Hangover headaches, with their throbbing pain at the temples and their tendency to get worse when you move, can only reliably be cured with time as your body processes the alcohol. But there are things you can do, like staying hydrated, that can relieve the symptoms. Seven articles used International Headache Society (IHS) criteria from 1988 46, 47, 50, 51, 56, 59, 60. There is some evidence that certain distilled spirits may cause fewer headaches. This is because beer and wine often contain more toxic byproducts from fermentation, such as aldehydes. However, darker liquors may still contain a high level of headache-causing congeners.
Why Do I Get a Headache After Drinking a Small Amount of Alcohol?
They occur due to various factors such as dehydration, changes in blood flow to the brain, and alcohol’s impact on serotonin levels. If you’ve had a tough day at work or a stressful interaction with someone, drinking alcohol might not be the best way of coping. In fact, drinking alcohol to calm yourself down can elevate your risk of triggering a migraine attack or an alcohol-induced headache. Exercise, laughter, or meditation might be better ways to blow off steam.
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The few experimental studies indicate that the highest congener beverage (bourbon) results in more severe hangover ratings than does the beverage with essentially no congeners (vodka). These congeners tend to affect how people feel the next day, including contributing to increased levels of hangover symptoms. The study also found that it was the ethanol consumption that was responsible for a majority of the hangover symptoms. Research suggests that experiencing an unpleasant effect from drinking alcohol may alter alcohol consumption.
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Additionally, people with a history of migraines may experience longer-lasting headaches after drinking alcohol. Understanding how long these headaches can last can help you take the necessary steps to prevent or manage them effectively. A study 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.
Another thing that remains unclear is whether the type of alcohol you drink determines whether or not you will get a migraine headache. Some studies found that red wine is a main trigger in migraine with aura and cluster type migraine, but they also note that all alcohol could have the same effect. People who experience a headache after drinking should not assume that it is a migraine attack, especially if they have symptoms consistent with other types of headaches.
- If alcohol only occasionally causes you a headache, then moderation or striking that balance (as opposed to abstinence), may be a more reasonable approach.
- If you develop a cocktail headache, take care to rest and nourish your body with water, electrolytes, and a healthy fruit or vegetable snack if possible.
- Again it depends on how much was consumed, how dehydrated you became, nutritional status, ethnicity, gender, the state of your liver, medications, etc.
- The kidneys increase urination substantially, leading to dehydration.
About two-thirds of people who drink alcohol develop these headaches. People who suffer from migraine are more prone to these reactions — even after drinking less alcohol than people who don’t get migraine headaches. Preventing why does alcohol help headaches migraine begins with identifying and reducing or eliminating common migraine triggers such as alcohol, dehydration, and certain foods. A person should try keeping a migraine diary for a few weeks or months to observe trends in their headache patterns.
