Author: Alex Thompson

Alcohol and Migraine: Relationship, Triggers, Treatment & More

If you develop a cocktail headache, take care to rest and nourish your body with water, electrolytes, and a healthy fruit or vegetable snack if possible. Or you might be fine until after your blood alcohol level returns to normal. This type of headache can happen to anyone, but people with migraines are more likely to get one.

Drinking alcohol can increase inflammation in the body, which may be why some people experience migraines when they drink. If you’re up and moving around a lot, you may exacerbate a cocktail headache. This may partially explain why you wake up with a pounding headache after a night of drinking and dancing. In this post, we’ll explore why you get a pounding headache after drinking and why one type of alcohol/s seems to cause more of an issue than others. Why can red wine cause headaches, even in people that usually don’t have alcohol-related headaches?

1. A cocktail headache develops the same evening, and even a tiny amount of alcohol can trigger it.
2. Additionally, people with a history of migraines may experience longer-lasting headaches after drinking alcohol.
3. Some people may experience an alcohol-related migraine between 30 minutes and 3 hours after drinking.
4. However, the research suggests that alcohol may not be the only trigger and may also depend on other factors.
5. Dark-colored alcohols like red wine, brandy, and whiskey may contain more of them.

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As the National Institute on Alcohol and Alcoholism points out, hangovers usually have several symptoms. If you have other hangover symptoms, like nausea or dizziness, in addition to your headache, then the likely cause of your headache is alcohol. The reality is several factors cause alcohol-induced headaches. Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions. When that happens, people can end up accumulating the toxin acetaldehyde in their systems, according to the authors.

Types of Alcohol-Related Headaches

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. Many different factors can contribute to a hangover as a result of drinking. Drinks containing more alcohol and congeners may worsen the chance of developing a headache. Genes that play a role in opioid, serotonin, and dopamine systems also influence alcohol sensitivity.

Expert Advice on Avoiding Red Wine Headaches

Reduced blood pressure in the brain can cause pain and sensitivity due to widening arteries to blood flow which in most cases results to headaches. Other reasons why alcohol causes headaches include changes in blood flow to the brain, inflammation of blood vessels, and its impact on serotonin levels. Additionally, alcohol affects blood circulation in the brain, causing an increase or decrease in blood flow that can result in throbbing headaches.

How long will a cocktail headache last?

Substances such as sulfites, histamine, and tyramines are found in alcohol and may contribute to headaches as well. It has also been proposed that alcohol triggers an inflammatory response that can lead to a headache. There is only one sure way if treating an alcohol-related headache. However, in case this is not an option, there are a few treatments available for treating this condition. The length of alcohol-induced headaches varies from person to person and depends on these factors.

Eventually, the chemical makeup of your body becomes unbalanced, causing a hangover headache or sore throat. In other words, these issues are a toxic byproduct of alcohol metabolism in the body. If you have an alcohol headache, it’s appropriate if you rest. Also, consider sleeping, especially, if you haven’t had sleep for a while. In addition, avoid eating sugar – it can increase the dehydration, avoid smoking, and limit your strenuous physical activities.

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If drinking alcohol appears to be a potent headache trigger for you, then, by all means, abstain from it. But if a cocktail with friends once in a while or a glass of wine with your dinner on Saturday night does not seem to trigger a bad headache, then it’s probably OK. Talk to your doctor about any concerns and about whether it is safe to drink alcohol with any medications you are taking. It has been suggested that a tendency to experience alcohol-induced headaches could be genetic.

This leads to excessive urination and dehydration, which may cause a headache after a small amount of alcohol. For example, on average, females tend to weigh less than males. Individuals with lower body weights cannot process as much alcohol as individuals at higher weights. Flavanol levels are also impacted by how the wine is made, including skin contact during fermentation, fining processes, and aging, according to the authors.