![]() Other times, though, consuming too much caffeine can ultimately screw you over. (FWIW, migraines are defined as moderate-to-severe pounding headaches with throbbing, light sensitivity, and nausea, that happen multiple times and significantly interfere with your day.) "Caffeine can relieve headaches by its own analgesic, or alleviating, effects, and by enhancing the analgesic effects of aspirin, acetaminophen and ibuprofen," explains Dr. That's why caffeine is usually an active ingredient in some migraine relief meds, like Excedrin. This allows the blood vessels in your lil cute noggin to relieve some of that blood flow and pressure. Now, it may sound counterintuitive, but just the right amount of caffeine can sometimes help stave off headaches, because caffeine naturally narrows your blood vessels for a short amount of time. That increased blood flow puts pressure on your nerves, which leads to *that* dreaded pain feeling. ![]() What’s a caffeine headache anyway, and why do I have one?Įver wonder WTF is really going on in your cranium when a headache kicks in? (You know, besides searing pain and the desire to remain in the fetal position for days on end.) According to the Mayo Clinic, there's a lot going on behind the scenes here: Basically, a headache occurs when there's an increase in blood flow to the brain. Try This A+ Massage if You Get Migraines.Read on to learn why caffeine headaches happen, and how to effectively deal 'em (without swearing off that cup o' joe forever, promise). But why do caffeine headaches even exist in the first place? And is there anything you can eat/drink/meditate on to prevent them from happening? Don't worry, we’re about to answer all of those questions and more, with advice from two experts: neurologist and migraine specialist Sara Crystal, MD, the Medical Director for Cove and Chrissy Williams, MS, RD, LDN, a functional dietitian. Too much, or too little, caffeine can make your migraines way worse-and that's a fact. Welcome to the morning headache life, friends! A club truly no one wants to be a part of!Įven if you’re someone who deals with frequent migraines, that regular Starbucks run may be affecting more than your bank account. ![]() Alternative POV: You threw back one too many espresso shots to prepare for a should-have-been-an-email meeting, and now you have a raging headache thanks to the rush of caffeine. The result? Pain while your system tries to re-adjust to the absence of caffeine.POV: You’re halfway through your morning, which you've stumbled through coffee-less after realizing you're fresh out of K-Cups, and you're already ready to crawl right back into bed due to your pounding headache. And that relaxation opens up your blood vessels, sending sudden blood flow to an unsuspecting and unprepared brain, according to Egler. As the caffeine wears off, however, your body starts to relax again. And when you're in fight-or-flight mode, your blood vessels constrict, which pushes blood out to the body to prepare it for action, he explains. Caffeine is a stimulant, which kicks your body into high gear by triggering the fight-or-flight response (as opposed to slowing you down or making you tired), says Egler. And caffeine can, you guessed it, impact your blood flow. Headaches are caused by changes in blood flow to your brain, says Patel. Vishal Patel is NASM-certified fitness nutrition specialist and director of product and innovation at Nuun.Egler, MD, is a family medicine doctor who serves as physician executive with Adventist Health, medical director of the Inspire Health Center, and chief scientific advisor at GEM. ![]()
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