Saunas are regarded as natural healers because of the numerous benefits that you can get from spending time in the sauna. They can help with cardiovascular health and have detoxifying benefits which begs the question, does the sauna help with a hangover?
A sauna can help relieve a hangover because it causes you to sweat out toxins; however, it is not recommended if you are already dehydrated. If you use a sauna to treat a hangover, make sure that you don’t have any medical conditions and that you are properly hydrated. Other hangover cures include drinking fluids, eating carbs, and sleeping it off.
Keep reading as we discuss the different ways that you can get rid of hangovers in the sauna.
What causes a hangover?
Hangovers can happen after consuming alcohol and can cause you to be sluggish and slower than usual. The Mayo Clinic defines a hangover as a group of unpleasant signs and symptoms that can develop after drinking too much alcohol.
Hangovers are caused by drinking too much alcohol. The extent of the hangover is hugely dependent on an individual’s alcohol tolerance. Some people get hangovers from a single alcoholic drink while others can drink heavily and not have any hangovers the next day.
The more alcohol you drink, the more likely you are to have a hangover which usually starts affecting you as you wake up. The symptoms of a hangover begin when your blood alcohol content drops significantly and is or near zero.
The most common symptoms of a hangover include weakness, excessive thirst, headaches, vomiting, and dizziness.
How long does a hangover normally last?
In the moment, it probably feels as if your hangover will forever, but how long does it actually take to go away?
Hangovers can last up to 72 hours after drinking alcohol but most people feel the symptoms wear off sooner than that. It is all dependent on how much alcohol you have consumed and how dehydrated you became while drinking.
Other factors that can affect the extent of your hangover also include the state of your liver, overall health, and the medications that you are taking.
Is a sauna good for a hangover cure?
Saunas have traditionally been great sources of healing, especially in European countries. It has numerous medical benefits like detoxifying your body from toxins and helping improve cardiovascular health. It is also a great way that you can de-stress and spend some alone-time.
Saunas are a popular remedy for a hangover because they can flush out the toxins that are introduced to your body after alcohol consumption. Ideally, you will sweat out your hangover in the sauna which will make you feel better. Make sure that you are properly hydrated before, during, and after your sauna session.
However, there are not enough scientific studies to back up this data. If you have a health condition such as a heart problem, you should talk to your doctor before going to the sauna.
If you feel extremely dehydrated, the sauna is not recommended because it will make you sweat even more which will aggravate your dehydration. If you feel dehydrated, you should drink water or sports drinks to build up the minerals and fluids that your body needs.
There are different types of saunas like traditional, infrared, and steam sauna. Finding the right one to help with your hangover is dependent on your preference. You might have to try out different saunas to find the one that works for you best.
Will a sauna sober you up?
A hangover typically happens after a night of drinking. If you are experiencing a hangover firsthand, you might feel slower than usual coupled with headaches, nausea, and dehydration.
There is a common saying that when you have a hangover, you should “sweat it out” and one of the places that you can do this is inside the sauna.
Spending time in the sauna can help sober you up because you will sweat out some alcohol toxins. Scientists say that 90% of the alcohol you consume is processed in the liver while the remaining 10% is expelled through sweating, breathing, and peeing.
If you decide to go into the sauna to sober up, make sure that you are keeping yourself hydrated before, during, and after your sauna session. If you have any heart issues or medical problems, talk with your doctor before doing this to avoid any negative effects.
Can you sweat out alcohol toxins?
Depending on how much you’ve had to drink, your body will be able to sweat out alcohol toxins. However, this is a small number of toxins that are being expelled out compared to how much you have taken in.
Scientists believe that more than 90% of the alcohol is processed in the liver and that only leaves the remaining 10% that leaves your body through a normal excretion process.
Other ways to help get rid of a hangover
Spending time in the sauna can be one way that you can get help in removing alcohol toxins from your body but it can also leave you more dehydrated.
Here are some other ways that you can get rid of your hangover quickly:
- Drink plenty of fluids
- Eat carbs
- Take pain relievers
- Sleep it off
- Hair of the dog
- Cold shower
Keep reading to learn more about how each of these tips can help relieve your hangover.
Drink plenty of fluids
You will notice that when you are drinking, you tend to pee more than usual because alcohol inhibits the release of vasopressin which is a hormone that decreases the volume of urine made by the kidneys.
Water and other fluids are your best friends when you are trying to get rid of a hangover.
If you are drinking throughout the night, make sure that you are also drinking water in between to prevent a mad hangover the next morning.
Eat carbs
Alcohol is known to lower your blood sugar levels so you need to replenish this by eating carbs.
It might be hard to eat when you are in the middle of a hangover but try to eat carbs so that they will coat your stomach and make you feel less queasy especially if you are feeling nauseous.
A piece of plain toast can also help you in the morning if you are feeling the effects of a hangover.
Take pain relievers
Taking pain relievers can also cure your hangover.
You should opt for Aspirin, Ibuprofen, or other NSAIDs because it will help you get rid of the headaches and body aches.
The downside of taking NSAIDs is that they might irritate your stomach. It is not advisable to take Tylenol for hangovers because it may increase the toxic effects on your liver.
Sleep it off
Your body needs time to recover and the best thing that you can do is to sleep it off.
You will feel so much better after a good night’s rest and feel free to sleep in so that your body can repair.
Hair of the dog
If you’ve never heard the phrase “hair of the dog that bit ya,” you’re probably wondering how licking your puppy will help relieve your hangover!
In this case, it refers to the short-term relief brought on by having a drink to keep your hangover at bay.
Again, this is only a short-term solution because if you keep doing it then it becomes a cycle that won’t let you recover.
Cold shower
If you are feeling the ill effects of a hangover, stepping into a cold shower will help you sober up.
Hangovers will usually make you feel warm and sweaty so a cold shower can make you feel better.
For the web story version of this article check here!