When enjoying a night out on the town, there are several triggers you may expose yourself to including bright flashing lights, loud music, food and alcohol. A slice of cheesecake or pizza can do far more damage for some people than others. The UK Chief Medical Officers’ low risk drinking guidelines are designed to help all adults keep the health risks from drinking alcohol to a low level. Drinking alcohol is a trigger for migraine in some people – one study found around a third (33%) of people who get migraines are sensitive to alcohol.4 Others react to hunger, or certain foods. Often, alcohol-induced headaches also have characteristics that resemble your usual headaches, such as migraines, because alcohol is a trigger for these chronic headache conditions. These possible triggers are also found in other reported trigger foods, such as cheeses, dried fruits, processed meats, and fermented foods and drinks.
Talk with a doctor about ways to identify your migraine triggers and what to do if you develop these headaches. In a 2018 study involving 2,197 people with migraine, 25% of the participants who stopped or always avoided drinking did so because alcohol triggered migraine attacks. More than a third of the participants said that alcohol had this effect, with about 78% naming migraine after drinking alcohol red wine as the most common alcohol trigger.
Alcohol as a Migraine Trigger
Beer is another alcoholic beverage that can potentially trigger migraine attacks. Hops, yeast, and gluten found in beer have been identified as possible migraine triggers for some individuals. The alcohol content in beer, coupled with its diuretic effect, can also lead to dehydration, which is a known trigger for migraine attacks.
Anxiety disorders and depression are two of the most commonly reported mental illnesses among people who are diagnosed with migraine. By learning how migraine and mental health impact one another and ways to manage both, you can improve your quality of life. Learn more about the relationship between migraine and mental health in this AMF webinar. Migraine is a disabling disease that no one should have to go through alone. It’s essential to build a support network of understanding people who can not only check in on you during an attack but also empathize with your experience.
A person should try keeping a migraine diary for a few weeks or months to observe trends in their headache patterns. Alcohol increases urination, which can lead to dehydration, and people who drink alcohol may not drink as much water, intensifying the water loss. It may also trigger headaches related to headache disorders, such as migraine. 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.
You could get a headache within 30 minutes to 3 hours of drinking. Some people only sip a glass or two of wine before their head starts to throb. You might have heard that red wine is most likely to cause problems. But other drinks like sparkling wine, beer, and hard liquor may be just as likely, if not more, to cause problems. 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 most severe migraine attacks may last up to 3 days or longer and make it impossible to do anything. One hypothesis is that red wine causes migraine due to high levels of certain compounds called flavonols, particularly quercetin. This compound might inhibit the body’s ability to break down alcohol, leading to the buildup of a substance called acetaldehyde, which could result in 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. More research will help to determine the effects of specific alcohol content on a person’s headaches.
Health Conditions
But whether this causes or relieves headache symptoms depends largely on the type of headache. The review also suggests that having migraine leads people to avoid alcohol, rather than alcohol having any protective role against migraine. The number of drinks you have, what you’re drinking, and what’s going on in your life may be the primary culprits rather than alcohol itself.
- When consumed, alcohol can trigger a series of physiological responses in the body, including the dilation of blood vessels in the brain.
- People prone to headaches may be at a higher risk of experiencing alcohol-related headaches.
- As the alcohol is metabolized and wears off, your brain works to restore chemical balance.
- Migraine is a disabling disease that no one should have to go through alone.
- Regularly consuming alcohol above recommended limits can disrupt the delicate balance in the body and increase the frequency and severity of migraine attacks.
How Often People With Migraine Drink
And though the immediate effects might lessen some of the worry or dread you feel, this change is short-term, and the long-term consequences can make matters worse. Drinking water alongside alcohol can help mitigate the dehydration effect and might reduce the likelihood of a migraine attack. Some may find that small amounts of certain types of alcohol do not trigger migraine. First, let’s consider the ingredients and byproducts of alcohol. Alcohol contains various compounds linked to the onset of migraine.
He also recommends speaking with a doctor before mixing triptans with alcohol or other drugs. Resveratrol is a plant compound that may have some health benefits, like lowering blood pressure, though more research is needed.
Let’s explore how alcohol might trigger a migraine and offer some tips to manage your symptoms while still enjoying a drink. Alcohol hangover is a poorly understood cluster of symptoms occurring following a heavy consumption of alcohol. The term “delayed alcohol-induced headache” is often used synonymously. Our objective was to compare alcohol hangover symptoms in migraine sufferers and nonsufferers.
Relieving Headache Pain: Preventing and treating migraines and other headaches
For example, drinking even a small amount of alcohol decreases sleep quality. Sleep deprivation can cause negative effects such as increased blood pressure or gastrointestinal discomfort. Many different factors can contribute to a hangover as a result of drinking.
Along with the other symptoms of a hangover, such as regret and embarrassment, anxiety can drive feelings of irrational worry, panic, or fear. In addition, researchers found people who score high on measures of shyness to be particularly susceptible to hangover anxiety. It’s not unusual for someone to wake up after a night of drinking feeling social embarrassment and regret.
Paracetamol vs. NSAIDs: Comparing Over-the-Counter Options for Migraines
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. Those diagnosed with a specific type of headache may be more prone to develop a specific type of headache after consuming alcohol. As a result, a female’s blood alcohol concentration tends to be higher, making it more likely for females to experience headaches and hangovers.
How to Enjoy Beer Without Triggering Another Migraine Attack
- One of the more interesting migraine facts is that triggers are additive.
- Red wine is notorious for its potential to trigger migraine attacks.
- Those who were included in this study had episodic migraine and self-identified as low dose alcohol consumers.
- As dehydration can cause headaches, staying hydrated when consuming alcohol is key.
- Continuing to drink may exacerbate the migraine and prolong your discomfort.
These are called immediate and delayed alcohol-induced headaches. People without migraine who consume greater quantities of alcohol often report immediate headaches. Then again, according to a 2023 review of research, studies have found that alcohol appears to be less likely to cause migraine headaches. People who cannot stop drinking should talk with a doctor about treatment for alcohol use disorder, which is a serious but treatable condition.
Treatment options vary, from acute treatment to relieve symptoms to preventive treatment to reduce the number of attacks you experience. There are also behavioral treatment options and lifestyle changes that can help. Mounting evidence suggests there may be a connection between migraine and mental health.