Head Pain After Drinking? How to Avoid Alcohol Headaches

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Head Pain After Drinking? How to Avoid Alcohol Headaches

why do you have a headache after drinking

Examples of sterile fluids include intravenous (IV), irrigation and dialysis fluids. However, the release could also trigger regular migraines and an immediate headache. Just a small amount of alcoholic drink can trigger a peptide release from our body. Some peptides are strings of amino acids that help build blocks of proteins in our body. You can drink water in between alcohol intakes to prevent inflammation. It might depend on how much alcohol you intake, but any type of alcohol-related drink could trigger inflammation.

What’s In Alcohol That Causes Headaches?

Drinks that include electrolytes, such as sports drinks, can help replace the electrolytes you lose from the diuretic effects of alcohol. It’s also worth noting that alcohol-induced anxiety, or ‘hangxiety’, can worsen and even cause headaches alcoholism symptoms in some cases. Because alcohol is a depressant, it suppresses our nervous system. Once the initial effects of alcohol wear off, our nervous system becomes overexcited, leading to anxiety. Because anxiety can trigger or worsen headaches, these two hangover symptoms are often related. Congeners are minor compounds that occur in alcoholic beverages as a natural result of distilling and fermenting.

why do you have a headache after drinking

Treatment For An Alcohol Headache After One Drink

Congeners are primarily found in darker liquors like brandy, whiskey, and wine. There are exceptions to this rule, however, such as tequila—a light-colored liquor that nevertheless carries high levels of congeners. Without a consistent cause-and-effect situation, though, it could be a number of factors — not just alcohol — that are triggering your migraine headache. If you do notice a pattern, especially with particular types of alcohol over others, you may choose to avoid the offending drinks. Instead, researchers suggest that alcohol as a trigger is more of a personal reaction — common in certain types of headaches — than a general effect. According to research, more than 1.5billion working days are lost due to headaches.

How do you prevent a headache when drinking?

  • Pace yourself when drinking alcohol, and consider alternating alcoholic beverages with water to stay hydrated and mitigate the effects of dehydration.
  • This type of headache can happen to anyone, but people with migraines are more likely to get one.
  • So, before consuming alcohol, you can eat certain foods or stay hydrated to prevent an alcohol-induced headache and possible migraine.
  • Whether or not alcohol is a migraine headache trigger is debatable.

However, these painkillers can increase acid release and potentially irritate the lining of the stomach. This article looks at whether a person can cure a hangover headache, its causes, and possible remedies. Alcohol-induced headaches are more common when there is a history of alcohol https://ecosoberhouse.com/ addiction. With over two decades of experience, The Providence Projects has emerged as a beacon of hope for those seeking to break free from the shackles of alcohol addiction. Whilst all types of alcohol stand to cause some sort of headache, there may be types that you find you tolerate better than others.

why do you have a headache after drinking

Types of headaches

why do you have a headache after drinking

If you’re up and moving around a lot, you may exacerbate a cocktail headache. This may partially explain why you wake up with a pounding headache after a why do you have a headache after drinking night of drinking and dancing. As you may recall, any kind of alcohol will eventually dehydrate you.

Drinks That Don’t Taste Like Alcohol (2024 Edition)

This leads to excessive urination and dehydration, which may cause a headache after a small amount of alcohol. For example, on average, females tend to weigh less than males. Individuals with lower body weights cannot process as much alcohol as individuals at higher weights. While there is some research on each possible reason why alcohol causes headaches, study authors have not definitively proven the link between the two. A 2016 study showed that alcohol consistently induced migraine in 10% of people. If you’ve been drinking heavily for a long time, good nutrition is even more important.

Tips to ease the pain

  • In addition, if you are prone to migraine headaches, then there is a high chance that you will have headaches after driving alcohol.
  • When you take a drug such as Tylenol while drinking, there is a potential for severe side effects, including liver damage.
  • If not, it can lead to gastritis, stomach ulcers, and GI bleeding.
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  • Some people take pain relievers to prevent hangover symptoms.
  • 2021 research also linked lifestyle factors with alcohol drinking and smoking to cluster headaches and their severity.

Lower-quality wines contain molecules known as phenolic flavonoid radicals, which may interfere with serotonin, a signaling molecule in the brain involved in migraine attacks. Additionally, alcohol consumption decreases the level of B vitamins in the body, which can make headaches worse. Supplementing with Vitamin B12 or B6 before or after drinking may improve symptoms. If you aren’t sure that alcohol is to blame for your headaches, try keeping a diary. Each time you drink, write down the type of alcohol you have, the amount, and if and when you had a migraine. Include how you felt the prior 48 hours as well as any stress or anxiety you were under at the time.