Can drinking alcohol cause migraines?

However, the study author also cautions that no single factor causes all hangover headaches. A tendency toward migraine may also play a role in hangovers, especially hangovers that cause migraine-like headaches. A 2014 survey of 692 students, 95 of whom had migraine, found that those with migraine were more likely to experience migraine-like symptoms during a hangover. However, these individuals were not more vulnerable to other hangover symptoms. June being Migraine and Headache Awareness Month, we want to shine a light on things that can affect people with migraines. One such complication is drinking with your migraine medication, such as Topamax. Screen time can lead to an eye strain headache that can lead to a migraine attack. What doctors say, plus practical tips to save your eyes and your head. The delayed alcohol-induced headache, aka hangover, often shows up the next day.

A migraine is a headache disorder characterized by recurrent headaches that are moderate to severe. Typically, these headaches affect one half of the head and are pulsating in nature, often with intense throbbing in a particular area. Migraine headaches can last for hours or days, and the pain can be so severe that it interferes with your daily activities. Common symptoms of migraines include nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and sensitivity to light, sound, and/or smell.

Types of Alcohol-Induced Headaches

” Maybe, see which type of alcohol is affecting your head the most. This work considered the alcoholic drinks and other triggering factors taken the day before onset of headache. Like food triggers, the likelihood of a particular type of alcohol triggering a headache is probably Sober House different from person to person. If you suffer from migraines, talk with your doctor about how alcohol may affect you. There are 3 main headache types that can occur from drinking even tiny amounts of alcohol. These include migraines, cluster headaches, and tension headaches.

About one-third of the patients (mean 34%) report alcohol as a trigger (Fig.1). However these are retrospective studies, and until recently only a prospective study based exclusively on the subjective patients information exists . Recent studies show that alcohol acts as a trigger at least occasionally in a percentage similar to that of the previous studies (37%), but as a frequent/consistent trigger in only 10% of the patients . Curiously, in some countries, the percentages of alcohol or wine as migraine triggers were negligible, 6.1 and 1.4% , perhaps depending on the degree of alcohol habits. Another important question, previously discussed, is whether alcohol per se or some components of AD are responsible why does alcohol cause migraines of headache provocation. However, the analgesic activity of alcohol deserve to be briefly discussed because not easily compatible with headache triggered by ADs. In fact, the anesthetic and analgesic properties of alcohol have been recorded for centuries and alcohol is frequently used as self-medication in pain syndromes. Some experiments show that alcohol have analgesic effect in the early hours after their administration, which is the amount of time ADs have been reported to trigger MO, MA, and CH. In fact, rats that received dural stimulation followed by alcohol showed an initial analgesic effect within the first 2 h after alcohol ingestion; however, 4–6 h later, their pain sensitivity increased.

Why Alcohol Frequently Triggers a Migraine

However, keep in mind that the medication you take to prevent and treat migraines may interact with alcohol. Your doctor can examine your medical history and conditions as well as any medications you take, to determine how much alcohol, if any, is safe for you to consume. If you find any patterns, make sure to tell your healthcare provider. That way, you can benefit from the best possible treatment approach to your migraine headaches. Some studies report that alcohol provokes headache within 30 min to 3 h; principally the red wine [9–11]. Others consider an evaluation period of 6 or 24 h , while some affirm that headaches appear frequently the next morning/day . This review was performed using a literature search on PubMed from to December 2014.

Many people have experienced a headache after drinking alcohol — especially after drinking too much. While headaches are generally recognized as a side effect of alcohol in many people, its reputation as a migraine headache trigger may be overestimated. Migraine patients consider many foods capable of triggering migraines. In fact, lists of triggers induce the migraineur to equate their migraine attack with a food just consumed. This is similar why does alcohol cause migraines to crediting a new symptom to a drug they are taking at that moment. Alcohol’s exact role in triggering a migraine isn’t fully known. For instance, alcohol byproducts called congeners have been linked to headaches. Dark-colored alcohols like red wine, brandy, and whiskey may contain more of them. Strong odors are so prevalent in our culture that most are often not fully aware of them and how often they can trigger migraine attacks.