How to Avoid Wine Headaches

For many, a glass of wine at the end of the day is an easy way to unwind. Unfortunately, wine headaches affect a significant portion of the wine-drinking population. While the jury is still out on the exact cause of these headaches, there are definite actions you can take to avoid the post-wine pound of a throbbing head.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

1. Determine the type and quantity of wine that triggers your headaches. For most, this is red wine and the amount can be as little as a third of a glass. Try to narrow it down even further. This method is not foolproof, but at the very least, you can rule out wines that have caused you headaches in the past.

2. Avoid cheap wine. The more expensive the wine, the greater the chance that you can sneak away without a headache. Again, it is important to emphasize that wine headaches have no cure, so this may not be true of every cheap wine, and every expensive wine.

3. Steer clear of heavy reds. Red wine headache sufferers will have better luck with lighter wines, such as pinot noirs, Spanish wines, and some Italian wines. On the other hand, big-bodied cabernets and French Bordeaux wine, along with other Italians and port wines, can be headache inducers.

4. Develop a liking to white wines. Your chance of suffering from a wine headache is greatly reduced when drinking white wines. Chardonnays and sauvignon blancs, even dessert wines are a much safer bet.

5. Hydrate. No matter the wine, if you drink multiple glasses while dehydrated, your head will pound much, much harder. Drinking water is a common piece of advice, but is even more important for avoiding wine headaches. Keep your fluids up and you just might be able to flush that nasty headache right through your system.

6. Keep your stress level low and drink in moderation. Some developing evidence suggests that high stress situations and excessive indulgence will heighten your chance of getting a wine headache.

Tips & Warnings

• Before dropping $10 to $20 on wine, ask friends who suffer from wine headaches what brands have given them problems. Although the causes seem to differ from person to person, you never know when a little friendly advice could save you some cash and some head pain.

• Some Web sites and other sources suggest taking aspirin or other painkillers to fend off wine headaches. Unless prescribed by your doctor, taking medicine may not be the best solution.

• If you have allergies, you may be more likely to suffer from wine headaches. These tips may or may not help you. If you have bad allergies, it's best to consult a doctor before continuing to drink wine.