The strongest effect is produced by dark-colored alcohols like red wine, beer, rum, etc. Whereas the other alcohols cause headaches equally or more frequently. Opting for top-shelf brands, sticking to one type of alcohol, alternating with water and food, and knowing your limits are all strategies that can help minimize the chances of developing a headache. Additionally, keeping a diary to track your triggers and being mindful of other factors like stress and sleep can be helpful. Analysis of the 22 included studies revealed 5 cohort studies 36, 45, 52, 55, 58, 11 cross-sectional 26, 27, 44, 46–48, 51, 56, 57, 59, 60 and six case-controls 49, 50, 53, 54, 61, 62.
Alcohol and Migraines: Can Drinking Trigger A Headache?
- These factors affect the body’s chemistry and hydration levels, which may contribute to headache development during alcohol abstinence.
- Both headache types can include severe headache pain and sensitivity to light.
- A 2023 review of studies concluded that alcohol consumption increases the risk of headaches, particularly migraine and tension-type headaches.
- Alcohol is a diuretic, causing the body to lose vital salts and minerals which help it to function.
We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived https://pik888.net/dialectical-behavior-therapy-dbt-how-it-works-what/ experience, and information from top institutions. Alcohol can take a serious toll on your liver, the organ that works hard to filter toxins from your body. When you drink, your liver breaks down alcohol so it can be removed from your system, a process that is crucial as alcohol leaves your system. Over time, heavy drinking can lead to alarming conditions such as fatty liver, which is an early stage of liver disease that often shows no symptoms. Early effects of alcohol may dull sensations and have an analgesic (pain-relieving) effect.
Symptoms
Understanding ways to treat an alcohol-induced migraine attack already in progress and prevent one altogether can be empowering. Any kind of alcohol triggers my migraine, so I don’t drink any alcohol. Understanding whether alcohol is a migraine trigger and how to treat and prevent it can help you make the best choices about what and how much you drink. If you frequently suffer from alcohol-related headaches, and are struggling to cut back, there are also new solutions. Ria Health’s online program can help you cut back or quit without having to put your life on hold. Get access to anti-craving medications, regular coaching meetings, expert medical advice, digital tools, and more—all from an app on your smartphone.
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Also, the majority of the studies had high or moderate risk of bias. The meta-analysis showed a 1.5-lower risk of migraine in people who consume alcohol. However, migraine patients consume less alcohol for various reasons. Therefore, patients with primary headache migraines and alcohol need to determine for themselves the association between alcohol and headache without any myths and influences.
- This is because beer and wine often contain more toxic byproducts from fermentation, such as aldehydes.
- He also recommends speaking with a doctor before mixing triptans with alcohol or other drugs.
- These types of exercises are commonly recommended to treat headaches and can help other symptoms of long-term alcohol withdrawal as well.
- Unfortunately, higher blood alcohol levels equal dehydration and a loss of important vitamins, minerals, and salts.
- If you have any questions or concerns, please talk to your doctor.
- Those suffering from an immediate alcohol-induced headache will likely feel a pulsating sensation, usually on both sides of the head.
- Alcohol’s ability to affect neurotransmitter activity also plays a role, causing your head to throb painfully.
You could also search our Resources Library to learn more about symptoms, triggers and treatments. As you work with your doctor on next steps, it will be important to maintain access to reliable resources on migraine. We recommend a look at our patient guides, which include useful information including how to talk to your doctor about migraine. Receiving a formal migraine diagnosis is the first milestone when working with your doctor to identify a personalized and effective treatment plan. Continuing to talk with your doctor throughout the course of your treatment is important for determining the strategies that prove beneficial and those that may not be as effective.
Can Not Drinking Alcohol Cause Headaches? Surprising Truths Revealed
Other studies useful for the correlation of the results with the pathogenesis of the primary headaches where also selected. Prolonged alcohol withdrawal is uncommon, but it happens more often in people who have been Halfway house drinking a lot for many years. For example, if someone has been drinking about 12 drinks a day for over 10 years, their blood alcohol levels have stayed the same for a long time. In these cases, it’s not surprising to see withdrawal last longer, and symptoms like anxiety and headaches may take more time to go away. Criteria to recognize habits for alcohol consumption was various in almost each study.