Migraine triggers: alcohol

18 April 2024

A common misconception is that overconsumption of alcohol is what triggers headaches. As many migraine sufferers can attest to, sometimes it just takes one glass of wine or even a sip. The majority were female (419/487, 86.0%), actively working (293/378, 77.5%).

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.
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The response to alcohol varies from person to person, and there is no alcohol that absolutely will not cause a migraine or other headache.

Ethanol and migraine

A MEDLINE search from 1988 to October 2007 was performed for “headache and alcohol”, “headache and wine”, “migraine and alcohol” and “migraine and wine”. Regional differences were reported, perhaps depending in part on alcohol habits. No differences were found between migraine and tension headache and different http://www.detiseti.ru/modules/myarticles/article.php?storyid=443 genders. However, prospective studies limit considerably the importance of alcohol as a trigger. Recent studies show that migraine patients consume less alcohol than controls. Red wine was reported to be the principal trigger of migraine, but other studies show that white wine or other drinks are more involved.

Alcohol: A Trigger for Headaches and Migraines

After a night on the town, it’s easy to blame a headache on too much alcohol. But if you’re prone to migraine headaches, drinking even a small amount of alcohol can bring http://www.airsoftclub.ru/tuning/CA870.shtml on an attack. In many cases, researchers say it’s more a matter of individual triggers or other factors that coincide with your alcohol consumption, like stress.

It can happen even if you drink less than people who don’t get migraine headaches.
There are many possible triggers for migraine attacks, including stress, bright lights, loud noises, weather changes, certain foods and drinks, and changes in sleep or hormone patterns to name a few.
You might have heard that red wine is most likely to cause problems.
Other types of headaches, including severe headaches, can occur as a result of alcohol consumption.
However, if you still experience a migraine attack after drinking any kind of alcohol, the best solution is to avoid alcohol altogether.

Alcohol and migraine: what should we tell patients?Current Pain and Headache Reports, June 2011.

Estimates of lost revenues due to reduced job productivity and absenteeism from alcohol run as high as $148 billion a year in the U.S. alone. Much of this expense is related to hangovers in light to moderate drinkers. Repeated drinking can lead to liver scarring, known as cirrhosis. Certain inflammatory chemicals increase in the blood and affect various natural hormonal pathways. The stomach lining may become irritated, increasing nausea and the chance of bleeding. 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.

why does alcohol cause migraines

Are there any effective treatments?

As a physician, my best advice for decreasing or avoiding alcohol-related headaches is to take steps to change your relationship with alcohol.
If you suffer from migraines, you will learn to recognise which particular symptoms affect you.
Ethanol is also a diuretic, meaning it increases urination, which then leads to electrolyte loss and dehydration.
For some people that also includes alcohol, maybe just certain kinds.

Because anxiety can trigger or worsen headaches, these two hangover symptoms are often related. So it’s best to make alcohol the single, isolated factor and journal what triggers each migraine. Whenever one comes on, jot down what you last ate, how much sleep you got, what the current environmental factors are, and anything else that may help you to find out what the cause is. This will help your doctor isolate the cause of your migraine and your triggers. For some people that also includes alcohol, maybe just certain kinds.

The possible triggering site

In this study we focused on the role of alcohol as a potential trigger of migraine attacks within 24–48 h after consumption. This delayed effect of alcohol on migraine attack onset may be more difficult to ascertain https://www.opelbook.ru/en/omega/B2/main/malfunction by an individual compared to an immediate effect. Consumption varies greatly between cultures, regions, and between individuals, a fact which may explain why different studies have found opposing results.