If you've ever consumed a cup of coffee and experienced relief from a pounding headache, you're not imagining it. Over the past several decades, many studies have linked caffeine consumption in coffee to headache relief. The American Headache Society, or AHS, reports that caffeine can sometimes effectively treat acute headaches and migraines. Because of the effect caffeine has on pain, you will often find it in over-the-counter and prescription painkillers. One downside to the chemical, however, is that it's addictive and can cause a rebound headache.
How Coffee Works
A regular cup of coffee can contain anywhere from 100 to 200 mg of caffeine. A psychoactive chemical, caffeine decreases pain by constricting swollen blood vessels that put pressure on nerves. In 2010, Dr. Carolyn Bernstein, author of "The Migraine Brain," reported in the "Daily Mail" that drinking one or two strong cups of black coffee could be a simple, effective treatment for an intense headache.
Painkiller Absorption
In addition to treating headache pain, another reason caffeine is added to painkillers is because it can increase the body's ability to absorb the active drug. According to the Cleveland Clinic, "Caffeine additives make pain relievers 40 percent more effective," which is beneficial to you because you can take less pain-killing medication while achieving the same level of pain relief.
Black Coffee
Whether you drink your coffee black or with milk or cream, most people still experience the same headache-relieving characteristics. For some, however, milk can trigger headache pain. Ronald Hoffman, medical director and founder of the Hoffman Center in New York City, reports that proteins in milk can cause migraines and other types of headaches. The Center for Food Allergies reports that milk can cause inflammation and trigger symptoms of a food allergy, including a headache. Food allergy symptoms can occur hours after the allergen is absorbed into your system, making it difficult to link an early evening headache to your morning cappuccino.
Warnings
Caffeine in coffee can be addictive in amounts as small as 100 mg a day, according to Robert E. Shapiro, M.D., and the AHS. Withdrawing from the stimulant can cause a throbbing, severe headache, fatigue, lethargy, irritability, depression and anxiety, reports the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. In 2004, the journal "Psychopharmacology" reported that sufficient evidence warrants inclusion of caffeine withdrawal syndrome disorder in the American Psychiatric Association's "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders."
References
- "Daily Mail"; Best Cure for Migraine Headaches May be a Cup of Coffee or Two; Carolyn Bernstein; May 2010
- My Family Doctor: Why is Caffeine in My Pain Reliever?; Daniel P. Hays, Pharm.D
- American Headache Society: Caffeine and Migraine
- Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center: Information about Caffeine Dependence
- Center for Food Allergies: Headaches
- Dr. Ronald Hoffman: Headaches: Hunting Down the Cause of Your Pain
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