Caffeine Headache: What Is It And How Do You Stop It?

We’ve all experienced the frustration of a headache. It arrives seemingly without cause, and suddenly it’s impossible to focus. Everything is too loud and too bright. 

Caffeine is a popular and effective headache treatment. However, an over-reliance on caffeine can also cause headaches. How does this paradox work? Keep reading to learn all about caffeine headaches, including the best ways to spare yourself future agony.

Is Coffee Good For A Headache?

Coffee can be good for headaches because it contains caffeine, the world’s most widely used psychoactive drug. Caffeine is a chemical compound found naturally in many plants like tea, coffee, and cacao, and added to products like sodas and energy drinks. 

Many potential health benefits of coffee are linked to its caffeine content, such as a reduced risk for heart disease and Parkinson’s (1). Using caffeine for migraines and headaches provides another benefit. Not only does caffeine reduce headache pain, but it can be used in conjunction with other painkillers like ibuprofen, aspirin, and acetaminophen to enhance pain relief (2).

Why Does Caffeine Help A Headache?

The causes of headaches are poorly understood, even with advances in MRI technology, because the human brain is such a complex system. So it’s difficult to know precisely how caffeine helps a headache.

This behavior is the well-established cause as to why caffeine makes you feel more alert and awake (3). Studies have shown that this same action reduces pain signaling, thus easing your aching head.

Caffeine, Adenosine Receptors, and Pain

Adenosine receptors are found throughout the human body, including in the central and peripheral nervous system. They are known to play a role in antinociception, which is what your nerve cells do to minimize the pain you experience in response to injury (4).

Adenosine receptors typically bind the molecule adenosine, as you might guess from the name. But caffeine and adenosine have very similar molecular structures, meaning caffeine can replace adenosine and block the receptor. This disruption of the adenosine receptor by caffeine is thought to interfere with pain signaling in your brain, thus easing the pain of a headache.

Caffeine, Vasodilation Or Vasoconstriction?

Changes in blood flow around the brain were once thought to cause many types of headaches and migraines (5). While this is no longer supported by research, it is still considered a possible mechanism by which headache pain is enhanced.

The swelling of blood vessels is known as vasodilation. When this occurs around the brain, the resulting increase in blood flow triggers surrounding nerves to send pain signals to the brain.

Is caffeine a vasoconstrictor? The answer is less straightforward than you would hope. There isn’t a strong scientific consensus, with different studies yielding different results (6). 

We do know that for many people caffeine helps a headache, and its possible action as a vasoconstrictor may play a role. Caffeine consumption narrows the blood vessels around the brain, slowing blood flow and easing pressure on the nerves.

Other Factors

If your headache is caused by caffeine withdrawal, of course, caffeine will also alleviate your symptoms – at least in the short term.

What Is A Caffeine Withdrawal Headache?

Not everyone who consumes caffeine regularly experiences withdrawal when they quit, but it is common enough to be included in the American Psychological Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). 

A headache is the most often reported symptom of caffeine withdrawal, and it can be especially acute for anyone already prone to migraines (7). Indeed, caffeine withdrawal can even trigger migraines (8).

Consuming caffeine regularly causes the body to adapt to its pain-relieving effects. When you skip your morning coffee, for example, those effects are reduced, and a headache sets in.

What Does A Caffeine-Induced Headache Feel Like?

How a headache feels is very personal, but a caffeine-induced headache is usually described as pain and pressure radiating outwards from the brain. The most common affected area is behind the eyes and at the front of the head. More severe cases might yield all-over throbbing head pain and migraine-like symptoms.

To learn more about caffeine withdrawal headaches and its severity, watch this video with neurobiologist José Lemos, PhD, from the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School.

Is There A Cure For Caffeine-Induced Headache?

How to get rid of a caffeine-induced headache is, unfortunately, the same as any headache – unless, of course, you want to cave and just have a cup of coffee (guilty). 

Be patient, rest, and hydrate. Try painkillers like Aspirin or Ibuprofen, and avoid overly loud or stimulating environments. As with many illnesses, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Be cautious with your caffeine intake to avoid developing a potentially painful dependence.

Final Thoughts

So is caffeine a friend or foe? A bit of both, if we’re being honest. Research has shown caffeine to offer many health advantages, along with being an effective headache treatment. And consuming caffeine in the form of coffee, which is delicious and rich in antioxidants, boosts its benefits even further. The key is to monitor your intake carefully and know your caffeine boundaries to avoid dependency and a headache from too much caffeine.