Hangover Helper to the RESCUE! HBOT, Light Therapy & Infrared Sauna is your TRIFECTA for RECOVERY!
Lydia Marshall | In Light Hyperbarics News | August 2023 | Blog Post #27
The end of summer is approaching and people will want one, maybe two, or heck…how about three last hurrah’s to enjoy the sun, fun, and heat with way too many cold libations that can bring major agony the next morning, but that can also cause some lingering affects if done too often.
O2 to the RESCUE!
Oxygen really can help a more common issue, such as a hangover. So, when the summer fun has ended…consider giving yourself a few sessions of combination therapy to reset yourself & BOOST your immune system for the upcoming season!
COMBINATION THERAPY IS AVAILABLE FOR FAST RELIEF -OR- WHENEVER YOU NEED IT MOST!!
WHAT’S ALL THE TALK ABOUT?
Oxygen under pressure from chambers, therapeutic lights and the heat from infrared sauna, can really help the detoxification & rebuilding process of the body from over indulgence.
The impetus for this info was when one of our regular clients came in at the beginning of summer with a RAGING hangover…never saw him even close to this bad before that day. He said he was a 2 out of 10 on a scale of zero being the WORST feeling everrrrr…Ruh-roh, Raggy…but we came in for the rescue at ILH!
Ok…so, we got him in a chamber ASAP with a nausea bag, blueberry muffin and lots of mint gum for an oxygen filled 60 min @ 2.0 ATA chamber session, and I KID YOU NOT, our client told us he was reaching a level 8 out of 10 (feeling back to normal) when he came out. He was SHOCKED at expressing that his nausea, headache and muscle tension/zero flexibility, was nearly GONE! So, he hit the VIBE machine to keep his lymph nodes and circulation moving the toxins out, and then, went on to use the LS Pro bed on one of the recharging modes. The energy needed for his busy day of meetings, and then, family at home was coming to him!
YASSSSS…what a great feeling it is to actually see the process happen SO FAST!
In fact, the reason we feel hungover is because of dehydration. Yes, lack of water can cause a baaad headache, like the poor dude above, but we also become OXYGEN DEFiCIENT at that point in the morning after a night of indulgence…Why?
3 molecules of O2 = 1 molecule of Alcohol metabolization
Now you can understand why alcohol depletes the body’s oxygen levels as it works
THREE times as hard to metabolize the libation.
Alcohol constricts the blood vessels in the head when over-indulging from the evening into the night…remember your puffy, bright red/purplish faced looking relative at all the family gatherings? Well, they’re looking that way due to all of the blood pressure issues going on…a high pressure/low pressure yo-yo happening inside, with the libation running wild and circulating throughout.
So, the morning after…
Blood vessels begin to re-open to original size again, and that right there is the cause of pain in the head from the pressure..it’s too much of a change - too fast. All of that circulation back at once, with lack of nutrients, oxygen and hydration in it, from the night before, can cause some pounding to occur for sure! Making more sense, isn’t it?
OXYGEN for the WIN!!!
Get yourself into a mild or hard-shell HBOT chamber the next morning and help this process be so much more comfortable. You see, HBOT counteracts this vessel opening by causing them to relax and naturally blossom back to their normal size, only in chamber, it happens QUICKLY - while still - gently, so you jump over the oh so uncomfortable part.
I used to work with a former nurse who became a dentist. On occasion, he'd come to work early some days with a hangover, and went directly to the O2. He would sit breathing oxygen (only) supplementation from the nitrous oxide system in the office…and I kid you not, he could be doing a perfect wisdom tooth extraction by 9am. Oxygen really is an amazing hangover remedy for the entire body, including the brain!
A small study in the Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research had 20 healthy adults tested for hangover stress tests showing the reliability and effectiveness of HBOT on alcohol-induced hangover. It states: “…an exponential change was examined after 3 interventions (hangover drink, hyperbaric oxygen chamber, and normal chamber as placebo effect) of 1 hour, the heart rate of subjects experiencing a hyperbaric oxygen chamber showed a statistically significant decrease (p < 0.001). The tests of blood alcohol concentration (BAC) as for exquisite hematology analysis, glucose, creatinine, and AST (aspartate aminotransferase) as well as ALT (alanine aminotransferase) used as liver-damage indicator show that the hyperbaric chamber has the effective effect. In the test of lactic acid, CRP (c-reactive protein), cortisol, and creatinine, the hyperbaric chamber shows much more excellent effect than the hangover drink and normal chamber as control groups. Further studies on hyperbaric oxygen chamber intervention including this study could be very helpful for improving lives of both the patients and healthy people."
Now Let’s Add Some Therapeutic Red Light Therapy
Too much drinky drinky will make you feel crummy…read the following ways that LIGHT can help you get your MOJO BACK!
Recharge cells with light therapy the way solar batteries are charged by panels in the sun! BTW…get yourself outside and in the sun, with your feet on grass to connect to the earth and ground yourself after a night of gluttony!
1. Improve the dreaded mental fog in the morning
Red light therapy bed sessions & targeted red light therapy pads, in general, have been found to help reduce tension and anxiety, help reduce blood pressure issues (very important for constricted blood vessels the morning after to open up gently). This helps a person with a cranky hangover and pounding head.
Now, for more serious issues with addiction, and someone recovering from alcoholism, light therapy can help them to relax, enter a more positive mindset, by reducing irritability. By improving state of mind, one can more easily commit to their recovery longer term if drinking is an issue.
2. Increase energy after crummy sleep from booze
By stimulating cell activity, red light therapy helps to increase energy in the area or areas being treated, but also provides an increase in energy from the red light then permeating throughout the entire body. This often gives a jump start needed to not only feel better physically & mentally, but to manage recovery from a hangover and when continued, with alcoholism as well.
3. Refresh dull or red - patchy skin
Aside from helping with pain & recovery, red light therapy also has tremendous benefits on a person’s skin. Red light therapy can help rejuvenate the skin, increasing elasticity by stimulating collagen activity. Celebrations often encourage an abundance of sugar, salt and alcohol, as well as, late nights and lack of sleep. Facial redness, dehydrated patches, and puffy eyes are dead giveaways of what ya did the night before. Therapeutic light therapy can help the morning after with facial swelling, even tone, head pain, brain fog, and to help put you into a parasympathetic state for more calm and less head pressure, overall!
Reduce inflammation with anti-inflammatory LED light therapy.
Red LED penetrates deeper into the skin to combat “hangover face” …can you imagine what it will do to your insides then as well to reduce inflammation causing headaches?
In addition, recent studies conducted at the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center , have shown that red light therapy can help treat alcoholism. In further neuroscience research, ‘optogenetics’ has been used at the center to discover that red light can alter impulses & actions, which can promote recovery in the treatment of alcohol addiction.
“LET LIGHT BE YOUR MEDICINE”
We are proud to carry an abundant assortment of lights from the LS Pro System & are excited to now have the newest generation MXP Power Bed that looks like a tanning bed clamshell. Come try it out…you can even wear an oxygen cannula and have the O2 connected to the bed for more negative ions coming at ya from the inside, and out, to combat the bad positive ions/dirty electricity pollution that surrounds us daily anymore.
And…finish off with a delightful session in our Infrared Sauna!
Continue the detox with SWEAT
A sweat will certainly help detox the junk out of your cells from the libation and over-indulgence of treats or greasy foods.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Drink lots of clean water before during and after your Far Infrared sauna session as it will keep you from becoming dehydrated from the sweating.
Side effects of alcohol indulgence include the following: head pain, increased heart rate, body pain, dizziness, bad breath, lethargy, nausea, sensitivity to light & loud sounds - sensory overload basically - is what you go through, along with anxiety, irritability, fatigue, stomach ache, and the good ‘ol visits to the bathroom for any kind of stomach issue.
When the body is heated with an Infrared sauna, toxins, are released. Using the sauna for about 20 to 30 min produces over twice as much perspiration as an old fashioned hot air sauna, and this is a great way to rid the body of toxins from a specific source... in this case…booze. This is due to the sauna’s ability to raise the body’s core temperature, inside - out, thereby creating a ‘false’ fever.
As the body’s temp elevates, it creates a hostile environment for toxins in the body. This heat also triggers white blood cells to seek out the weakened cells and knock them outtttt. This reduces the load on the kidneys, but promotes double the detox, even continuing the detox throughout the rest of the day. That’s why hydrating all day long is important!
So, you can not only speed heal through a hangover, you can also enjoy a boost in your immune system….BONUS!!
To further demonstrate the power of combination therapy for feeling sharp, positive and strong, in both body & mind, we look to a man who must be in tip top shape to continue his career.
Veteran basketball player, Kevin Love, uses this same TRIFECTA of RECOVERY for his mental & physical well being for years now…it really works for so many different issues and ailments! He uses other modalities to help promote a parasympathetic state.
Lake Oswego raised NBA veteran, Kevin Love, uses the combo of mHBOT, Red Light and Infrared Sauna Therapy in his wellness room at home, shown here in Cleveland, OH, while playing for the Cavaliers in 2020. He is interviewed by Architectural Digest in the video above explaining the benefits of each of the different modalities he uses and why he uses them regularly. This stuff really works, you guys!!
Ideas of what you can do at home to hydrate the next morning:
Start your day by drinking a lot of water to re-hydrate and balance your pH level. This is why coffee, though it may taste amazing and you’re used to it first thing in the morning, it’s not good, because it will increase your acidity and further dehydrate you.
What you need is to hydrate and reduce the acidity in your stomach, so what you can do is try to add a pinch of baking soda into it if you must have your cup o Joe first thing….and while you’re at it…make it a Bullet Coffee for the win, then drink 8 to 10oz of clean water to replenish what you lost from the caffeine.
Look into what a Kangen machine can do to make super powered water.
Kangen water for increased pH balance
Alkaline water is believed to create an alkaline environment in the body. Alkalinity is healing versus an acidic state which is disease promoting and energy zapping.
Click here to learn more about the benefits and how this machine works for overall health & hydration!
Drink more & more of the good stuff: decaf warm tea with raw honey or high grade maple syrup; bone broth (salt is GOOD for you the next morning, and collagen for the win - always!!), and fresh juices can all help you rebuild yourself back up to keep your stomach calm from throwing up the next day…you don’t need fried food and grease to get you through, trust me!
GOLDEN MILK
Make yourself an anti-inflammatory golden turmeric milk to settle your stomach and increase anti-inflammatory function throughout the body.
You can find powdered turmeric golden milk mix already prepared in any health food store. What I look for is to make sure one of the ingredients is - black pepper - for absorption of the turmeric (it’s a thing), and then, find a mix to include adaptogens, like Ashwaganda, and medicinal mushrooms, like Reishi & Cordiceps for brain and immune function. Add this to hot coconut milk with raw honey, cinnamon, and a splash of vanilla. This will coat your stomach so nicely, and trust me, it is really yummy and calming overall!
GO TO NATURE FOR RELIEF
If you need more energy mid-morning due to. hsngover…go for local BEE POLLEN! Why?
Bee pollen boosts circulation to the brain, and we know oxygen can then try to get through for greater healing of anxiety, depression, physical pain and overall agitation the next day.
*If allergic to bees, do not use this suggestion
Bee pollen, if taken before 2pm in the afternoon, helps promote the clean energy boost your body is needing at this point in the day. Always remember to take it earlier in the day as it increases energy.
A 1/4 teaspoon down the hatch, chased with raw honey (the two together help each other work better for absorption), and water, will provide a balance of ‘B’ vitamins, minerals, amino acids & antioxidants for the neurological system & nervous system to operate efficiently, while the oxidants are being neutralized. It is really good, clean, brain food, and if local, can help provide some immunity against local allergens!
You can find the best sources at your local farmers markets or local produce & health food grocers.
DID YOU KNOW YOU CAN BUILD YOUR OWN
TRIFECTA FOR RECOVERY with a monthly membership at
In Light Hyperbarics??!!!
SELECT A MEMBERSHIP THAT SUITS YOU PERSONALLY!
At ILH we recognize the need to personalize services to best suit your budget, time and health needs!
Give Taylor, our Membership Director, a call to schedule a FREE consult with her to see what modalities would help you in this season of your life! Click here to learn more!
Hope this helps you all out!!
Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These services or products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. This is information for educational purposes.