Why Wine Causes Headaches and How to Avoid Them

If you avoid wine—specifically red wine—because you know it’ll make your head hurt something serious not too long after the first glass, the reason may be simpler than you think, and the solution may already be in your medicine cabinet, if not at your corner convenience store. Here’s the nature of the problem, and how to fix it.

Put simply, you may just be allergic to some of the compounds often found in wine. We’re not talking about a hangover, so if you drink to the point of drunkeness and wake up with a pounding skull, that’s not allergies. If you only drink a glass and come down with a headache, the problem is likely with one of two compounds: sulfites or amines.