Whereas the World Health Organization (WHO) states that there is no safe alcohol dose 19, Panconesi et al. conclude that low consumption is not a contraindication for headache patients 79. However, each patient makes individual decisions based on their own experience. Headache after a certain amount of alcohol is likely to induce behavioral reactions (i.e., alcohol-intake adjustment).

• For example, due to religious requirements, people in Iran consume considerably less alcohol than Europeans 22, 84; nevertheless, migraine prevalence in Iran is 15.1% 85 while in Europe it is 35% 86.
• Headache disorders are classified according to the third edition of the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD) 4, 5 as either primary headaches, secondary headaches or neuropathies and facial pains 4, 6.
• If they find this too challenging, they may have alcohol use disorder, which warrants treatment.
• The interpretation of this data should be cautious, since recall bias is a major concern.

Smoking and Headaches

In a 2018 study involving 2,197 people with migraine, 25% of the participants who stopped or always avoided drinking did so because alcohol triggered migraine attacks. More than a third of the participants said that alcohol had this effect, with about 78% naming red wine as the most common alcohol trigger. Whether alcohol acts as a trigger is really a case-by-case basis for people with migraine. For some people, it could be the amount of alcohol consumed that triggers an attack. For example, wine may be a trigger for some but whiskey may not have an influence.

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In fact, to deny the beneficial effect of a low dose of alcohol in a wide number of people, who can also have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease like migraine patients 74, 75, is not medically appropriate. Different studies report different findings on which type of wine triggers the most migraine attacks. For example, a European study found that 11 percent of migraine sufferers pointed to red wine as the most common culprit. However, a French study showed that 54 percent of the alcohol-induced migraine attacks came after drinking white wine. Histamine, which may be responsible for triggering migraines, is found in far higher quantities in red wine than in white. Red wine contains 20 to 200 times the amount of histamine than white wine.

• Some people think a combination of alcohol and other factors triggers their migraine headaches — for instance, the combination of alcohol and stress or alcohol and low blood sugar.
• However, further studies related to primary headaches and alcohol consumption with low risk of bias are required.
• Dehydration caused by alcohol consumption is considered a potential factor that may trigger migraines in susceptible individuals.
• Some studies suggest that alcohol can trigger migraines in certain individuals, while others find no significant association.

What Are the Symptoms?

Migraine is a disabling disease that no one should have to go through alone. It’s essential to build a support network of understanding people who can not only check in on you during an attack but also empathize with your experience. Then consider joining the Move Against Migraine support group can alcohol cause migraines on Facebook so you can connect with others who live with migraine. The American Migraine Foundation is committed to improving the lives of those living with this debilitating disease.

Availability of data and materials

The interpretation of this data should be cautious, since recall bias is a major concern. It is also possible that retrospective recall biases cause higher correlation between HSS scores across time periods. Alcohol hangover is a poorly understood cluster of symptoms occurring following a heavy consumption of alcohol.