Caffeine Implicated Again

Caffeine has long been thought to have a connection with migraine headaches. Caffeine is a common component of over-the-counter and prescription headache remedies. Withdrawal from regular use has been associated with increased migraines. Now researchers are continuing to make discoveries about how caffeine and migraines are related.

A recent study coming out of Norway looked into heavy and lighter use of caffeine and how it relates to headaches. What they found was interesting, if not a bit confusing in the end. High caffeine consumption was "weakly associated" with an increase in infrequent headaches. Lower use seemed to cause an increase in frequent headaches. Also, non-migraine headaches were more likely to be connected to caffeine than migraines.

In the end, no one is quite sure what to make of all the information. In fact, the research team had this to say:

The results may indicate that high caffeine consumption changes chronic headache into infrequent headache due to the analgesic properties of caffeine. Alternatively, chronic headache sufferers have reduced the intake of coffee and tea to avoid worsening, whereas individuals with infrequent headache may be less aware that high caffeine use can cause headache.

The bottom line is you need to pay attention to how caffeine affects you as an individual and see if there are other triggers you can eliminate or reduce to improve your health.

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