Irrespective of the cause of a migraine many of those who are affected find caffeine helps to relieve their pain. The only problem is there are just as many who find the opposite happens and caffeine actually triggers their headaches. So the relationship between caffeine and migraines is not particularly straight forward.
The problem of caffeine is even more difficult for those who discover their daily fix of caffeine is the trigger that starts their headaches off. Withdrawal headaches are often experienced by regular caffeine drinkers when they cut back in an effort to curtail their headaches. And if they are already prone to getting headaches the headache they experience when they stop the caffeine intake is likely to be a humdinger. Ideally therefore you should reduce your caffeine intake on a gradual and measured basis so that you do not shock your body into withdrawal.
You will find that many of the specialised migraine pain relievers contain caffeine. Caffeine exerts a vasoconstrictive action which helps to relieve the pain of a migraine. When suffering a migraine the blood vessels in your head dilate for some uncertain reason. This then stretches the nerves that are wrapped around the blood vessels causing inflammation and pain. Caffeine, as a vasoconstrictor, attempts to bring the size of the blood vessels back towards their regular size which then helps to reduce the pain. Caffeine also acts as a supplement to the main analgesic and helps to boost its performance helping it to fight your migraine pain far more effectively than if there was no caffeine present at all.
Caffeine is present in many foods and drinks so if it is potentially a cause of a migraine or a problem for you you need to check labels very carefully. We all know caffeine is found in drinks like colas and coffee but it is also found in many clear and fruit flavored sodas. It is also found in chocolate and in many over the counter medications although these may not always be effectively labelled.
The cause of migraine can be many and varied with no one answer for those who suffer. Further more comprehensive information is available at http://www.causeofmigraine.org.
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