Hangover Cures: Tried and tested

Gone out last night, got completely off your trolley and woken up this morning feeling headachy, nauseous, to the point of vomiting? What you've got mate is a case of Hangoveritis.

There's good and bad news for all you sufferers out there. Bad news is the only way to avoid this, is stop all drinking, which come on to be honest, none of us really wants to stop completely.

The good news is I have a quick guide of how to cure a hangover. Some cures you've bound to have heard of and tried and some are just plain weird and wacky, but do really work!

The Headache is one of the most common and nastiest of hangover symptoms. It's the world's worst migraine pounding, pulsing and grinding. When you normally have a headache your first instinct is to reach out for Aspirin, Panadol or Ibuprofen. These will only make you feel worse. Pain killers contain acetaminophen which in combination with the alcohol in your system and can lead to extreme damage of your liver.

What your body is actually yearning for is H20 - water! One of the best and most effective ways to ease the severity of your hangover is to drink up before you go to bed. If you can't do this, take a Pump bottle when you hit the clubs /bars and guzzle down between beverages.

If you're one of those people that can't stand the taste of water, fruit juice (preferably orange) will help as Vitamin C counteracts with the substances in your body and leaves you feeling a little bit better. Another option is Powerade or Lucozade. Avoid caffeine at all costs. Even though it will give you a boost of energy, it will continue to leave you dehydrated.

If after you've drunk as much water or fruit juice as you can and your headache still persists, try Alka Seltzer Morning Relief. A friend tried this after reading it on the internet and within 15 minutes of having the worse headache of her life, she was feeling a lot better. It can be purchased at a supermarket or chemist and depending where you go, prices can range from $5-$10.

Get some exercise. I know we all dread that word, but in this case as Nike says "Just Do It". Any kind of exercise E.g. Running, Cycling even Power walking, that gets you profusely sweating combined with 1-2 litres of water and you'll feel refreshed and re-invigorated afterwards.

We've covered your Average Joe remedies to cure a hangover, now we'll travel around the globe to find out what other countries swear by as well as some weird and wacky cures that have been tried, tested and proven to have worked wonders on the everyday hangover survivor.

In Poland, to cure their Hangoveritis they swear by eating rich mineral food like pickles or canned fish. Their most common cure is to drink the pickle juice, while over in Ireland it is said that the way to cure a hangover is to bury the person up to their neck in the moist river sand.

The American's stand by two cures:

1) The Greasy Diner Burger and Milkshake
Apparently it works like a charm and has the benefit of tasting really good. The milkshake is said to calm down your stomach and help you relax.

2) The New England clam chowder
This one may seem odd, but it is a 100% guaranteed to heal you of those hangover blues. If you can't get up the strength to find a place that makes it, then head to your nearest supermarket and purchase the can of clam chowder made by Campbell's. If you want to spice up the flavour, add a touch of pepper. In an hour you will be feeling better than you possibly could imagine!

On the other side of the world travelling to Europe, where you're bound to experience festivals such as Beerfest, their version of Clam Chowder soup is Sauerkraut Hangover Soup served with a dollop of sour cream.

If you're not ready for a full meal, and are finding it hard to keep food down; do not despair as there are several drinking remedies tried and tested to cure a hangover. Below are a few of my favourites:

1)The Bloody Mary
This is the ultimate weapon for hangover pain, the downside to it is that the more you drink the more you will become progressively useless and you'll be back where you started so a tip: Drink in moderation. If you can't afford a bottle of vodka, then the Poor Man's Bloody Mary works just as good, one drink of either version and you should be revved and ready to go out and about in 15 minutes.

2) A Banana Cow
Basically this is a mix of Banana Milkshake with a flavouring of 1 ½ oz of Rum. Bananas help with nauseating pain and are high in magnesium which helps relax those pounding blood vessels in your head.

So next time you go out drinking and wake up with a massive hangover, remember this guide and if you're up for something different try some of our weird and wacky cures. Or if you're not a risk-taker you can stick to our safe options - Good Luck!