Headaches during the later stages of alcohol withdrawal can vary in intensity and duration, affecting just about everyone differently. These headaches often stem from various underlying physiological and neurological changes in the body due to the sudden cessation of alcohol. Factors like neurotransmitter imbalances, alterations in blood flow, and dehydration, not to mention heightened stress, will continue to impact their severity and onset. Healthy strategies to ease the pain of headaches, as well as working with your recovery support network, can help to reduce the severity and frequency of the headaches. It is best to remember to be easy on yourself and to focus on reaching your goal of achieving a sober lifestyle. In addition to these factors, there are some individuals who are more predisposed to experience headaches during alcohol withdrawal due to a series of genetic factors.
What are the Side Effects of A Hangover?
- But light exercise can help your body speed along its metabolic processes, ridding your body of alcohol and related toxins more quickly.
- A detailed description of the steps performed during study selection is presented in Fig.
- Understanding the relationship, managing alcohol intake mindfully, and keeping hydrated can make a significant difference in preventing and managing alcohol-induced headaches.
- The scientific evidence suggests that the amount of alcohol consumed is the key factor in how bad a hangover headache is and not the color or the order of alcoholic drinks ingested.
- Whiskey and red wine are two of the most common migraine triggers.
Our body is trying to regain balance — an unfortunate aftermath of drinking. One study investigated the effects of yoga therapy on 60 people with chronic migraines. Headache frequency and intensity were reduced more in those receiving both yoga therapy and conventional care than in those receiving conventional care alone (49).
Drink caffeinated tea or coffee
Our dedicated team offers compassionate support, ensuring you have the guidance and resources needed to navigate your journey to sobriety and wellness. Rather than using medications, there are a series of other tried-and-true headache remedies that you can access in the medical cabinet at home. For instance, applying a cold compress to the forehead or taking a warm shower may provide some level of temporary relief by soothing tense muscles and promoting relaxation. ➤ Consult a doctor for safe and effective headache treatments.
Medications That Can Help Relieve Withdrawal Headaches
In Europe, 60% of adults over 60 years of age are current drinkers, and 20% of these had higher levels of consumption than the general population 22. Statistically, males drink more alcohol than women and have more alcohol-related behavioral disorders 23. Drinking problems occur in every age, but in the 25–49 age group, alcohol has the highest impact on mortality caused by cancer deaths and also life disability 24, 25. A study https://thenewsus.com/understanding-the-opioid-overdose-epidemic/ published in The Journal of Clinical Medicine evaluated the diets for 24 hours before and after excessive drinking occurred. It was a small study and results were based on the participants saying what they ate. However, they did find that people whose food and beverage consumption contained greater amounts of zinc and B vitamins had less severe hangovers.
Register now at no charge to access unlimited clinical news with personalized daily picks for you, full-length features, case studies, conference coverage, and more. Look for white wine that is not too sweet and a little on the dry side. Pinot Grigio, chardonnay or sauvignon blanc would be a good place to start and are generally easy to find.
This change in balance between inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmitters triggers headaches. Alcohol can trigger can alcohol cure a headache migraines, tension headaches, and cluster headaches by altering blood flow and brain chemistry. Its dehydrating effects also contribute to headache development, especially during hangovers.
- It was a small study and results were based on the participants saying what they ate.
- Also, the majority of the studies had high or moderate risk of bias.
- A change in sleep pattern can contribute to triggering migraine attacks.
- Understanding how long these headaches can last can help you take the necessary steps to prevent or manage them effectively.
- Prolonged symptoms of intense headaches definitely call for professional help, medical attention, or medication.
- Headache from beer also depends on how much you drink and how fast you drink it.
- It also serves a lot of other important functions, such as keeping your nervous system healthy.
- This means that darker liquors such as brandy, dark rum, and whisky contain more congeners than lighter ones, such as gin and vodka.
- For almost as long as humans have had hangovers, we’ve tried to cure them with remedies that run the gamut, from vitamin B to pickle juice.
With the huge focus on organic foods and what we all eat, there should be as much attention put on what we drink. 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. Migraines typically begins slowly and may increase in severity if left untreated. They involve throbbing pain that generally occurs on one side of the head. This chemical is a vasodilator, which increases the size of blood vessels in the body.
Emergency Medical Warning Signs
This root has been a feature of Chinese medicine for thousands of years. In one small study, a drink made from red ginseng cut down hangover symptoms. It’s unclear why alcohol may trigger migraine, but red wine and liquor may be more likely to do so because of the chemical compounds they contain. Any relief experienced from red wine likely comes from resveratrol, a potentially health-boosting plant compound. Pontinen said triptans are commonly used to treat migraine once symptoms start.
Headache While Drinking
Other symptoms can include food cravings and difficulty concentrating. If you think you may have migraine, these answers to common questions can help you further investigate this possibility with a doctor. Alternative migraine therapies can work alongside traditional treatments to reduce migraine attack frequency and lessen the impact of symptoms. Understanding the relationship, managing alcohol intake mindfully, drug addiction and keeping hydrated can make a significant difference in preventing and managing alcohol-induced headaches. If you find that you’re not able to control how much you drink or stop yourself from drinking even if it’s causing you physical or emotional pain, you may need to seek treatment for alcoholism.