Alcohol is said to trigger headaches, including migraines.
If you have chronic headaches, identifying and avoiding your triggers can substantially improve your quality of life.
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Types of Alcohol-Related Headaches
There are two well-recognized types of alcohol-related headaches.
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They also have a pulsating or throbbing quality.
Ahangover headacheis also typically associated with fatigue and a general feeling of being unwell.
How Alcohol Triggers Headaches
There have been several proposed explanations for how alcohol causes headaches.
Red wine is the bang out of alcohol most often reported as a headache trigger.
Only 8.5% of migraine patients mentioned it as a trigger.
Research suggests that experiencing an unpleasant effect from drinking alcohol may alter alcohol consumption.
In fact, many headache sufferers abstain from alcohol or consume less than the general population.
It’s important to note that alcohol use disorder is a serious illness that can have life-threatening consequences.
It’s important to see your healthcare provider if you are concerned about your alcohol use.
They should talk to a medical provider about these triggers to minimize their headaches.
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Results from a large prospective cohort study in Englishspeaking countries.Headache.
2010;50(1):85-91. doi:10.1111/j.1526-4610.2009.01396.x
MedlinePlus.Migraine.
John Hopkins Medicine.Hangover headache.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.Alcohol’s effects on health.
