Causes of headaches: Alcohol
Alcohol is an interesting substance, in that it does exactly the opposite of what most people feel it does. For a start, while most of us think that alcohol jollies us up, it doesn't. It's actually a central nervous system depressant, but since it first depresses those areas that inhibit our behaviour, it makes people jollier simply by sending inhibitory mechanisms to sleep!
Alcohol is also not a thirst-quencher. It is excreted in the urine, and pulls a lot of water along with it at the same time, acting as a mild diuretic. The only reason why alcoholic drinks appear to quench our thirst is because beer and other dilute beverages contain large quantities of water.
Alcohol can cause headaches in three ways - through sensitivity to alcohol itself, from a hangover, and in an alcoholic as he or she starts to withdraw from alcohol.
Some people are simply sensitive to alcohol; in these people, alcohol can cause a severe headache which is obviously related to drinking. Alcohol can also trigger off cluster headaches and migraine attacks.
Headaches caused directly by alcohol may not be straightforward. For a start, we shouldn't really be talking about alcohol, but about the alcohols - for there are a lot of them. Often headaches that come on after drinking a particular beverage are caused not by the alcohol itself, but by a sensitivity to some of the other alcohols and aromatic chemicals produced during the fermentation process. Red wine is notorious for this. Often individuals will say that certain drinks always seem to give them a headache, while other drinks seem quite all right. This is because they are particularly sensitive to the specific mixture of alcohols and other ingredients in that particular type of drink. Mixers can also be headache-related; in particular, tonic water.
The treatment, obviously, is to watch out for those drinks, or combinations of drinks, that seem to affect you, and simply avoid them.
The second way in which alcohol can cause a headache is during a hangover. Some of the headache is due to the direct effect of alcohol and its breakdown products, but a good part of the headache of the hangover is caused by dehydration. As noted earlier, when alcohol passes out in the urine, it drags with it a large quantity of water, and after a binge (particularly a binge on spirits, which contain little water) the body can get quite severely dehydrated.
Interestingly, the headache of a hangover is at its worst long after all the alcohol has been broken down by the body. The other aromatic chemical constituents of the drink may also have an important role - which is why mixing your drinks can have such a devastating effect. Some oriental races have an inherited inability to break down any further some of the by-products of alcohol, which may explain why people in these groups are much more sensitive to alcohol than other races.
The headache of a hangover is throbbing, made worse by moving the head, and is often accompanied by nausea or vomiting. The headache occurs some time after alcohol has been drunk, unlike the migraines produced by alcohol, which occur more or less as soon as the alcoholic drink has been taken.
The third way in which alcohol can cause headaches is during the withdrawal phase, the drying-out process, from alcohol addiction. In some cases this headache may be 'allergy withdrawal' in nature: here there is both addiction and allergy to some of the other chemicals (not just the alcohol) in the preferred drinks. It sounds surprising that someone could be addicted to a substance he's allergic to - but it's true, especially for food-related allergies.

Self help
Pretty obvious, this one. If you know that a particular type of alcohol gives you problems, then avoid it. As far as hangovers are concerned, while the old 'hair-of-the-dog' remedy may work for a time (in other words, giving yourself a little bit more alcohol), it actually serves to perpetuate the problem, even if there are good homoeopathic and allergic reasons why this approach might sometimes work. (Giving a small dose of a substance you're allergic to may stop withdrawal symptoms - though it continues to perpetuate the allergy in the long-term).
The best way to treat a hangover is to avoid further alcohol, to drink plenty of fluid (non-alcoholic) and to take a couple of aspirin, as long as you're not sensitive to them (see below). Fructose (fruit sugar) may help lessen the effects of alcohol through biochemical effects, and honey and tomato juice are good sources of this. Paracetamol can be used for pain relief, but many physicians are wary of recommending paracetamol with alcohol because both chemicals damage the liver; after an alcoholic binge, paracetamol may be relatively poisonous. Even by itself, paracetamol can be a very dangerous substance, if it's used indiscriminately, at more than the recommended dose. A small amount, plus alcohol, could kill you, particularly if you have had any liver-damaging condition like hepatitis. There have been instances of people who have made a token suicide attempt, taking only a handful of tablets - say, ten - together with alcohol, and have died as a result.
On the other hand, aspirin can also cause stomach bleeding, especially on an empty stomach. The effects are worse in those who are especially susceptible or allergic to aspirin. Because alcohol itself can pickle the lining of the stomach and cause bleeding, aspirin needs to be used with care after a binge, particularly as gastritis commonly occurs at this time.
As far as headaches from alcohol withdrawal are concerned, this is a stage you may have to go through, though painkillers will certainly lessen the symptoms. Not everyone gets headaches during 'drying-out', and it depends - among other things - upon how long you've been a drinker. The shorter the time, the more likely you are to get headaches; those who've been drinking for a long time are more likely to develop restlessness, delirium and depression. In headaches caused by alcohol withdrawal, simple analgesics may be enough to get rid of the pain.
Complementary treatment
A hot bath with pepper or juniper is invigorating, particularly when suffering the effects of a hangover. Fennel oil can be inhaled to relieve nausea. A blend of juniper and fennel oils, used in massage, or in a vapouriser - even the bath - may also help.
Rose oil is said to affect liver function, easing nausea and headaches. Kola is a herb which contains a large percentage of caffeine; it is often used to treat nervous headaches and. hangover in the short term. Valerian and lady's slipper, drunk as teas, can relieve the headache of hangover.
Baths with a few drops of essential oil of lavender can help to ease headache. Lemon in hot water, and hot peppermint tea can be drunk to alleviate discomfort. (Remember that peppermint will nullify the effects of any homoeopathic remedies you are taking.) Yarrow and elder/lower are said to encourage the body to expel toxins caused by alcohol and its by-products.
In extreme cases, with shaking, vomiting and severe headache, Rescue Remedy, a Bach flower remedy, may help. Dilute in a glass of warm water.
Homoeopathy offers several cures for hangover; for example, hangover in the morning, after drinking spirits, would respond to nux. Other remedies might include capsicum and kali bichrom.
Deficiencies in Vitamins A, B, C, D and K, folic acid, bioflavonoid, iron, zinc, and potassium are very common in heavy drinkers. Ensure that you are taking adequate quantities of the above if you are a heavy drinker, or following a drinking session. Evening primrose oil is said to be useful in treating the symptoms of hangover, and it is claimed that Vitamin B15 (pangamic acid) can help ward off hangovers through speedy recovery from fatigue, and a beneficial effect on the liver. Nutritionists suggest that you lake one tablet before your first drink, and one before bed.
Some people suggest that you drink a pint of mineral water before going to bed. The water should flush out toxins and prevent dehydration symptoms. Fizzy mineral water can ease stomach discomfort.
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