Alcohol and headaches

While the information on this website is doctor reviewed, it is not meant to act as or take the place of advice from a healthcare professional. Migraine is more common, affecting around 12% of people in the United States. This leads to excessive urination and dehydration, which may cause a headache after a small amount of alcohol. As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Alcohol is embedded in our society, and it is difficult to be in a public space without seeing a reference to alcohol or being offered a drink. Alcohol is broken down in the liver by an enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase. People with a variant in this enzyme have issues with metabolizing alcohol and can develop total body flushing or reddening of the skin.

Top-shelf brands not only taste better but may also be less likely to prove a migraine trigger. I caution patients to order a specific brand of alcohol when ordering a cocktail rather than relying on well drinks or lower-quality brands. Scientific rigor is lacking to prove what patients have reported for centuries about wine triggering migraine attacks. Without a consistent cause-and-effect situation, though, it could be a number of factors — not just alcohol — that are triggering your migraine headache. If you do notice a pattern, especially with particular types of alcohol over others, you may choose to avoid the offending drinks.

Alcohol as a trigger factor

They involve throbbing pain that generally occurs on one side of the head. Meanwhile, 2020 research showed that 95% of participants experienced alcohol-induced headaches. This article will explore the relationship between alcohol and headache and consider why some people develop an alcohol headache after one drink. There’s no proof that drinking raw eggs or downing hot sauce will get rid of your morning-after migraine faster. Downing more alcohol (the “hair of the dog” theory) won’t help either. Once it gets into your system, it is converted into a chemical that triggers migraine. PAWS occurs as the brain attempts to recalibrate itself after addiction.

This hangover headache appears in the next morning after alcohol intake. The alcohol and headaches symptom of headache is present in 2/3 of subjects with alcohol hangover.

What can I do to prevent a headache when I drink?

Self-medicating with alcohol only creates an unhealthy cycle that can be hard to break, and leads to even more health issues in the long-term. For example, an individual who has been sober from alcohol for a month may see the intensity of the PAWS symptoms peak every 3 days or so. Therefore, the release of 5-HT possibly from central stores could represent a plausible mechanism for wine induced headache.

• Andress-Rothrock D, King W, Rothrock J. An analysis of migraine triggers in a clinic-based population.
• Alcohol’s effects on your body include dehydration, inflammation, reduced sleep quality, and the buildup of toxic substances—all of which can give you a headache.
• Hansen JM, Thomsen LL, Olesen J, Ashina M. Calcitonin gene-related peptide does not cause migraine attacks in patients with familial hemiplegic migraine.
• Other studies do not support this, finding almost 50% change drinking habits, avoiding alcohol.
• They were workers or residents of Tokyo or of neighboring areas, who had been registered on the clinic lists for annual health checkups.

Drinking too much can trigger migraines, and possibly other types of headaches—such as cluster headaches and tension headaches—in people who are already susceptible to these issues. Such headaches can occur while you are drinking, or a few hours after—even if you’ve had as little as one drink. Plenty of people experience pain and inflammation after a night of heavy drinking. Components of beer such as ethanol can lead to imbalances in our bodies, causing hangover symptoms such as headaches. Early effects of alcohol can dull sensations and have an analgesic effect, but as alcohol leaves the body it can have the opposite effect and actually increase sensitivity to pain. Some studies have reported that alcohol can trigger a migraine headache in people who are sensitive to it in as little as 30 minutes — or it could take 3 hours.

Why Does Alcohol Cause Headaches and Migraines?

If a person is showing signs of confusion, slowed breathing, or an abnormally low body temperature, seek medical attention immediately. In truly excessive quantities, alcohol triggers serious debilitating effects, possibly pushing your body toward sudden death.

Cycles of headaches and symptoms is normal for anywhere up to a year or more – depending on how long you were previously abusing alcohol. Sulphites have not been shown convincingly to lead to headache in individuals with sulphite sensitivity. Sulphites are considered to be the cause of red wine intolerance, particularly asthma .

Is TikTok Culture Influencing Us To Drink More or Less?

According to a 2009 study about alcohol flush reaction, approximately 30 to 50% of Chinese, Korean, and Japanese people get a red face, nausea, headaches and a rapid heart rate after drinking small amounts of alcohol. According to a study examining the difference in blood-alcohol levels in women compared to men, the enzyme responsible for breaking down alcohol is smaller in females than in males. With less of this enzyme, women may get alcohol-related headaches from smaller amounts of alcohol compared to men. The type of alcohol being consumed can determine how little is needed to cause a headache. This is because ingredients and additives used in alcohol production can trigger headaches. Some factors that contribute to how much alcohol is needed to cause a headache include the type of alcohol being consumed, body weight, gender, and even one’s ethnicity. In addition to the above two points, alcohol can also cause dehydration.