Tannin, a component in red wine, has been long considered the culprit. A 2016 review notes that alcohol may trigger a tension headache, especially if a person also has migraine. The research found that 21% of people with migraine say that alcohol is a tension headache trigger, compared with just 2% of people without migraine. Without a consistent cause-and-effect situation, though, it could be a number of factors — not just alcohol — that are triggering your migraine headache.
Hangover headache
- Even if foods can be shown to link to migraine, controlling other non-food triggers can make the impact of a food trigger less significant.
- In addition, many people experience severe nausea and vomiting during the withdrawal process.
- Factors like neurotransmitter imbalances, alterations in blood flow, and dehydration, not to mention heightened stress, will continue to impact their severity and onset.
- If you do notice a pattern, especially with particular types of alcohol over others, you may choose to avoid the offending drinks.
- The American Migraine Foundation offers extensive resources to help you explore your symptoms and treatment options.
- Drinking any type of alcohol in excess, including beer, wine, or liquor, can cause headaches.
It may also help eliminate triggers that tend to co-occur with drinking, such as dehydration and sleep deprivation. This review was https://ecosoberhouse.com/ performed using a literature search on PubMed from 1988 (date of the first IHS classification) to December 2014. Search terms of “alcohol,” “wine,” “food trigger,” “dietary trigger,” “migraine,” “headache” were used. Additional sources were identified via manual search of bibliographies, references lists, and previous peer reviews.
How to avoid or treat alcohol-related headaches
If you suspect this, you may wish to cut down on caffeine more gradually. You should be aware that caffeine can be found in many products, including chocolate and some over-the-counter painkillers. Fizzy drinks can contain the sweetener aspartame, which some people link to their migraines. Delayed or missed meals often result in a drop in blood sugar, which can trigger migraine.
Can alcohol give you a migraine attack?
In addition to drinking plenty of water, you also need to ensure you are eating a healthy diet. Consuming plenty of nutrient-rich foods can help stabilize blood sugar levels, reducing headaches. Magnesium deficiency is a common cause of persistent headaches; eating nuts and seeds can boost the level of this nutrient in your body. Alternatively, yogurt hydrates your body and can help with nausea by promoting gut health. Do your best to avoid common headache triggers like processed foods. The number one thing that you need to remember when experiencing a headache related to alcohol withdrawal is to hydrate.
Gender and body weight
If you have chronic headaches, identifying and avoiding your triggers can substantially improve your quality of life. To determine if drinking is one of yours, it’s helpful to learn the signs of alcohol-induced headaches. Migraine is complex, and other neurological conditions may cause migraine-like symptoms.
The American Migraine Foundation’s Guide to Migraine Triggers & How to Manage Them
This compound might inhibit the body’s ability to break down alcohol, leading to the buildup of a substance called acetaldehyde, which could result in headaches. Alcohol increases urination, which can lead to dehydration, and people who drink alcohol may not drink as much water, intensifying the water loss. It may also trigger headaches related to headache disorders, such as migraine. While migraine is a common disease that affects 39 million Americans, no two migraine experiences are the same. Symptoms can vary from light sensitivity and dizziness to food cravings or body chills. Explore these Frequently Asked Questions about migraine symptoms to see if you might be experiencing migraine.
- The mechanism through which alcohol can trigger these distinct headache disorders is not well understood.
- Although neither type of berry or botanical is a common migraine trigger, they could be triggers for some people.
- You’ll record if you’ve had a migraine, and you’ll list your symptoms.
- Without a consistent cause-and-effect situation, though, it could be a number of factors — not just alcohol — that are triggering your migraine headache.
- The assessments were conducted by three researchers (BB, PN and MS1) separately, then the fourth author (MWP) compared this data and made a final decision.
To learn more about all of your migraine treatment options, visit the AMF Resource Library. For help finding a healthcare provider, check out our Find a Doctor tool. Alcohol has different effects on the body depending on when you drink it.
Other histamine-laden foods may also be triggers
As a result, a female’s blood alcohol concentration tends to be higher, making it more likely for females to experience headaches and hangovers. This article will explore the relationship between alcohol and headache and consider why some people develop an alcohol headache after one drink. A tendency toward migraine may also play a role in hangovers, especially hangovers that cause migraine-like headaches.
- This is often the most important trigger in children, particularly when they are going through a growth spurt or involved in strenuous exercise.
- If your attacks regularly start late morning or late afternoon, look at your mealtimes.
- After creating and using search terms in databases, the results were searched by three authors (BB, PN and MS1) independently.
If you suffer from migraines, you will learn to recognise which particular symptoms affect you. These may include experiencing an ‘aura’ as a warning symptom that a migraine is coming on – this might mean experiencing disturbed vision – such as seeing spots or zig-zag lines. Nausea (a feeling that you might vomit) or vomiting and sensitivity to bright light can alcohol cause migraines or sound are also widely reported migraine symptoms. The effects of alcohol on the brain vary depending on the dose and on individual factors, such as overall health.