PUT THIS WITH THE COFFEE POT...

Byline: Phil Davis Staff Writer

Too much champagne, booze or wine is a holiday tradition that promises to be more excessive this New Year's Eve as people party - as the Artist Formerly Known as Prince once sang - "like it's 1999."

Medically speaking, all that revelry is going to do a number on people's brains.

Overindulging in alcoholic beverages causes blood vessels to swell or dilate, which triggers headache pain, according to the National Headache Foundation in San Francisco. Alcohol also acts as a diuretic, which leads to dehydration.

There's no quick fix for a bad hangover, but here are a few tips on how to ease the suffering, courtesy of the NHF:

Drink fluids containing minerals and salts: Drinks and broths rich is minerals and salts relieve dehydration.

Eat some honey before and/or after drinking. Honey supplies fructose, a natural form of sugar, that helps metabolize the alcohol and ease hangover symptoms. Tomato juice, another good source of fructose, also helps cure a hangover.

Drink coffee. Caffeine constricts swollen blood vessels, which should provide some pain relief.

Finally, a word of caution. While the alcohol is still in your system, go easy on over-the-counter pain relievers, especially acetaminophen - the main ingredient in Tylenol - which can cause liver damage in some people when combined with alcohol.

For more information on headaches, check out the NHF's Web site at www.headaches.org.

SITES FOR SORE EYES

Here are some Web sites devoted to hangover cures: some that are sure to ease the pain of "the morning after," and some sites to possibly prevent that hangover feeling altogether.

THE ULTIMATE HANGOVER STOPPER - www.hangoverstopper.com/

This is the site for Sob'r-K, the only product said to be guaranteed to combat the adverse effects of alcohol. On the market since 1996, the pill works as a filter to take out all of the impurities in alcohol contributing to that unpleasant hangover feeling.

Included is a diagram that shows you how the pill works. If you're not satisfied, you'll get your money back. You can purchase the pill via e-mail, phone or regular mail; call [phone], Ext. 700.

SILVER LAKE 2000-HANGOVER REMEDIES - www.silverlake-2000.com/november96/meatmagda/hangover.html

This site is packed with all different kinds of home remedies. There is everything from a hangover cocktail to hangover stew and a hangover breakfast (complete with ingredients and cooking instructions).

Learn about the Chinese hangover remedy that suggests eating certain fruits to replace lost minerals, as well as natural soothers like aromatherapy cocktails.

YOBREW HANGOVER CAUSES, PREVENTION, & REMEDIES - www.sgpage.freeserve.co.uk/hover.htm

This page of the site is dedicated solely to "the morning after." On the home page is "The Hangover Quick Guide Table," which is divided into sections: symptoms, cause, prevention and wake-up remedy. The author also explains the importance of REM (rapid eye movement)-type sleep, and how difficult this type of sleep is to achieve when intoxicated. The author also lists different types of alcohol along with their levels of toxins (congeners).

ARTS & LEISURE: HANGOVER REMEDIES - desert.net/ww/01-04- 99/alibi-food1.html

This page is taken from Alibi Weekly Wire, with more remedies. There are a total of five remedies, and four out of the five contain alcohol, keeping with the idea that the best way to get over a night of drinking is to start drinking again.

HANGOVER TIPS - www.sandiegoinsider.com/entertainment/nightlife/hangover.html

This was taken from SanDiegoInsider.com. This is fairly similar to what you may have seen on previous sites, with a little bit more interactivity. There are hangover suggestions from people who have visited the site. If you have a suggestion that isn't posted, you're invited to send it in.

- Medical PressCorps News Service

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