Alcohol has many different effects on the body, and not all of them can be pleasant. One of these unpleasant feelings can come in the form of headaches. However, what is it that causes you to potentially develop alcohol headaches? As it turns out, there’s a few potential reasons…
Alcohol Headaches: What’s The Cause?
Dehydration
One of the more common reasons people experience alcohol headaches is due to dehydration. Now, most people associate their headaches with the dreaded hangover. Having a bit too much to drink the night before means you can expect a headache in the morning. Still, there’s a specific reason why hangovers and headaches tend to go hand-in-hand.
This is because alcohol has a dehydrating impact on the body. Alcohol is a natural diuretic. This means that as your liver and kidneys process it, it draws out water, salt, vitamins, and minerals from your body. This can cause dehydration, and in turn headaches.
Impurities
The contents of your drinks can cause alcohol headaches. The content in question is the about of impurities, or congeners, in the drink. Congeners are the byproducts which are created during the fermentation process of alcohol making. As a result, this means that they’re mainly found in red wines and dark liquors.
However, clear liquors and white wines have very little congeners in them. Therefore, if you want to avoid headaches, it’s best to pick drink options like these. This is because the producers of these drinks distill them and don’t let them ferment as much as their counterparts.
Avoiding headaches
There are ways in which you can reduce your chances of getting alcohol headaches. For starters, it’s always important to keep hydrated while drinking. In fact, you’d want to make sure you’ve been properly hydrated even before you drink. This can help you keep enough water in your body despite your drink intake.
You can also opt for drinks with less congeners in them. Still, those might not be your preference. However, there are some potential purifiers out there which have been picking up traction. Wine purifiers especially have become more popular for those who wish to avoid headaches.