Are there any proven cures for a hangover

asks MissDon:

A. People swear by strange concoctions containing things like egg whites or Irn Bru, but what seems to be a miracle cure for some people won't have any effect at all on others.

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Q. What about taking the 'hair of the dog'
A. You're just putting off the inevitable if you take another drink. Besides, there are few people who can face it first thing in the morning.

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There are more reasonable ways to deal with a hangover.

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Q. Such as
A. Be prepared. Before you go out in the evening, leave a few essential out for the next morning because having a hangover means it hurts when you think: antacids for queasiness, Ibuprofen or paracetamol for headaches, ginger in any form is good for nausea, vitamin C in fruit juice or supplements, herbal teas - rosemary, peppermint and camomile are helpful, an effective homeopathic remedy is Nux Vom 30 - take hourly until symptoms disappear.

And lots of water, of course.

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Q. What should I eat
A. People often crave a full English breakfast once their stomach has settled down. Eggs have lots of cysteine which is supposed to soak up the destructive�chemicals that build up in the liver when it's metabolising alcohol. Lentils are high in it, too, which is why a pot of home-made soup often does the trick.

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Q. How long does a hangover last
A. About 24 hours.

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Q. What causes it
A. Alcohol.

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Q. Oh ha ha. Why
A. Most of the symptoms are due to dehydration. Alcohol is a diuretic, so water is quickly lost from your body, leaving you with�a parched mouth, a headache and feeling dizzy. The nausea and vomiting are the direct result of alcohol irritating the stomach lining.
Also the inevitable sleep disruption makes it harder for your body to get back into shape and leaves you feeling very very tired.

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Q. How can I prevent a hangover
A. Before you go out, eat a good meal with lots of fat in it. Fat is digested slowly and will help protect your stomach. The old story about drinking a glass of milk before you go out works, too.

When you're out, try to drink a few glasses of water or soft drinks - avoid fizzy drinks as they increase the amount of alcohol in your bloodstream.

Before you go to bed, drink a large glass of water or a sports drink, take up to 1g vitamin C to speed up the metabolism of the alcohol, and eat something like a slice of toast to settle your stomach.

And, of course, you could just not drink!

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By Sheena Miller