You’re looking forward to a nice glass of wine, or an evening out, and rather than having a good time, you’re left with a pounding headache and stuffy nose. If you’ve ever experienced this, but not with every drink you consume, you might be wondering why some drinks hit you harder than others. But the good news is there may be a logical explanation as to why and how you can avoid the problem in the future.
What’s Really Causing That Headache
Most people attribute headaches to dehydration and/or “too much alcohol,” but in reality, it’s even more unexpected than that. While many alcoholic beverages boast questionable substances like sugar, alcohol and preservatives that trigger headaches, facial flushing and nasal congestion in sensitive individuals, the biggest offenders are sulfites. Sulfites are preservatives added to wine and some other beverages to ensure that they do not spoil and are drinkable at whatever point they’re being served.
Sulfites are tricky; some people can drink sulfite-rich wine all day without a second thought, while others get a headache from the first glass. It’s not about how much someone can “handle;” it’s about how the particular person’s body reacts to what’s inside the drink. Furthermore, the reaction comes in various fashions: some get the full-blown banging headache. Others get the facial flushing and redness and heat. Many get the nasal congestion and stuffy nose that feels like breathing is almost impossible. And of course, there’s nausea that occurs that night or the next morning.
Breaking Down the Science
When sulfites enter your body, your body needs to break them down. For some it works seamlessly; for others, it causes discomfort. Histamines play a part as well: red wine in particular is loaded with histamines which is why those who take antihistamines for allergies sometimes feel symptomatically similar. Blood vessels dilate, sinuses swell, and the stuffy feeling comes rushing in.
But overall, sulfites are commonly found across various alcohols, especially when they’re included in beer and cider on top of wine and even in certain spirits as well, if mixed drinks are made with no sulfites. Unfortunately, they are present more times than people believe.
Finding Solutions That Work
The most obvious option is to consume drinks that feature little amounts of sulfites. Some winemakers possess low-sulfite (or sulfite free) options. These tend to be limited in brands and pricier, but can work wonders.
Another strategy that’s gaining attention is using products designed to remove sulfites directly from your drink. These filtration methods work by binding to the sulfites before you consume them, which can help prevent those headache-triggering compounds from entering your system in the first place.
Hydration helps, too; classic advice to consume water between alcoholic drinks actually helps—but not with sulfites specifically, but making your body more comfortable processing alcohol and everything else that could contribute to an uncomfortable situation like dehydration or empty stomachs.
Other Factors Worth Knowing
The type of alcohol matters more than you’d think; red wine has higher histamine levels and is packed with more sulfites than white wine. More often people recommend whites over reds for this reason—but be careful with darker beers and aged spirits/larger spirits as they also carry more than their lighter counterparts.
How your body feels when you consume alcohol also contributes; drinking on an empty stomach fosters reactions because there’s nothing to slow absorption down and feeling tired or stressed makes people more sensitive in general.
Even where a person gets their wine (region) or which variety (chardonnay versus pinot grigio) works wonders, but it comes down to how much sulfites are actually included from the way the wine is made (or grapes sourced).
Making Smarter Choices
Unfortunately, it’s often not clear that sulfites are the issue. People just think they’re “allergic” or “cannot handle” wine or are having particularly bad luck. Once it’s determined what’s going on specifically, proactive methods can be taken.
Reading labels helps, although it’s not always a finite solution. If wines contain more sulfites than a certain threshold, countries will mark labels to indicate such presence; however those who even feel less can still find themselves feeling more.
Taking Control of Your Experience
No one should be forced to choose between having beverages with their friends or peers—and paying for them—and then feeling miserable after without knowing the cause; it’s better to take control than try to force solutions upon yourself.
Look for patterns: if red wine gives you consistent headaches and white wine does not, that’s worth something. If certain brands seem worse than others, there’s a reason. Your body is telling you something that needs to be listened to.
Avoiding drinking at all times or avoiding social situations where your beverage of choice could provide comfort is not an acceptable solution—as is giving up something you actually like—but avoiding specific situations that make it possible for you not to suffer is.
Knowing what’s causing headaches, facial congestion and nausea puts the power back in your hands instead of blindly going through expectations hoping for the best when in reality it should’ve been ruled out almost altogether—not based on just seemingly bad luck but definitive reasons.
