Eli5: Why is caffeine often recommended for headache relief?

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Eli5: Why is caffeine often recommended for headache relief?

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24 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

In addition to what other people say it’s probably useful to get rid of a caffeine withdrawal headache

Anonymous 0 Comments

As many have pointed out one of the main causes for headaches is the blood vessels around your heat. They can either be too much widened or too much narrowed. Caffeine counteracts them being widened, alcohol counteracts them being narrowed.

Some pain reliever work better in combination with caffeine too and often there are variants that have a dose of caffeine to make use of that effect.

Still, recommendimg either is trial and error, so you might end up with even more severe headaches. Best is to drink two big glasses of cold water and wait some time if the headaches go away. Hot or cold packs induce similar effects on the blood vessels and can help reduce the pain before administering any form of drug.

Anonymous 0 Comments

As someone who identified caffeine as a source of cluster migraines waaaaay too late this made me sad.

Anonymous 0 Comments

When I had a spinal tap-induced headache, I had to resort to an IV infusion of straight up caffeine to get rid of it. I’ve always wondered how that worked.

Not only did it resolve the worst headache of my life, I think I briefly saw God.

Anonymous 0 Comments

In my personal case it’s because the cause for headache is low blood pressure and caffeine slightly increases the blood pressure.
I would bet that there are more reasons, but that is at least one.

Anonymous 0 Comments

A fair number of headaches are caused by caffeine withdrawal when habitual caffeine consumers suddenly have a lower dose one day. Many don’t know they’re addicted until they miss their morning coffee.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Caffeine results in vasoconstriction. When taken the blood vessels in your head constrict, relieving the pressure.

Anonymous 0 Comments

When you’re having a headache, blood vessels change in such a way that there’s an increase in blood flow around the brain. This puts pressure on surrounding nerves, which causes the pain you feel.

Caffeine causes the blood vessels to narrow, so they aren’t pressing on those nerves. And when you take it with pain meds, it helps those meds work faster and better. That’s why Excedrin has aspirin, acetaminophen and caffeine.

Anonymous 0 Comments

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Anonymous 0 Comments

Nonserious answer: I kind of always assumed it was because so many people are caffeine addicted that a lot of headaches are caused by just not having enough in the system.