Wine Headaches
Despite this commonly held belief, there is very little scientific evidence to support the belief that wine is a more common trigger of headaches than other forms of alcohol - Paul G. Mathew MD
image by: Getty Images For Unsplash+
HWN Suggests
Wine Headaches and Misinformation
But if it’s not the sulfites, what is responsible for the headaches after drinking wine? Like it or not, it’s the alcohol. Alcohol causes dehydration because your body uses water to process alcohol and excrete the products. And dehydration leads to headaches. The headache may also be due to the toxic byproduct of alcohol, acetaldehyde. Alcohol also causes blood vessels to expand, which can put pressure on the brain, one of the mechanisms blamed for migraine headaches.
But what if you only get headaches from red wine, and not white? Surely it’s sulfites, then? Nope. White wines contain more sulfites than red. Instead, your body may be reacting to tannins, the dark-colored molecules…
Featured
Scientists say mystery of how red wine headaches occur may be solved
Researchers home in on phenolic flavonoids as culprit for headaches that come on soon after a glass or two.
Why Does Certain Wine Give Me A Headache?
Let’s repeat: for most of us, the cause of a wine headache is simply drinking too much wine and not enough water. The mythical wine headache cure? It’s simple: the cure for a wine headache is to stop one it before it ever starts. In other words, don’t overdo it…especially at an office party!
Wine Headache? Chances Are It’s Not the Sulfites
Since the government insisted that wine labels include a “Contains Sulfites” warning, folks have been blaming the compound for their wine headaches. Very likely, finds Lettie Teague, the cause is something else.
Articles of Interest
I suffer from migraines. I love wine with dinner, but red wine always gives me migraines, while white wine does not. Why is there a difference?
You asked about a link between red wine and migraines that often is described among many women. So, what do we know about the negative interaction of red wine and migraines? First, let’s talk about migraines.
If Drinking Wine Is a Headache, Take Heart: We Search for Cures
Let's talk headaches and wine. No, not hangovers. If you drink too much and you're like most people, you will get a headache. And we're not talking about migraines or cluster headaches, which are sometimes triggered by wine. Those are special cases, and you should be talking to a doctor about them anyway. We're talking about otherwise headache-free people who drink a glass of wine and are seized by headaches.
Is Red Wine Really the Cause of That Headache?
Our wine columnist talked to experts in the fields of headache medicine and enology in search of strategies for avoiding the dreaded RWH (Red Wine Headache).
Wine and Headache
The notion of migraine attacks triggered by food and beverages has been posited for centuries. Red wine in particular has been acknowledged as a migraine trigger since antiquity when Celsus (25 B.C.-50 A.D.) described head pain after drinking wine. Since then, references to the relationship between alcohol ingestion and headache attacks are numerous.
Wine Headaches: What Causes Them and How to Prevent Them
Do you ever get headaches after drinking a glass of wine, AKA dreaded wine headaches? Yes, you read that right: we didn’t say after several glasses. Obviously, it’s never a good idea to over-indulge – whether that's on the couch or at the office holiday party.
