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Answers Book · The morning after

What causes a hangover headache?

The 10-second answer

Losing fluid after drinking is one likely reason for a hangover headache, and for some people, wine itself can bring on a headache.

The simple answer

Alcohol makes you pee more, so your body loses fluid. Losing fluid can make you thirsty and tired, and it can give you a headache.

Wine can be different. Some people get a headache from wine because they are sensitive to sulfites. A headache after drinking wine, especially red wine, may not be a hangover at all, and doctors aren't sure what causes it.

A hangover has other causes too, like poor sleep, an upset stomach, and inflammation in the body. Those are linked to the hangover as a whole, not to the headache alone.

Myth vs Fact

Myth

Coffee or a shower will cure a hangover.

Fact

No remedy has been scientifically proven to work, and only time is known to resolve a hangover.

The science

  1. NIH / NIAAAHeadache-specific evidence: NIAAA explains that alcohol suppresses vasopressin, a hormone that helps the body hold on to water. This leads to more urination and fluid loss, and NIAAA says the resulting mild dehydration likely contributes to thirst, fatigue, and headache.
  2. Cleveland ClinicCleveland Clinic also says dehydration leads to thirst, fatigue, and headaches.
  3. Mayo ClinicMayo Clinic lists headache among dehydration symptoms. It says a headache after drinking wine, especially red wine, is different from a hangover, and its cause isn't clear.
  4. NIH / NIAAANIAAA notes that people sensitive to sulfites may get a headache after drinking wine.
  5. NIH / NIAAAWhole-hangover factors (not headache-specific): NIAAA lists mild dehydration, disrupted sleep, gastrointestinal irritation, inflammation, acetaldehyde exposure, and a "mini-withdrawal" as contributors to hangover symptoms overall. Congeners, which are more common in darker spirits, could worsen hangover symptoms for some people. NIAAA states that no hangover remedy has been scientifically proven effective and that only time can help.

Medical sources

How often people ask
How often people ask: Not verified - this question comes from real keyword research and Google search suggestions.

Keep reading

The morning afterIs a Hangover Really Just Dehydration?MythsDo coffee, cold showers or "hair of the dog" help?
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This page is general information, not medical advice. Sources are linked above. If you're worried about yourself or someone else, contact a healthcare provider or call 911.
Last checked: October 26, 2026