Dehydration caused by alcohol consumption is considered a potential factor that may trigger migraines in susceptible individuals. Chemical imbalances, the presence of other ingredients in alcoholic beverages (such as histamine), and individual sensitivities can also play a role. It is important to note that not everyone who experiences migraines will have them triggered by alcohol.
- No significant differences appeared between the migraines with or without aura and between migraine and tension headache.
- Preventing migraine begins with identifying and reducing or eliminating common migraine triggers such as alcohol, dehydration, and certain foods.
- Red wine’s propensity for causing headaches is usually attributed to the sulfates and sulfites it contains.
- Other criteria for a person to have a migraine diagnosis include nausea or vomiting and sensitivity to light or noise.
- Although most in the medical and scientific community look at migraine as a condition and are unsure of why it happens, at the National Headache Institute, we believe that migraine is a symptom, not a unique condition.
Causes & Risk Factors
This can vary depending on the brand of alcohol; some migraine warriors find that certain brands trigger attacks more than others. Migraine triggers can range widely, from environmental pollutants and food additives to stress and fatigue. While every sufferer has their own unique set of triggers, many can point to alcohol as a alcohol and migraines prime suspect behind their persistent migraine attacks. Dehydration often accompanies alcohol consumption and may worsen migraine symptoms. Drink plenty of water to rehydrate your body and help ease migraine pain. Electrolyte-rich beverages or sports drinks can replenish lost minerals.
Inclusion and exclusion criteria
A person may experience migraine after drinking if they are susceptible to it. Some people may experience an alcohol-related migraine between 30 minutes and 3 hours after drinking. Meanwhile, 2020 research showed that 95% of participants experienced alcohol-induced headaches. A 2016 study showed that alcohol consistently induced migraine in 10% of people. A 2015 study suggests that the inactivity of alcohol https://ecosoberhouse.com/ dehydrogenase 2, an enzyme that helps break down alcohol, might contribute to hangover headaches.
How to avoid or treat alcohol-related headaches
In a 2017 study, researchers found that people of East Asian ancestry drink less than members of other groups. Certain genes may influence the tendency to drink and alcohol tolerance to quantities of alcohol. While there is some research on each possible reason why alcohol what is alcoholism causes headaches, study authors have not definitively proven the link between the two. Once it gets into your system, it is converted into a chemical that triggers migraine. It may be worth considering some treatment options to help you manage your symptoms. This Diagnosis & Treatment page walks you through next steps after a diagnosis.
Hormonal Migraine Relief: How to Manage Symptoms and Triggers
The response to alcohol varies from person to person, and there is no alcohol that absolutely will not cause a migraine or other headache. Always drink responsibly—which includes minimizing the chances that alcohol will affect your migraine. Current medical opinions on alcohol consumption are evolving with research, so it’s important to educate yourself on the effects of alcohol on your health. If you are struggling with alcohol abuse or other dependency issues, there are many resources that are ready to help. Until you minimize the risk of your other migraine triggers, it can be hard to narrow down a single cause of a headache after drinking. There isn’t one best alcohol type for individuals with migraine, because triggers can differ from person to person.
- It is very important that you consult your doctor about timing, safety, and frequency before trying this approach.
- Be cautious with medication and avoid exceeding recommended dosages.
- Some studies on the alcohol habits in migraine patients show a low percentage of drinkers in migraine patients.
- If both stress and alcohol are migraine triggers for you, combining them won’t do you any favors.
Relationship between alcohol and migraine headaches
Sulfites are particularly bothersome for migraine sufferers, and they are almost universally used in wine. Check labels closely if you know that sulfites mess with your head. Alcohol can certainly act as a trigger for some individuals, and understanding your triggers and alcohol intake can help manage migraine episodes. And if you’re looking for migraine relief without prescriptions or severe side effects, consider trying CEFALY. Innovative medical devices such as CEFALY Connected offer drug-free migraine relief.
Hangover symptoms
- Drinking even a small amount of alcohol can trigger headache symptoms in certain individuals.
- Subjects were classified as suffering from migraine with or without aura and nonsufferers according the International Classification of Headache Disorders 2nd Edition (ICHD-II).
- Do you think you might react to certain alcoholic beverages more than others?
- The observed estimates of the association for each number of servings of alcohol are shown with the circles (odds ratios) and vertical lines (95% confidence intervals), and the linear association is shown with the solid line.
- Lowering stress through relaxation, psychotherapy, behavior modification, and antidepressant drugs (under the watch of a physician) can provide relief for stress headaches.
- However, alcohol potently inhibited, in itself, diamine oxidase and may activate the release on histamine from mast cells.
Association between servings of alcohol intake compared to none and occurrence of migraine on the following day among 98 participants with episodic migraines followed for 6 weeks. The observed estimates of the association for each number of servings of alcohol are shown with the circles (odds ratios) and vertical lines (95% confidence intervals), and the linear association is shown with the solid line. The dashed line reflects the null value of no association between alcohol intake and occurrence of migraine headaches. We showed participants a list of commonly reported triggers of migraine headache, such as alcohol, irregular sleep, and weather changes, and we asked them to report which ones they believed had typically triggered their migraines.
Every day, participants reported alcohol intake, lifestyle factors, and details about each headache. We constructed within-person fixed-effect models adjusted for time-varying factors to calculate odds ratios for the association between 1,2,3,4, or 5+ servings of alcohol and headache the following day. We also calculated the adjusted risk of headache the following day for each level of intake. Various retrospective studies show that a high percentage (about one-third) of migraine patients refer alcohol as a trigger factor.