Are migraines making your life terrible? Looking for a simple way you can cope with them? Then caffeine is something you should look at.

Wondering how taking caffeine can help treat migraines? Then this post is something you need to read.

Caffeine – An Overview:

The caffeine present in coffee is said to be effective in bringing down a headache. While most people think of coffee when the word caffeine is mentioned, caffeine is actually found in many other foods and beverages as well (1). Examples include chocolate-based foods, tea, aerated drinks, and several OTC and prescription drugs. In reality, most people are not aware that they end up consuming caffeine from various sources on a daily basis.

How Does Caffeine Work On Headache?

Most people think caffeine is a stimulant, but in reality it does affect your body in more ways than that! It affects the CNS (central nervous system) directly. Caffeine has mild vasoconstrictor actions. It also works as a diuretic (2). In some people, it may lead to the onset of elevated blood pressure. All these aspects need to be considered before administering caffeine for relief from any type of headache, both in men and women.

Caffeine works well on some types of headaches like hypnic headaches – a type that affects senior men and women after they doze off (3). It has been observed that when used with pain reliever medications, caffeine boosts their effects (4). It reportedly works well with common pain reliever medications like ibuprofen, ergotamine, aspirin and acetaminophen and relieves most headaches.

Does Caffeine Usage Lead To Headache?

While there are several proponents of caffeine usage to treat headaches, there are detractors of the theory too. The relation between caffeine and headache is somewhat complex and not fully understood, as per the views of leading neurologists and health experts.

Regular caffeine intake may actually make your body dependant on it, and when you stop taking it, withdrawal headache can manifest (5). This is usually indicated by the onset of a throbbing headache. Neurologists say that when you intake caffeine daily, your blood vessels get constricted, and the body adapts to the situation over time. When you stop drinking coffee or caffeine based foods, the vessels get dilated leading to pain.

The good thing is that caffeine withdrawal headaches do not persist for a long time. Your body will take a week or so to adjust to the changed state. It is difficult to say what amount of caffeine intake per day can lead to the onset of this condition. It varies from one person to another. In some instances, it has happened to people who just drink a cup of coffee a day. Those who intake caffeine in the form of medications may also get chronic rebound headaches.

Caffeine intake can also lead to a headache in two more ways. Those who take in a lot of caffeine in a short span of time may undergo what is called caffeine overdose. Very few people can be allergic to caffeine molecules, and they develop allergy-like symptoms and headache after taking caffeine. When you end up consuming more caffeine, it badly affects your sleep patterns. Sleeplessness also leads to a headache sometimes.

How To Get Rid Of Caffeine Withdrawal Or Rebound Headache:

Drinking a cup of coffee can resolve headaches triggered by caffeine withdrawal. In fact, the majority of people coping with caffeine withdrawal headache tend to feel better soon after drinking coffee or caffeine based drinks.

To prevent the occurrence of caffeine withdrawal or rebound a headache, neurologists suggest you to take caffeine in moderation, and not to make it a habit. When used intermittently to treat headache, caffeine is not likely to cause much harm or lead to a rebound headache. If you are in the habit of drinking several cups of coffee and caffeinated drinks every day, do not try to quit abruptly. Bring the amount or number of drinks down to one or two gradually, and the reactions will not be severe.

Should Pregnant Women Take Caffeine To Cope With A Headache?

Pregnancy brings along a lot of unprecedented changes in the body, and symptoms like nausea and headaches can be too much to cope with for women who have conceived. While such headaches are caused mostly by hormonal imbalances that may go away without medications, at times, you need to opt for solutions.

While caffeine intake for headache relief is not exactly prohibited during pregnancy, certain precautions need to be taken. Natural therapies like biofeedback and massage can be used to get relief. Even rest and cold compress can be deployed. During pregnancy, to get relief from headaches, caffeine-laced medications should be taken with caution after consulting a doctor.

Pregnant women can also be subjected to caffeine withdrawal induced headache, more so if they are habituated to drink coffee or eat caffeine-containing foods. Pregnant women are required to reduce caffeine intake, and the daily permissible limit is 200 mg or less. To be on the safe side, they should cut down on caffeine intake slowly.

Can The Elderly Lot Try Caffeine For Relief From Headache?

With age, immunity and strength get reduced, and health issues crop up. Therefore, senior men and women need to be careful about trying any method or medication to get relief from physical conditions including headache. Caffeine intake may be both beneficial and harmful for the elderly lot – depending on the amount taken (6).

Studies indicate additional benefits for the aged lot from caffeine intake apart from relief from a headache. These include lower risk of cardiac ailments and enhanced muscle strength.

However, according to neurologists, elderly people should not gulp down too much coffee or caffeine-laced drinks to battleheadache. Doing so can lead to a number of health problems in the long run. Excess caffeine intake may lead to an increased risk of osteoporosis, spinal issues, and dehydration. Since older adults get more affected by dehydration, it can lead to lightheadedness and fatigue. Besides, drinking excess caffeine beverages can cause sleep problems in such people, and those who already have insomnia will fare worse. So, drinking a cup of coffee per day should be good for the elderly lot.

What Do Researches Indicate On The Effects Of Caffeine On Headache?

So far, the findings of several studies conducted on the effects of caffeine on headache do not lead to a clear conclusion. Studies conducted on the topic hint at both positive and negative aspects of caffeine on headaches.

1. A cross-sectional study carried out by a team of Norwegian scientists on over 50,000 people found that caffeine is capable of both preventing and causing headaches. The scientists belonging to the Norwegian University of Science and Technology reached the conclusion that those used to high caffeine intake are more prone to develop occasional headaches than people taking caffeine in a lower amount (7). However, they also said low caffeine consumption may lead to a chronic headache.

2. In another study, researchers hailing from the John Hopkins School of Medicine and the University of Vermont College of Medicine analyzed caffeine’s working mechanism on nerves (8). They analyzed how the brain activity gets affected when caffeine withdrawal sets in. They found out that caffeine abstinence results in increased blood flow to the brain.

3. People afflicted with spinal tap caused headaches can find relief by taking caffeine, a study has revealed (9). The spinal headaches, also called Post dural puncture headaches, affect mostly the elderly lot. A Spanish study led by Xavier Basurto Ona shows that caffeine relieves pain caused by this headache.

Migraine And Caffeine:

A migraine headache should not be confused with regular headaches. It is one kind of a headache that recurs and the severity can be moderate to extreme. The pain can be throbbing, one or both sided, and activity can aggravate the pain. Migraines tend to affect more women than men. A migraine can also affect the kids and teenagers, though the ratio is not significant (10). Its duration can vary from a few hours to a couple of days. It has always been a common, but less understood ailment.

The real and exact cause of a migraine is yet to be known, though the roots lie in genetics. A majority of people suffering from this neurological ailment have instances of it running in their families. However, it is triggered by factors like mental stress, fatigue, sleep problems, food sensitivity, etc.

Awareness and perception about a migraine have been low and still the misunderstanding about it persists (11). There is a myth that eating chocolate can lead to the onset of a migraine. This is not seen in every migraine sufferer as such. The triggers of a migraine can be different in any two victims. Caffeine is used to get relief from a migraine, though conventional medications are also used for the same purpose.

Using Caffeine To Get Relief From Migraine Pain:

The basic concept behind using caffeine to get relief from migraine pain is similar to that of applying caffeine to get relief from regular headaches. While a migraine has unclear and genetic roots, it also eventually affects the nerves and vessels in the human brain.

To get relief from migraine pain, doctors often recommend taking OTC and prescription drugs, and some of them contain a fair amount of caffeine. Some migraine sufferers also resort to drinking hot coffee in their bid to reduce the throbbing pain.

Cautions To Be Taken When You Use Caffeine To Treat Migraine Pain:

Given the fact that both the intensity and duration of a migraine can be larger than a regular headache, you need to use caffeine sparingly for treating it.

1. While taking caffeine-containing painkiller medication can give you some relief from the intense and throbbing pain caused by a migraine, drinking a cup of coffee laced with sugar can be detrimental. If you gulp down coffee laced with lots of sugar on an empty stomach during a migraine attack, the blood sugar will surge, and the pain may eventually get intensified.

2. The diuretic action of caffeine can prove to be harmful to the victims of a migraine, say the neurology experts. Those afflicted with this condition require the intake of magnesium. However, the diuretic nature actually deprives your body of the mineral.

3. When you take large amounts of caffeine, it may lead to enhanced alertness and a feeling of anxiety (12). This can lead to stress. Stress is a trigger for a migraine, and thus, caffeine can become the root behind aggravating or triggering migraine pain. At times, migraine medications contain caffeine and intake of coffee along with it can aggravate the situation.

To ensure your migraine pain does not worsen after taking caffeine, you can be a little careful. Monitor each food item and beverage you take during the period for the presence of caffeine. Limit your daily caffeine intake to 200 mg or so (13). You may also resort to other methods and medications to treat a migraine. Especially when it comes to treating kids with a migraine, choosing other methods seems more suitable. It is prudent to use caffeine in treating migraine pain after consulting a doctor.

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by Daiwik Suresh Gejji via STYLECRAZE