Alcoholic drinks are a migraine trigger in about one third of patients with migraine in retrospective studies on trigger factors.
Many population studies show that patients with migraine consume alcohol in a smaller percentage than the general population.
Moreover, research has shown a decreased prevalence of headache with increasing number of alcohol units consumed.
The classification criteria of alcohol-related headaches remain problematic.
We discuss the role and mechanism of action of alcohol or other components of alcoholic drinks in relation to alcohol-induced headache.
In accordance with data from a recent prospective study, we believe that reports overestimate the role of alcohol, as well as other foods, in the triggering of migraine.
If a relationship between the intake of alcohol and the migraine attack is not clear, a small dose of alcohol is not contraindicated either for enjoyment or its protective effect on cardiovascular disease.
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