Red Wine Migraine and Headache: Causes and Cures

does alcohol cause migraines

For example, if you experience migraines and notice that alcohol triggers your migraine headache, then taking one of your migraine therapies (for example, a triptan) at the start of your headache may be best. The mechanism through which alcohol can trigger these distinct headache disorders is not well understood. While the acute widening of blood vessels in the brain (called vasodilation) may explain the cocktail headache, this is likely not the mechanism for hangover headaches (when alcohol levels in the blood have declined to zero).

  • Drink plenty of water and take your usual rescue medication such as triptans or pain relief.
  • Then, consider exploring more treatment options with our other free resources.
  • For example, a tension headache may cause pain in the neck or shoulders.
  • Some alcohols, like red wine, tend to trigger migraine headaches more often than others.

Are there any effective treatments?

Many things can trigger a migraine, from stress at work to changes in the weather to foods like aged cheese. And for about one-third of people who have migraines, alcohol is also a trigger. The risks “increase exponentially” with heavy drinking, researchers found. “This emphasizes the importance of educating the public about the serious negative impact of binge alcohol drinking on the heart,” Khanal told Medical News Today.

  • Heavy drinking is linked to many ill effects, but there are treatments available that can help you reduce your intake or stop drinking.
  • Examples of migraine aura include visual phenomena such as seeing geometric shapes or bright spots, or flashing lights, or even loss of vision.
  • For instance, alcohol byproducts called congeners have been linked to headaches.
  • There are also behavioral treatment options and lifestyle changes that can help.

Medical Professionals

However, a few negative experiences cannot justify the media and scientific information on alcohol as a major headache trigger and the suggestion of abstinence. In fact, to deny the beneficial effect of a low dose of alcohol in a wide number of people, who can also have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease like migraine patients [74, alcohol causes migraines 75], is not medically appropriate. Migraine is very common, affecting one in five women, one in 16 men, and even one in 11 children. Migraine attacks are three times more prevalent in women, likely as a result of hormonal differences. Certainly genetic and environmental factors play a role in the development of migraine disease.

Does alcohol trigger a headache?

Low doses of alcohol during meals significantly lower the frequency of induced-attacks and the alcoholic consumption during stress was related to higher migraine attack frequency [37]. While some report beer as a trigger [19, 24], others found no association [30, 31, 34, 37]. Since alcohol can trigger migraine and tension headache attack, only a low percentage of headache patients should drink alcoholic beverages. Few and often only descriptive studies exist on this topic, with marked differences in the percentage of consumers perhaps depending on the country habits [19, 24, 26, 31–33] (Table 2). No differences between migraine and tension headache were reported [24, 26] (Table 1). Many people find their migraine symptoms are heightened after consuming caffeine or alcohol.

Biogenic amines, sulphites, flavonoid phenols, 5-hydroxytryptamine mechanisms and vasodilating effects are discussed. The fact that few headache patients cannot tolerate some alcoholic drinks does not justify the consideration that alcohol is a major trigger and the suggestion of abstinence. In fact, low doses of alcohol can have a beneficial effect on patients such as migraineurs, who were reported to have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The role of dietary triggers has been well reviewed previously [1, 2]. Some studies show that patients in whom alcohol or wine/beer acts as a trigger factor also had significantly more other foods as a trigger [19,73]. Certainly, some headache patients cannot tolerate some alcoholic drinks, although not frequently, and perhaps only in combination in the presence of other trigger factors (stress, for example).

Sometimes you might get an attack because multiple triggers are working in combination. For example, you might have overslept and skipped breakfast, and be tired and stressed from a busy week at work. Adding alcohol into the mix could then tip you over the threshold for having an attack. If you want to drink, it may be best to do so on days where you feel relaxed, you’ve followed your usual daily routine, and you’ve avoided your other triggers, as this could reduce your risk of a migraine attack. Whether or not alcohol is a migraine headache trigger is debatable.

does alcohol cause migraines

Storms, excessive heat and changes in barometric pressure are common weather-related migraine triggers that can lead to a migraine attack. High humidity and heat can easily lead to dehydration, another common trigger. When you add the perpetual worry of when the next attack will strike, it can start to feel like a never-ending, exhausting cycle. Note that to qualify as a cocktail (or delayed alcohol-induced) headache, the pain must start within three hours of drinking. “Tyranny of the trigger”Vives-Mestres told MSC she was surprised by the results, which directly challenge the widespread belief that alcohol is a common trigger for migraine.

does alcohol cause migraines

Some people need what we call an acute or a rescue treatment for infrequent migraine attacks. Whereas other people need both an acute and a preventive treatment plan. Preventive treatment reduces the frequency and severity of migraine attacks. It might be a daily oral medication, a monthly injection, or even injections and infusions that are delivered once every three months.

Is Alcohol a Migraine Trigger?

  • Having a strong network of people who validate your experience and support you on the good days and bad is so valuable when you live with an invisible illness like migraine.
  • Like other alcohols, red wine can dilate blood vessels in your brain, which can provoke a headache.
  • As dehydration can cause headaches, staying hydrated when consuming alcohol is key.
  • If you notice consistent patterns, then chances are it’s the alcohol that’s causing your migraine headache.
  • There has been some research into the effect alcohol has in increasing blood flow to certain parts of the brain, but whether this causes or relieves headache symptoms depends largely on the type of headache.

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. 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.

does alcohol cause migraines

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