How to Cure the Unpleasant Symptoms of a Hangover

What causes a hangover? Learn how your genes, beverage choice, and how much you drink all contribute to your morning-after misery.

By Jesse Hawley
Jan 3, 2024 4:30 PMJan 3, 2024 5:23 PM
woman with sleep mask and glass of water, trying to cure a hangover
(Credit: Thomas Andre Fure/Shutterstock)

Newsletter

Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news
 

If there were any proof for the phrase, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch,” it would be the hangover. Germans experience the katzenjammer (screeching cats) and the Irish the “brown-bottle flu," while the Vietnamese must tồn tại (endure). 

Before English speakers spoke of hangovers, they used the wonderfully descriptive term crapulous, as in “I’m feeling so crapulous, I can’t risk talking.”

Whichever language you speak, we can agree that hangovers are awful. Studies define them as “characterized by a general feeling of misery” and “an aversive constellation of symptoms.” 

But, believe it or not, some people report not suffering from hangovers at all: Studies have found that around 20 percent of people claim they can avoid post-drinking anguish.

Is it true that nearly a third of people don’t experience hangovers? To assess these somewhat dubious claims, it’s important to consider the range of (awful) symptoms and what incites them.

0 free articles left
Want More? Get unlimited access for as low as $1.99/month

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

0 free articlesSubscribe
Discover Magazine Logo
Want more?

Keep reading for as low as $1.99!

Subscribe

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

Stay Curious

Sign up for our weekly newsletter and unlock one more article for free.

 

View our Privacy Policy


Want more?
Keep reading for as low as $1.99!


Log In or Register

Already a subscriber?
Find my Subscription

More From Discover
Recommendations From Our Store
Shop Now
Stay Curious
Join
Our List

Sign up for our weekly science updates.

 
Subscribe
To The Magazine

Save up to 40% off the cover price when you subscribe to Discover magazine.

Copyright © 2024 Kalmbach Media Co.