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“‘Hair of the dog’ has become a popular, cultural term for drinking more alcohol to cure a hangover,” explains internal medicine doctor Mahmud Kara, M.D., of KaraMD and formerly of The Cleveland Clinic. It’s short for the “hair of the dog that bit you,” a longstanding folk remedy for treating hangovers, and claims that continuing to drink alleviates symptoms of hangovers, like headaches, fatigue, sweating and shakes. While origins of the phrase aren’t entirely clear, many believe it stems from an ancient belief that involved using dog hair to treat rabies by placing hair from the rabid dog that bit them into the bite wound (yikes).
Where Did The Expression “Hair Of The Dog” Come From?
“Hair of the dog” refers to curing a hangover by drinking more alcohol. While this method may provide temporary relief, drinking more alcohol may actually worsen your hangover. There’s a lack of scientific evidence to support the theory that fighting booze with booze actually works. The general idea is that since hangover symptoms set in once your body has processed the alcohol, you can forestall them by simply giving your body more alcohol to process. Matthew Rowe, health lifestyle adviser at Bupa Health Clinics, says that neither the rabies nor the booze belief have any scientific backing as a hangover cure, and having a drink the next morning will likely make you feel much worse. Excessive alcohol consumption leads to dehydration and the buildup of toxins in the body, resulting in headaches, nausea, and fatigue—the hallmark symptoms of a hangover.
Hair of the Dog: Debunking the Hangover Remedy Myth
At the very least, by drinking some juice, you'll be rehydrating and giving your hungover body a little boost of quick energy. While it can be tempting to reach for a morning-after drink to quell your hangover symptoms, doctors definitely don't recommend it. Hangover symptoms reportedly occur when blood alcohol content drops to zero; symptoms can include undesirable results such as headache, thirst, fatigue, dizziness, nausea and poor mood, according to the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. "The only way to completely avoid a hangover is to not drink alcohol at all or to keep alcohol intake to a minimum," the NIAAA’s brochure said. "In a way, the ‘hair of the dog’ does actually work in the short term," Perry continued.
What is the meaning of “hair of the dog”?
However, when you eventually stop drinking and blood alcohol levels return to zero, the hangover will return. In the case of a hangover, “hair of the dog” means drinking more alcohol to relieve unpleasant symptoms like headache, dehydration, upset stomach, and fatigue. Since alcohol is a diuretic, or something that helps your body get rid of sodium and water, Dr. Kara says this loss of electrolytes contributes to hangover symptoms like nausea, dizziness, or cramping. “Along with water, drinking beverages that are high in electrolytes is important,” he suggests. This can include drinking sports drinks like Gatorade, electrolyte-infused water, coconut water, milk, or fruit juice.
Can Drinking More Alcohol Cure a Hangover? The Truth Behind the Hair of the Dog
One common, albeit counterintuitive, approach is to drink more alcohol. If you're dealing with a hangover you're probably desperate to find a cure for your pounding head and churning stomach. For hangover treatment, Veach recommends rest, hydration, acetylsalicylic acid painkillers and caffeine avoidance. "But it doesn't cure the hangover; it just sort of tricks you by masking the symptoms. They're going to show up eventually." A 2017 news release from the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in North Carolina, which was published in Science Daily, said the hair of the dog theory for alcohol consumption has no scientific evidence to back it up.
In this case, it's important to consider whether there's an unhealthy relationship with alcohol. While it may offer temporary relief, it only delays the inevitable, as the hangover will return once you stop drinking. While an alcohol-related endorphin boost may temporarily distract you from hangover symptoms, these symptoms will return when you stop drinking. This article tells you whether the “hair of the dog” hangover cure has any merit. It involves drinking more alcohol when you feel hungover to relieve symptoms.
Why do we get hangovers, anyway?
Photos: Hair of the Dog in early June - Desert Sun
Photos: Hair of the Dog in early June.
Posted: Mon, 14 Jun 2021 07:00:00 GMT [source]
It is a commonly held belief that hangovers become worse when we age. While no study has definitively demonstrated this effect, there are several theories about why this may be,” says Dr Owen. So, next time you find yourself seeking relief from a hangover, set aside the myth of "hair of the dog" and embrace the path of healthy recovery.
We Tested and Ranked the 20 Best Hangover Cures - Thrillist
We Tested and Ranked the 20 Best Hangover Cures.
Posted: Fri, 04 Nov 2022 07:00:00 GMT [source]
There are of course short-term risks of drinking too much, like injuries, accidents, and in extreme cases, alcohol poisoning. But over time, continuously believing that a little “hair of the dog” will do the trick could encourage excessive alcohol use could lead to more serious, chronic health problems like high blood pressure, liver disease, and depression. Known as “hair of the dog,” this age-old, alleged hangover cure stems from the belief that continuing to drink alcohol is the best way to ease the pain of your current hangover.
What *can* I do to cure my hangover then?
Instead of turning to a fried chicken sandwich and fries after a night of drinking, try reaching for something with more nutritional bang for your buck. “Many people think that eating a nice greasy meal after drinking is the best way to cure a hangover, however, it’s better to stick with fruits, vegetables, and unrefined carbohydrates,” Dr. Kara says. Try something like an omelet with ham and veggies, savory oatmeal with poached eggs, or a hearty grain bowl like quinoa and spicy roasted veggies or a chicken and avocado over rice. But eat what you can—some hangovers are so nasty that all you can get down is saltines and Pedialyte (and that’s OK). Contrary to popular belief, consuming alcohol as a remedy for a hangover is not an effective or healthy solution.
And it doesn’t seem like that scientific proof is coming anytime soon either. It seems most scientists feel the hangover is a condition most of us bring on ourselves, so spending research time testing the “hair of the dog” as a cure can feel frivolous when there are so many actual ailments to solve. But a mimosa sure does help for a short while when you absolutely need it. While the idea of using "hair of the dog" as a hangover remedy may have gained popularity, it is not a scientifically proven or healthy solution. In fact, consuming more alcohol to cure a hangover can exacerbate the negative effects and lead to a host of other problems. While the “hair of the dog” hangover cure may have some merit, it also adds more alcohol to your body that will eventually need to be metabolized.
This English expression originally referred to an old practice of treating a rabid dog bite by taking hair from the dog and placing it in the wound. Today, that logic semi-translates to the idea that introducing more alcohol to your bloodstream will somehow make you feel better from a hangover. The first symptom of a hangover is actually the feeling of alcohol withdrawal. When we first wake up in the morning, this can be a pretty severe experience, especially if that comes with waking up before we really should so that we can rush to another engagement, such as brunch.
And because you’re filling up your already-spent system with more alcohol, there’s a good chance your eventual hangover will be even worse. “It could make you feel better in the short term, but it’s just prolonging the inevitable withdrawal,” Dr. Abisola Olulade told Refinery29. When your pounding headache and upset stomach have you hunting for a hangover cure, however, you’re probably less interested in the history of the adage and more concerned with its efficacy.
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