Caffeine can cure headaches and cause headaches `` double-edged sword '' and experts, what is the mechanism?
Sometimes you miss your morning coffee and get a headache, or you drink too many caffeinated energy drinks and get a headache. In addition, caffeine also has the effect of suppressing headaches, such as caffeine being used as the main ingredient of headache medicine. Live Science, a scientific news site, explained the relationship between caffeine and headaches, which has the effect of curing headaches, based on the stories of experts.
Does caffeine help or cause headaches? | Live Science
According to Richard Lipton, professor of neurology at the Albert Einstein School of Medicine in New York City, caffeine is a psychoactive substance, stimulating and vasoconstricting, which can increase brain activity and increase alertness. It is said that it affects the headache by narrowing the veins of the body.
Anhydrous caffeine is often used in over-the-counter and prescription medications, such as the headache drug Excedrin , because caffeine can calm migraine headaches and relieve headaches caused by drug withdrawal. Masu.
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The synergistic effects of pain relievers and caffeine are not fully understood, but are thought to be related to their behavior in the brain. The human brain and spinal cord have adenosine receptors for catching
Adenosine increases blood flow and dilates blood vessels, while caffeine constricts blood vessels. Some headaches are known to be caused by the dilation of the blood vessels in the head, and caffeine's vasoconstrictor effect is said to be the reason why these headaches are relieved.
Adenosine also has a complex role in pain transmission, both suppressing and stimulating pain signals, and caffeine's inhibition of this action may relieve headaches. Studies have reported that caffeine promotes the absorption of pain relievers such as acetaminophen and prolongs their effects, and it takes longer to take effect when used in combination with caffeine than when ibuprofen is used alone. There is also a study result that the duration is short and the analgesic effect is excellent.
Regarding the relationship between caffeine and headache medicine, Lipton said, ``Caffeine itself is not a pain reliever, but it is more effective when combined with pain relievers.''
In this way, caffeine has the effect of soothing headaches, but depending on how it is ingested, the brain may transform into something that is prone to headaches. According to one
People develop tolerance to caffeine through frequent intake of caffeine and become addicted to caffeine. Blood vessels dilate, causing headaches. This could be the reason why you get headaches from missing your morning coffee.
In this case, caffeine supplementation will relieve withdrawal headaches, and if you do not take caffeine for a long time, the adenosine receptor will also decrease and the symptoms of dependence will decrease.
In addition, neurologists like Lipton often face cases where caffeine overdose causes headaches. However, Lipton says, 'The mechanism by which caffeine causes headaches is still unclear.' For example, as mentioned above, caffeine has the effect of suppressing migraine headaches, but some migraine patients seem to be triggered by caffeine.
For safety, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says healthy adults should limit their caffeine intake to 400mg per day (equivalent to 4-5 cups of coffee). In addition, some commercially available canned coffee reach the recommended daily intake set by the FDA with just two cans.
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However, it should be noted that sensitivity to caffeine varies from person to person, so it is not necessarily safe if it is within 400 mg.
“Caffeine is definitely a double-edged sword,” Lipton told Live Science. There is,' he said.
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