Hookah Tips - Preventing the Dreaded Hookah Headache

How to Prevent a Hookah Headache

You’re just trying to enjoy a relaxing shisha after a long day’s work. Aiming to cap the day with an enjoyable hookah session including the new shisha flavor you’ve been looking forward to. Then, the dreaded hookah headache comes out of nowhere and ruins everything. Now you feel dizzy, maybe a little nauseous and that hookah flavor you were once enjoying isn’t so desirable anymore. What happened? Why is this happening to you? SouthSmoke breaks down the causes of the hookah headache or hookah hangover and gives some tips on how to combat it. Hold on to your hookah hoses.

Hydration Saves Hookah Sessions

Daily hydration is already a smart thing to do. On days you expect to enjoy shisha, it’s even more important. Drinking water before and during a hookah session will help to keep you from getting light headed when inhaling frequent puffs of tasty shisha smoke. Add some flavor with a warm tea that pairs well with many hookah flavors. A little food goes a long way as well. Never smoke on an empty stomach. Enjoy a meal or at least a snack before smoking to give your body some sustenance and better soak up the nicotine from your flavored tobacco. Smoking on an empty stomach puts you on the highway to a turning tummy and nobody enjoys that feeling. Pairing a snack like crackers and cheese or fresh fruits with your favorite hookah tobacco can add to the smoking experience as well!

Prepping Shisha Bowl – Burning Tobacco Leads to Headaches

Prep before any hookah session is key. Open some windows for a properly vented smoking area to start. Lighting hookah charcoal and smoking shisha puts off small amounts of carbon monoxide. This alone can create a headache so proper airflow and fresh oxygen help to clear the air and pave a path to a more enjoyable session. A properly packed hookah bowl is a big part of a quality session as well. Burnt shisha flavors don’t taste great and can lead to headaches as well. Sprinkle the tobacco leaves evenly around the bowl and gently pat down to just below the rim so that they are not touching the hookah foil when covered. Make sure the foil is drum-tight and poke enough holes for adequate airflow.

Unlit Hookah Charcoal Leads to a Bad Time

Your choice in charcoal and how they are lit can have a big impact on your hookah session and how you feel during and after smoking. See our recent blog about natural coals vs quick light coals to help you decide. Properly light whatever charcoal you use to minimize carbon monoxide exposure. Quick lighting hookah charcoal uses an accelerant to help start them. If you do not burn off all excess chemicals before smoking, you may inhale those chemicals with some negative effects, i.e. the hookah headache. Coconut charcoal needs to be fully lit on all sides before smoking as well. They can take up to 10 minutes to light before they are ready. When lighting, natural coals produce carbon monoxide so if you place them on the bowl too early, you’ll be inhaling that unwanted air. No bueno.

Nicotine Tolerance – Dark Leaf Tobacco Vs Blonde Leaf Shisha

Take it slow, relax, and enjoy the shisha. Take time to build a tolerance to nicotine. Jumping to dark leaf tobacco with higher nicotine levels too soon can spell disaster. Don’t be ashamed if your body doesn’t like the buzz as much as others. Some people’s stomachs don’t take well to nicotine and sticking to the lighter blonde leaf flavored tobacco can mean a more enjoyable smoke. If you do want to step up to more robust shishas, take your time, work in increments. Too much nicotine too quickly is no fun and leads to that headache we’ve been speaking of and probably some dizziness and nausea as well.

Herbal Shisha to Avoid the Hookah Headache

A great alternative to traditional hookah tobacco is herbal shisha from brands like Fantasia Hookah and Hydro Herbal. Shisha with no nicotine and no tobacco to eliminate those unwanted side effects and still enjoy the lovely shisha flavors. We hope you enjoy your next hookah session by utilizing these hookah tips and tricks to avoid the dreaded hookah headache. Take your time, hydrate, eat well, and properly set up your shisha for a relaxing smoke! Then when you’re ready, restock on all of you hookah shisha, hookah accessories, and shisha pipes ant SouthSmoke.com… You know we had to put that in there. :)