Your festive recovery guide: The expert-approved way to cure a hangover fast

Waking up and feeling rough is often inevitable after a festive drinking session, but there are some tricks to make you feel better. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the only way to avoid a hangover is not to drink alcohol. Yet, with Christmas just around the corner, this can be easier said than done.

Hangovers can feel excruciating and are caused in part by a chemical called acetaldehyde, which is created when alcohol is broken down by the liver. Acetaldehyde is toxic and can cause inflammation of your major organs, such as your brain and liver.

Alongside this, alcohol causes you to pee more, leaving you dehydrated. It also has an irritating effect on your digestive tract and can significantly disrupt your sleep. All of this can leave you with many symptoms, such as tiredness, tummy ache, headache, nausea, and dizziness.

It's not just physical symptoms that can leave us feeling grim. Drinking to excess can also leave you with 'hangxiety'. This is the increased panic and anxiety you feel after drinking, which is linked to a change in your brain chemicals.

Unfortunately, there has never been a magic 'cure' for a hangover – however much Dr Google will promise you otherwise. But, the good news is there are some ways you can support your body to make it slightly more bearable.

Hydration is key

The first thing is to focus on rehydration, starting from when you stop drinking (ideally while drinking if you remember). Avoid caffeine, fizzy drinks and opt for water and perhaps isotonic sports drinks.

Painkillers can help with muscle cramps and headaches, but your stomach lining is likely inflamed, so be careful and be sure to avoid taking any kind of pain medication on an empty stomach.

Eat right

If you are feeling queasy or have a tummy ache, you probably have excess acid - upping your intake of alkaline foods like yoghurt and taking over-the-counter antacids may help. As your liver is processing alcohol, it puts on hold a process that releases glucose (sugar) into your bloodstream. As a result, your blood sugar can drop quickly to the point of trembling and irritation.

It can help to consume carbohydrates. Stick to bland, fast-digesting carbs, like toast and crackers. Other foods that can calm the stomach and improve electrolytes include ginger, honey and bananas.

If at all possible, just go back to bed. Tiredness just adds to the misery and delays the body's recovery. Things I definitely don't recommend are 'hair of the dog' (e.g. more alcohol), black coffee and spicy or greasy foods, which will only add to the stomach irritation and dehydration.

This article originally appeared in Woman magazine - subscribe here.