The tables below group alcohol types by the amount of these additives. Migraine is more common, affecting around 12% of people in the United States. Uric acid forms crystals around joints in the body, most commonly in the big toe or knee, but can be found in any joint. When this occurs, can alcohol cause migraines the affected joint results in severe pain, swelling and redness. Then, too, you can always work with a registered dietitian to implement an elimination diet. Typically, this means removing just one food or food group at a time while continuing with your typical diet, Pacheco says.
Alcohol and Migraines: Can Drinking Trigger A Headache?
Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article. Health Union reaches millions of people through condition-specific online health communities and a Social Health Network of patient leaders across virtually all health https://ecosoberhouse.com/ conditions. Although most in the medical and scientific community look at migraine as a condition and are unsure of why it happens, at the National Headache Institute, we believe that migraine is a symptom, not a unique condition.
Is Alcohol Consumption a Trigger for Migraine?
People who experience a headache after drinking should not assume that it is a migraine, especially if they have symptoms consistent with other types of headaches. For example, a tension headache may cause pain in the neck or shoulders. If alcohol is a confirmed trigger for your migraine, then avoiding alcohol is the best solution. If you’re unsure whether alcohol is triggering your migraine, keep a detailed migraine journal that includes any foods and alcohol consumed throughout the week. This will be a valuable resource for you and your doctor to start identifying more specific migraine triggers.
Can Alcohol Trigger Migraine Headaches?
More research will help to determine the effects of specific alcohol content on a person’s headaches. As a result, a female’s blood alcohol concentration tends to be higher, making it more likely for females to experience headaches and hangovers. 2020 research shows that females are more likely to experience hangovers, memory problems, and liver disease from consuming alcohol.
Cluster headache
Finally, 22 articles [26, 27, 36, 44,45,46,47,48,49,50,51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59,60,61,62] were retrieved for further analysis. Various retrospective studies show that a high percentage (about one-third) of migraine patients refer alcohol as a trigger factor. However, this factor is frequently reported at about 10%, which is a percentage more plausible. No significant differences appeared between the migraines with or without aura and between migraine and tension headache. Some studies on the alcohol habits in migraine patients show a low percentage of drinkers in migraine patients. This was supposed to be due to previous experiences of alcohol as headache trigger, but one study does not agree [34].
The American Migraine Foundation’s Guide to Migraine Triggers & How to Manage Them
Other hard liquors, beer, and sparkling wine have also been identified as culprits by the scientific community. The body converts the ethanol in alcohol that we drink to a chemical that can trigger headaches. Many people may also develop headaches due to the dehydrating effects of alcohol. Red wine is the type of alcohol most often reported as a headache trigger. Tannin, a component in red wine, has been long considered the culprit. If you have chronic headaches, identifying and avoiding your triggers can substantially improve your quality of life.
A doctor can diagnose gout by examining the joints and looking for a pattern of swelling. “We will also look for uric acid crystals either in your joints or through a blood test,” says Iroku-Malize. Hangover headaches also happen due to the buildup of acetaldehyde, a toxic byproduct your body makes when it metabolizes ethanol. This buildup also leads to a throbbing head and flip-flopping stomach. If you’re tannin-sensitive, the above foods will also likely trigger you. Still, if you’re a migraineur, she encourages keeping tabs on how increasing or decreasing caffeine affects you.
Alcohol and Migraine: What Should We Tell Patients?
This prospective study looked at migraine diaries spanning up to 90 days. Wine, beer, and spirits did not elevate the risk of migraine with aura, but sparkling wine did. A 2015 study suggests that the inactivity of alcohol dehydrogenase 2, an enzyme that helps break down alcohol, might contribute to hangover headaches. However, the study author also cautions that no single factor causes all hangover headaches. Treatment options vary, from acute treatment to relieve symptoms to preventive treatment to reduce the number of attacks you experience.
This Simple Habit Can Improve Your Dental Health & Gut Health At The Same Time
- Aim to drink plenty of water before, after, and during alcohol consumption.
- Moyer says there’s currently not enough evidence to give a definitive recommendation for caffeine and headache relief.
- Only few studies [46, 48,49,50, 52] provided the data about the period in which alcohol drinking was considered and measured.
- Also oral intake of pure alcohol (at a dose corresponding to a two drink equivalent) produces significant vasodilatation in man [66].
- However, the research suggests that alcohol may not be the only trigger and may also depend on other factors.
- These findings suggest that red wine contains a migraine-provoking agent that is neither alcohol (because vodka is pure alcohol) nor tyramine (for the negligible content in wine).