Los Angeles,
14
November
2019
|
06:00 AM
America/Los_Angeles

Los Angeles Times: Hangover Cures

The Los Angeles Times recently interviewed Maya Benitez, MD, a family medicine physician with Cedars-Sinai Medical Group in Culver City, about hangovers and how to alleviate some of their common side effects.

Hangovers, Benitez says, are commonly identified as a general collection of symptoms many people develop when over-drinking.

“Symptoms may include headache, nausea, upset stomach, irritability and anxiety,” said Benitez. “Dehydration, electrolyte imbalance and increased inflammation could all potentially cause these symptoms.”

As the Los Angeles Times article details, one reason why hangovers are difficult to treat is that science has yet to clearly define what a hangover is. No clear definition or diagnosis makes it challenging to nail down the best treatment.

“The best cure—and the only one I know for sure—is to generally avoid over-drinking altogether,” Benitez said. “The best treatment is to treat the common symptoms.”

To treat those common symptoms, Benitez suggested hydration, some form of ginger product, vitamin B6, antacids for upset stomach and Advil for a headache.

Vinay Sundaram, MD, director of Hepatology Outcomes Research and associate medical director of Liver Transplantation at Cedars-Sinai, suggests the best way to avoid a hangover is to keep the alcohol to a minimum, or even consider skipping it entirely. Moderate drinking is considered one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men.

“Moderation. It may be a predictable ending to the story, but we know it's what works,” said Sundaram.

Read the complete story here.

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai blog: Does IV Vitamin Therapy Work?