Coffee is a popular caffeinated beverage that half of the American population drink each day. Unfortunately, it’s also one of the most well-known triggers of migraine attacks among patients who come to see Dr. Rickards – a well-known Escondido chiropractor. As a result, most of these patients wonder if they should abandon their go-to caffeinated drink or regulate consumption instead.
To Drink or Not to Drink Coffee?
Drinking coffee can be a double-edged sword for migraineurs. Studies have long proven that it can come in handy in easing migraine pain because it can stimulate a sense of euphoria and lessen muscle fatigue. It also regulates blood flow inside the brain because it triggers vasoconstriction. However, several researchers note that it can also aggravate symptoms if you drink too much or too little.
Here’s a closer look at two possible scenarios:
Drinking an excessive amount of coffee
According to findings published in the American Journal of Medicine, drinking more than three cups of coffee increases the risks for a terrible migraine attack within 24 hours. That’s because one cup of coffee alone contains around 96 mg of caffeine, and it takes about 5 hours before the body metabolizes half of your total intake. The more caffeine you have in your bloodstream, the more likely you will develop caffeine dependency. It will also cause problems that can aggravate your migraine symptoms, such as:
- Short and drastic changes in your blood pressure
- Disturbed or shortened sleep
- Rapid heart rate and increased blood circulation
- Increased chances of developing PMS symptoms
Drinking lesser cups than usual
Once you develop caffeine dependency, your blood vessels enlarge each time you don’t meet your usual dose of coffee or caffeine. Naturally, this leads to blood pressure fluctuation, especially inside the skull. It also puts undue pressure on the brain tissues and nerves, leaving you at risk of developing intense bouts of headaches and other migraine symptoms.
Different Bodies Means Varying Levels of Caffeine Sensitivity and Metabolism Rate
The next time you plan on drinking coffee, we recommend considering the details we shared above. It would also help to observe how your body reacts to caffeine before and after a migraine episode. Notably, some people aren’t as sensitive to caffeine as others. If this is the case, drinking coffee or taking caffeine-containing pain relievers might work wonders for your symptoms. Make sure you drink the usual number of cups or find caffeinated painkillers.
Additionally, we also suggest looking out for other well-known migraine triggers. This will help you manage your risks and see improvements in your symptoms.
Other Well-known Migraine Triggers
Complicated neurological problems such as migraines can disrupt daily life. That’s why our Escondido migraine chiropractor, Dr. Rickards, often reminds patients to learn as much as they can about their condition, so they can avoid things that could aggravate the symptoms.
Besides abnormal caffeine intake, here are other migraine triggers that our patients at Rickards Precision Chiropractic & Wellness try to avoid or manage:
Natural or unnatural hormone changes
A significant fraction of headaches develop due to hormonal changes during menstruation. Notably, the estrogen levels dip during the pre-menstrual phase. Consequently, this triggers a few things like increased pain sensitivity and worse migraine attacks.
Changes in sleep pattern
Disrupted sleep is a common problem that accompanies a migraine attack. Aim to stick to a consistent sleeping and waking up time to prevent the onset of crippling headaches, visual disturbances, and dizziness.
Weather changes
Variable weather aspects like temperature and barometric pressure can affect your blood vessels and blood circulation. So, you must be extra mindful of weather changes in your area and make necessary adjustments to your plans or activities.
Medication overuse
Excessive painkiller intake can cause unwanted effects like medication dependency and rebound headaches. Therefore, we strongly suggest following your physician’s instructions when taking NSAIDs or other similar options.
Alcohol
Too much alcohol can trigger a delayed migraine attack or a hungover headache. Some studies explain that this happens because of alcohol’s ability to trigger dehydration. Alcohol also amplifies stress levels, causing you more likely to develop worse headaches.
Cervical subluxation
Changes in your C1 and C2 bone alignment can impact your CNS and cause health mishaps like headaches, migraine episodes, and visual auras. We suggest getting checked by an Escondido migraine chiropractor to correct the problem and ease symptoms of cervical subluxation. Receiving upper cervical care can also help you heal neurovascular compression, brainstem lesions and more.
Talk to a Reliable Escondido Migraine Chiropractor
Anyone looking for long-term migraine relief has come across upper cervical care. Essentially, this approach involves getting diagnosed by an Escondido migraine chiropractor and receiving neck bone adjustments. It’s a straightforward process that has helped redefine the lives of many suffering migraineurs.
If your condition worsens with time or you believe you have misaligned neck bones, we recommend booking an appointment with Dr. Rickards. This will allow us to figure out how to help you live a migraine-free life.
Let us help you check and improve your cervical spinal alignment. The misaligned bones can glide back into their places with our upper cervical doctors’ calculated and precise neck toggle adjustments. This will help you relieve pressure on your CNS and address neurovascular compression and other factors that aggravate migraine attacks.
Call Rickards Precision Chiropractic & Wellness at (760) 745-1511 or reach out team through our online form so we can proceed to provide you with an in-depth diagnosis of your cervical spine.
To schedule a consultation with Dr. Rickards, call our Escondido office at (760) 745-1511. You can also click the button below.
If you are outside of the local area, you can find an Upper Cervical Doctor near you at www.uppercervicalawareness.com.