How to Cure the Wine Flu [And Avoid a Hangover Next Time]

If you’ve ever hit the wine bottle a little too hard, you’ve probably experienced what’s affectionately known as the wine flu. This play on the swine flu virus isn’t some new respiratory disease you need to worry about. 

The wine flu is a hangover. 

Once you’ve set yourself up for the wine flu, there’s no magical hangover cure to stop it. There are things you can do to avoid one next time, though. 

Do I have the flu — or is it wine flu?

Let’s be serious for a minute. If you’re suffering from the seasonal flu, you’ll experience symptoms like fever, chills, sore throat, and fatigue. Some flu infections cause nausea or vomiting in infected people. Sneezing and runny noses are likelier signs of the common cold.   

Can you drink wine when you have the flu? You shouldn’t drink wine when you have the flu. You shouldn’t drink alcohol of any kind when you have any illness, really. It could affect your recovery time and interact with any medications you’ve taken to treat your flu symptoms. 

Wine in moderation may have health benefits for healthy adults. There’s some evidence about the benefits of resveratrol in red wine, an antioxidant linked to improved heart health and immune responses. But it’s still not a component of a solid flu recovery plan. Opt for a good dose of the same antioxidants from a handful of grapes, blueberries, or peanuts.

If your ailments are just the “wine flu,” any symptoms should go away within a day or two. Though not recognized by the World Health Organization, a hangover can still put just as big a damper on your day as the flu virus but hopefully won’t last as long. 

We don’t need the public health department to verify that too much wine isn’t going to give us some new strain of seasonal influenza or the H1N1 virus. If you had too much to drink, whether it was natural wine, a bottle of champagne, or too many glasses of your favorite red, your hangover symptoms might include: 

• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Dry mouth and excessive thirst
• Dehydration
• Muscle aches
• Nausea and vomiting
• Light sensitivity 
• Irritability and other mood changes

Read Next: Why Wine Causes Bloating & How to Prevent It

Some of those symptoms do overlap with a viral infection. If you drank late into the night, you probably don’t need a swab to diagnose wine flu.

Know that drinking too much can mess with your sleep. Overindulging on wine may help you fall asleep faster, but it isn’t the deep, restful sleep you need to feel your best in the morning.  

How to Cure the Wine Flu

If you’ve already had too much to drink and you’re suffering the effects of wine flu, there’s no quick fix to get you back in top shape.

How do you get rid of wine flu? You can get rid of wine flu by letting your hangover run its course. There is no “cure” for the wine flu. There are a few ways to ease your hangover symptoms:

• Drink Gatorade. Drinks with electrolytes help replace minerals lost while drinking. Drinking lots of water is helpful, too.
• Eat light. Instead of the greasy meal you might crave during a hangover, eat nutrient-dense foods while getting over the wine flu. 
• Treat your symptoms. If you have a headache the morning after, an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory like ibuprofen is generally safe to help you feel better. If you have any health conditions, always talk to your doctor before taking any medications.
• Sip on caffeine. A moderate dose of caffeine can help with that morning-after headache and combat fatigue. It can worsen your symptoms if you don’t already have a coffee habit, so sip with caution if you’re not used to caffeine.
• Avoid drinking more alcohol. The “hair of dog hangover cure” is a myth. For those left wondering if we’re coming after your poodle — we’re not! It means having a drink the morning after to “cure” a hangover. Sadly, it’ll only prolong your hangover symptoms. 
• Get some rest. Time is the best cure for wine flu. If you’re able, get as much rest as possible when you’re not feeling great the morning after drinking. You could spend some time thinking about how to stop drinking before you get to those hangover levels next time. 

How to Avoid a Hangover Next Time

We’ve already given you the bad news. Once you’ve hit that point of drinking too much alcohol, you can’t stop a hangover from happening. 

Here are a few tips on avoiding a hangover in the first place:

• Eat before drinking. Drinking on an empty stomach puts you at a higher risk of a bad hangover. 
• Avoid dark liquor. Beware of congeners in dark liquors like bourbon and rum. The compounds have been linked to worse hangovers the next day. 
• Choose lighter varietals. Red wines have congeners, too. Opt for white wines with a higher acidity level if you’re prone to morning-after effects.
• Stay hydrated. Drink water in between each glass of wine. You’ll prevent dehydration and could keep yourself from drinking too much in the first place.
• Skip the booze. Adopting a sober lifestyle has the added benefit of never worrying about hangovers again. It’s the best antiviral for the dreaded wine flu. 

If you’re all, “But I love wine!” we have the perfect remedy for you.

Ditch the Wine Flu Forever with Non-Alcoholic Wine

It’s hard to know where a good time starts, and a hangover begins. The lines can become pretty blurry, and you could set yourself up for a rough morning even if you seek out the healthiest wine. Try non-alcoholic wine instead. 

Surely’s non-alcoholic wines come with zero side effects. If you want that red wine antioxidant boost, we’ve got you with our non-alcoholic pinot noir. Love a side of bubbles? Try our canned rosé spritz or non-alcoholic sparkling brut.

You have way too much going on to worry about recovering from the wine flu. Skip the hangover with Surely wine.

Sources

1. Influenza
2. Influenza Vaccine
3. Moderate alcohol consumption and the immune system: a review
4. Intoxication with Bourbon versus Vodka: Effects on Hangover, Sleep and Next-Day Neurocognitive Performance in Young Adults