| For people who are prone to headaches | | | | * Extreme thirst |
| identifying triggers is an important part of pain | | | | * Nausea |
| management. Alcohol is a common headache | | | | * Vomiting |
| trigger for those who already suffer from | | | | * Fatigue |
| headaches and on top of that, those who are | | | | * Diarrhoea |
| usually headache-free will still suffer headaches | | | | There are several things you can do to avoid a |
| from the hangover effect. | | | | hangover and the subsequent headaches that |
| Headache Triggers | | | | occur, with complete elimination of alcohol being |
| Alcoholic drinks contain ethanol, which can | | | | the obvious one. Other tips include: |
| contribute to headaches through various | | | | * Hydrate yourself prior to drinking with either |
| mechanisms. Headaches begin from blood vessel | | | | water or sports drinks. |
| vasodilation and ethanol can prompt these | | | | * Limit the amount of alcohol you consume to |
| changes. In addition, ethanol is a diuretic and | | | | one or two drinks. |
| prompts the urinary loss of several vitamins and | | | | * Avoid those drinks that trigger headaches, such |
| minerals, as well as causing dehydration. | | | | as red wine, for example. |
| Headaches may occur shortly following | | | | * Eat before you drink, with a focus on sufficient |
| consumption of alcohol or the next morning, with | | | | fat. Fat takes the longest to digest of the |
| the infamous 'hangover.' Those occurring shortly | | | | macronutrients, and will help to slow the |
| after tend to indicate specific alcohol sensitivity | | | | absorption of alcohol. |
| and are more likely to occur in people who | | | | Painkillers |
| already experience migraines or other such | | | | Be extremely cautious the next day if taking any |
| headaches. | | | | painkillers for your headache, as alcohol still in your |
| Cluster headaches, in particular, are triggered by | | | | system combined with painkillers such as |
| alcohol. For some people, it is the precise type of | | | | acetaminophen can have dangerous effects. Be |
| alcoholic drink that causes a headache. A person | | | | sure to drink water to combat the dehydration |
| may experience a headache from one glass of | | | | caused by the alcohol. Many people drink coffee |
| wine but find that he or she can drink several | | | | the next morning but as coffee it also a diuretic, |
| shots of vodka without suffering from a | | | | this will only increase your dehydration and may |
| headache. Even within wines, for example, some | | | | also further upset your stomach and intensify |
| may find that a glass of white wine causes no | | | | your headache. |
| problem yet red wine leaves them with an | | | | Alcohol Safety |
| excruciating migraine. Red wine contains tyramine, | | | | You are the one to decide how much alcohol you |
| which is a known migraine trigger and so | | | | can safely consume before you suffer from a |
| avoidance of red wine may be necessary for | | | | headache. You may need to make a note of |
| some people. | | | | which drinks seem to trigger your migraines or |
| Hangovers | | | | other headaches. If you are fortunate enough to |
| A hangover is essentially a toxic reaction to | | | | normally be headache-free, taking a little extra |
| alcohol and can even be considered food poisoning. | | | | care before, during and after drinking by eating a |
| Alcohol is a diuretic, thereby flushing fluids from | | | | balanced meal, drinking sufficient fluids and |
| your body, and will generally leave you quite | | | | avoiding excessive amounts of alcohol can help |
| dehydrated as well as contributing to a headache. | | | | prevent a hangover headache the next day. With |
| Many of the impurities in addition to the alcohol | | | | a little extra effort in looking after yourself, you |
| itself can leave your stomach feeling upset and | | | | should be able to enjoy a few drinks and your |
| uncomfortable. Symptoms of a hangover include: | | | | body will thank you the next day. You'll feel better |
| * Headache | | | | for it and can avoid those painful headaches. |