Why Does Your Head Hurt After Alcohol?
Only 2% of consumed alcohol is excreted from the body in unchanged form, the rest is transported with blood to the liver, where it undergoes processing. As a result of metabolic processes, ethanol is converted into acetaldehyde – a toxic metabolite whose presence in the human body is the cause of headaches even after small amounts of alcohol, as well as the occurrence of other hangover symptoms in the form of nausea and vomiting. Many people experience pain in the back of the head after alcohol. Such localized pain is most often caused by the impact of alcohol on the human circulatory system. This substance leads to increased blood pressure, which can cause pain and a feeling of pressure in the head after alcohol. Headaches after consuming alcoholic beverages may also be accompanied by hypersensitivity to sounds and photophobia. This makes it common to speak of migraine after alcohol.Headache After Alcohol – Is It Always a Common Hangover?
Headache after alcohol is most often one of the symptoms of a common hangover. In some cases, however, the pain may be caused by something else.Alcohol and Lack of Sleep
Although alcohol causes drowsiness and makes falling asleep much easier, its impact on the human body simultaneously causes significantly lower sleep quality. This substance causes earlier awakening, which in turn leads to fatigue and often accompanying headaches.Alcohol and Dehydration
Often headaches appear on the day of alcohol consumption, and sometimes even during drinking. Pressure in the head after alcohol is often caused by dehydration associated with excessive water flushing from the body under the influence of ethanol.Alcohol Withdrawal
Headaches can also occur as a result of alcohol withdrawal, which is the result of the so-called withdrawal syndrome. In such a situation, the pain is usually accompanied by other ailments, including dry mouth, excessive sweating, irritability, and trembling of limbs.Headache After Alcohol and Medications
Headaches after alcohol can be intensified by consumed medications. The interaction of two substances can cause disturbances in drug absorption and thus create the risk of adverse reactions. What consequences alcohol consumption combined with medication brings depends on the type of active substance in the given medication.Headache and Type of Alcohol
The intensity of headaches and hangover course is influenced by the type of alcohol consumed. Research conducted in this area suggests that well-being is affected by substances added to alcoholic beverages during their production, such as sulfites found in red wine. According to researchers, alcohols containing large amounts of additives, primarily champagne, whisky, and the mentioned red wine, cause more severe headaches than, for example, vodka. Headache after beer is caused by dehydration – this beverage is consumed in larger quantities due to lower alcohol content, thus causing greater water excretion from the body.How to Avoid Hangover and Headache?
To avoid hangover and headache as a result of drinking alcohol, one should first avoid abusing this substance beyond acceptable reasonable consumption. It is also necessary to avoid consuming alcoholic beverages on an empty stomach. Before their consumption, it's worth ensuring that you eat a filling meal beforehand. To avoid hangover symptoms, one should also remember the dehydrating properties of alcohol and ensure adequate water supply during its consumption. A good practice is drinking one glass of water after each glass of alcohol. Proper hydration and eating a nutritious meal are also important on the second day after consuming alcoholic beverages. Going for a walk can also prove effective in preventing headaches, through which you can refresh yourself and gain energy.How Much Alcohol Can You Drink?
The World Health Organization (WHO) placed alcohol in third place among risk factors for the health of Europeans. The risk of harm to the human body is directly related to the amount of ethanol consumed, but scientists studying this issue have not yet determined a dose that would be completely safe, i.e., guarantee the complete absence of negative health consequences. Resistance to the effects of alcohol on the body is highly individualized, hence there are no universal criteria determining how much alcohol can be consumed without fearing unpleasant side effects. According to recommendations, women should not drink more than 40 g of pure alcohol at once, and men more than 60 g. To determine the scale, it's worth noting that 20 g of alcohol equals one glass of wine with a volume of 200 ml.What to Take for Headache After Alcohol?
People experiencing headaches after consuming alcohol usually seek a quick way to relieve it. For this purpose, they most often reach for pharmacological agents, however, it turns out that taking painkiller tablets in this state is not recommended. Paracetamol, common in this type of medication, can interact with alcohol and adversely affect liver and kidney function, leading to their damage. It is also harmful to take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs after drinking alcohol, which can lead to damage to the gastric mucosa. The safest and most effective are natural, home methods for treating headaches after alcohol, which can be read about in the article How to Cure a Hangover? Effective Methods.Prolonged Headache After Alcohol
It happens that headaches after alcohol consumption persist for even several days. There are many causes of prolonged headaches. These include:- decreased ability to regenerate the body after alcohol as a result of aging
- hypersensitivity to components of alcoholic beverages, for example gluten contained in beer or sulfites present in wine
- consuming alcoholic beverages on an empty stomach, causing a large burden on the body and significantly extending the regeneration period
- menstruation in women, which accelerates dehydration and energy loss
- taking medications, especially those that affect the function of the liver and kidneys and disrupt alcohol metabolism processes in the body, as well as painkillers and antidepressants and medications lowering cholesterol levels and regulating blood pressure.
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