Meanwhile, 2020 research showed that 95% of participants experienced alcohol-induced headaches. Once it gets into your system, it is converted into a chemical that triggers migraine. Start your search with these complementary and integrative therapies. Then, consider exploring more treatment options with our other free resources.
Drinks containing more alcohol and congeners may worsen the chance of developing a headache. 2021 research also linked lifestyle factors with alcohol drinking and smoking to cluster headaches and their severity. Many things can trigger a migraine, from stress at work to changes in the weather to foods like aged cheese. And for about dealing with stomach pain after quitting alcohol lantana recovery one-third of people who have migraines, alcohol is also a trigger. Alternative migraine therapies can work alongside traditional treatments to reduce migraine attack frequency and lessen the impact of symptoms. While migraine is a common disease that affects 39 million Americans, no two migraine experiences are the same.
Even a modest amount of alcohol can cause people with migraine to develop a delayed headache or trigger an attack. The short answer is that while it’s possible for alcohol to cause a migraine attack, it’s often a bit more complicated. In some studies, about one-third of people living with migraine reported alcohol as a migraine trigger (at least occasionally). In these retrospective studies, only 10% reported a frequent link. A 2016 review notes that alcohol may trigger a tension headache, especially if a person also has migraine. The research found that 21% of people with migraine say that alcohol is a tension headache trigger, compared with just 2% of people without migraine.
It might be a daily oral medication, a monthly injection, or even injections and infusions that are delivered once every three months. The right medications combined with lifestyle changes can be helpful to improve the lives of those living with migraine. There are ways to manage and minimize the triggers of migraine using the SEEDS method. Improve your sleep routine by sticking to a specific schedule, reducing screens and distractions at night. Start small, even five minutes once a week and slowly increase the duration and frequency to make it a habit. E is for eat healthy, well-balanced meals at least three times a day and stay hydrated.
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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 [23]. 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 [22,24]. Curiously, in some countries, the percentages of alcohol or wine as migraine triggers were negligible, 6.1 [25] and 1.4% [26], perhaps depending on the degree of alcohol habits. In addition to red wine, other alcoholic beverages, including beer, white wine, and liqueur, have also been reported as headache triggers. A 2019 study recognized alcoholic beverages, especially red wine, as a migraine trigger factor for people with migraine.
Avoiding migraine triggers is one of the only sure-fire ways to avoid migraine symptoms. 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 [12] or 24 h [13], while some affirm that headaches appear frequently the next morning/day [10, 14]. However, despite the original paper of Hanington [3] cocaine addiction and the vigorous literature that follows, serious doubts exist as to whether the condition really exists as a clinical entity. If you’ve had a tough day at work or a stressful interaction with someone, drinking alcohol might not be the best way of coping. In fact, drinking alcohol to calm yourself down can elevate your risk of triggering a migraine attack or an alcohol-induced headache.
Alcohol as a trigger factor
Studies show that many people with migraine choose not to drink alcohol for fear that it may trigger a migraine attack. However, researchers aren’t clear on exactly how or why alcohol can impact migraine. There is even some debate about whether alcohol itself or another chemical component in alcoholic drinks acts as the trigger.
Each symptom usually begins gradually, builds up over several minutes and can last up to 60 minutes. In fact, many headache sufferers abstain from alcohol or consume less than the general population. As dehydration can drug testing special subjects msd manual professional edition cause headaches, staying hydrated when consuming alcohol is key. Aim to drink plenty of water before, after, and during alcohol consumption. Many different factors can contribute to a hangover as a result of drinking.
- A migraine each time you have a night out should be good reason to abstain.
- Whether you’re looking for answers for yourself or someone you love, we are here to give you the best information available.
- Some people drink water in between glasses of wine, for example.
- These headaches cause very intense pain that often primarily affects the area behind one eye.
While it is doctor-verified, it is not intended to serve as medical advice, and users are advised to seek the advice of their doctors before making any decisions based on the information in this article. The number of drinks you have, what you are drinking, and what’s going on in your life may be the primary culprits, rather than alcohol itself. Medications can help prevent some migraines and make them less painful. The right medicines, combined with self-help remedies and lifestyle changes, might help.
Other neurotransmitters play a role in the pain of migraine, including calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). Avoiding drinking is the best way to prevent an alcohol-related headache. Males should aim to drink two or fewer drinks daily, and females should aim to drink one or fewer.
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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.
Research still needs to determine which remedy is most effective. However, a headache after drinking will usually resolve itself over time. Other criteria for a person to have a migraine diagnosis include nausea or vomiting and sensitivity to light or noise. 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.
Did you know that 20% of women say they avoid pregnancy because of migraine? While migraine thankfully does not affect fertility, it can complicate conversations about family planning and infertility treatments. Learn more about the relationship between migraine and family planning. Pregnancy can add another complicated layer to your migraine journey, but having a strong support system will make it easier to navigate the ups and downs. You can find additional support from people in your position and those who have already experienced pregnancy with migraine in our Move Against Migraine Facebook group.
Alternate Alcohol With Food and Water
Avoiding alcohol isn’t the only way to avoid an alcohol-related migraine headache. There are some health benefits to moderate alcohol consumption, but the key is knowing what types of alcohol cause your headaches, in what amounts, and what other factors might be involved. While people who have these headaches report a connection to alcohol, there’s no real consistency in how alcohol causes these headaches to develop, according to studies that have been done. Instead, researchers suggest that alcohol as a trigger is more of a personal reaction — common in certain types of headaches — than a general effect. It has been suggested that a tendency to experience alcohol-induced headaches could be genetic. And researchers suggest that experiencing an unpleasant effect from drinking alcohol may alter alcohol consumption.
Keep a record of any symptoms that occur after consuming alcohol and discuss them with your doctor. Identifying your specific food and drink triggers is a key part of any migraine prevention and treatment plan. If alcohol is a confirmed trigger for your migraine, then avoiding alcohol is the best solution.
