Does drinking coffee help headaches? Does it actually provide a relief? Well, there is a lot of mystery around here. We will clearly explain exact-fact here.
Coffee is a classic beverage brewed from the seeds of berries from coffee species. Coffea is the name of the genus it belongs to and native to Africa. The caffeine content in coffee is known it the bitter and slightly acidic taste. It also can stimulate humans, keeping them energized and active throughout the day. However, this same caffeine content has also been responsible for causing headaches and headache relief for a lot of others.
Coffee as a Cure & Coffee as the Cause: Can Stop Coffee Cause Headache?
One of the major reason why people complain about coffee causing headache is that coffee has the capacity to make you urinate more, thus leading to dehydration of the body. When the body suffers from dehydration, headache is the natural response.
The effect of caffeine on the brain will significantly vary with usage. For the occasional headache, coffee is an excellent relief. However, when the brain understands that the person consumes daily, it perceives it as a kind of drug and stops giving you relief from even those occasional headaches. The brain, therefore, develops a tolerance for that drug. Caffeine also affects the activity of adenosine. Adenosine is a naturally occurring substance of the brain. During a migraine, the adenosine levels go up in the brain. This can alter the functioning of the substance, thereby causing a headache (1).
While a Lot of us Complain of Coffee Causing Headache, Here is How Coffee Headache Relief is Real:
Coffee helps migraine is a true thing. But, what you need to understand is how often can this remedy be rewarding. Caffeine overdose is also a major reason why headaches occur. Coffee and migraine headaches are other problems for a lot many. The American Journal of Medicine, In their study, found that the daily changes in the intake of coffee could actually trigger migraine to a certain extent (2). Therefore, a lot depends on the quantity, amount of caffeine. These two are directly proportional to migraine headaches.
Coffee for tension headache is also real. Tension headaches are the result of dilated blood vessels, near and around the skull. The caffeine content in headache is known to constrict the blood vessels. This will trigger a headache (3).
Caffeine Withdrawal Benefits:
While coffee to cure headaches exists, there is also some goodness associated with caffeine withdrawal. Here we enlisted a few points. Let’s have a look into them.
1. Overcoming Addiction:
Coffee is a well-known drug. When you understand that your body can sometimes cure the headache with coffee, you tend to drink more of it. When you do so, your brain understands that to be a kind of drug and eventually starts to become immune to the relief effect. Thus, overcoming this becomes essential not just for your headache, but also for your sleep.
2. Lower Blood Pressure:
Your heart tends to work hard when you start drinking and get addicted to coffee. This lowers down significantly, and the body also develops low blood pressure.
3. Good Sleep and Mood:
If you notice, your body gets worked up, and you may still not be able to sleep. This can irritate you significantly. Caffeine is the culprit. Quitting coffee can effectively alter your sleep and put you in a better mood.
4. Fewer Headaches:
Since caffeine is the major reason for the trigger (4), you can see how quitting it can be very helpful for you.
5. Healthy Teeth:
You will notice that your teeth, especially the lower incisors, both the front and especially the back portion of the teeth will have a lot of stains. They will slowly start to erode the teeth enamel and can result in tooth decay.
Caffeine Withdrawal Symptoms:
Being said about the benefits of quitting caffeine, here are a couple of things that happen to you when you decide to quit.
1. Headache:
The most common symptom is a headache. The pain will start from behind the eyes and then move to the front of the head (5).
2. Lethargy:
You will find yourself extremely tired to do anything. Your dopamine levels will drop, and this will leave you less energized for anything.
3. Sleeplessness:
You will catch yourself awake at wee hours of the night. This is a very normal and common symptom experienced by a lot of people.
4. Constipation:
Since caffeine can stimulate your bowel movements, when you stop caffeine, this becomes a problem too.
5. Depression:
The other most common problem, depression is an offshoot of quitting caffeine. Irritability and stress are other problems.
6. Brain Fog:
This can be dangerous and can this freak you out. Some people tend to experience the difficulty of having a coherent thought and also of thinking. If this goes on for a longer time, it is time you consult your doctor.
7. Lack Of Concentration:
During this stage, you will see how your concentration level fluctuates and that you will not be able to focus on any single thing.
8. Anxiety:
Watch out for anxiety. Your withdrawal symptom can be anxiety, coupled with mood swings. Caffeine consumption is rarely the sole cause of a headache (6). Coffee headache relief is for the few; for the others, it does no good. Therefore, exercise caution on the amount of coffee intake per day. Any alteration in this can significantly affect your stress levels, thus causing headaches.
FAQ:
1. Can Coffee For Sinus Headache Work?
Coffee has the potential to reduce the inflammation and thereby provide you relief from sinus headache. However, this not a guarantee and you need to remember that higher levels of intake can seriously trigger even more headache.
2. Which Is Good For a Headache? Coffee or Tea?
While caffeine can provide for a lot of people, it certainly is not for many others. Therefore, the choice depends on your body. Tea also has the potential to reduce headache, especially the herbal tea variant.
3. How Long Do Headaches Last After Quitting Coffee?
This depends on how much you have been consuming. Typically, it should last no more than a few days to weeks. For some, it takes about two months and more for those who have been taking above 1000mg per day.
Disclaimer: While tea and coffee is a personal choice for headache, we strongly recommend you to follow up with your doctor to understand your body. For some, headache is no joke, and thus, a doctor’s care will be the best relief.
