as 10 minutes ... we have tried it and can confirm that it does indeed work! However this option is neither convenient nor cheap.

It may be a great solution for the very wealthy who need an emergency hangover cure to fit in with a hectic schedule but for the rest of us who have the luxury of some time to spare a soothing massage and a few glasses of water can achieve the same results naturally at a fraction of the cost.